"CHANGING LIVES THROUGH FAIR TRADE"

Brief History

The Presbyterian Handicraft Centre (Prescraft) is a project of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. A Swiss Missionary, Rev. Dr. Hans Knopfli, started the project in the early sixties. It was later approved in 1970 as a Church project and established at Bali, Mezam Division.

Today Prescraft has as part of its management team, The Manager and Administrative Assistant in the persons of:

Mr. ABONG PETER NGEH. BA, MBA, Cert. Church Management . Elected Member of the Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Crafts. E-mail: prescraftbda@yahoo.com Mobile: (237) 460 90 10

MR. APE LEVI, Dip Business Adm/Management E-mail: prescraftbda@yahoo.com Mobile: (237) 749 12 90

Our Objectives

• To provide a means of honest livelihood to jobless school leavers
• To improve village life and minimize rural exodus to towns
• To preserve indigenous arts and crafts of the region by providing profitable/sustainable markets for them
• To encourage the development of community programmes and to preserve the environment.
• To improve village life and minimize rural exodus to towns
• To encourage self-reliance.

Our Vision

Prescraft sees fair trade as a way to achieve justice and equality for all. We believe that fair trade is a tool by which the managinalized are empowered, thus helping to reduce poverty.

Our Mission

Prescraft endeavours to help disadvantaged handicraft producers access fair, transparent, sustainable markets in order to generate income and social programming that improves their lives and their communities.

Our Goal

Prescraft's goal is to reduce poverty through Fair trade, not aid

Social Impact

Prescraft is presently employing close to 300 artisans both men and women in our centres, located in Bali, Bamenda, Bafut Bamessing and a further 500 work at home and supply their products to Prescraft. Each bread winner takes care of at least four dependents. Prescraft, therefore, directly impacts the lives of about 4,000 people.

Products

A variety of crafts are produced and sold within Cameroon as well as exported to Fair Trade Organizations in Europe and North America. They include:

• Musical Instruments like calabash rattles, drums, hand and foot rattles, xylophones etc. These constitute our best selling products.
• Wood carvings:The North West Province is endowed with a rich culture and tradition in carving. Prescraft can produce traditional stools, plaques depicting every day scenes, religious plaques, games etc.
• Basketry:A rich variety of baskets are produced in Bali, Bafut, Bamessing and Njah-Etu areas.
• Brass CastingHigh quality castings, using the lost wax technique are produced for export and for the local market
• Pottery:A Swiss pottery expert is now resident at Prespot, Bamessing. This Centre is capable of producing a variety of articles from clay. They include decorative as well as utilitarian articles e.g. candle stands, ash trays, drinking cups, jars, piple heads, nativity sets etc. Typically traditional products as well as glazeware are available.
• Toys, Games and Puzzles:An impressive variety of toys, games and puzzles are available in our range.
• High quality furniture is also produced and sold by Prescraft. We are looking for partners abroad to help us transform our rich variety of wood into saleable furniture world-wide.
• KEY STAFF:The following staff can be contacted in case you want more information or you intend to place an order.

Projects:

Our ambition is to reach and touch the livelihoods of 5,000 people and above. Our markets can only expand with the introduction of new products. We are presently working with some of our partners overseas to develop new products using our locally available materials. So, please contact us if you can be of some assistance.

Our Shops

If you are visiting Cameroon, please endeavour to visit our fair trade shops in the coastal town of Limbe, Bamenda, Commercial Avenue. Also visit our prodction centres in Bamessing, below Sabga Hills, Bali and Bafut in Mezam Division. You will be thrilled to see artisans at work. Any purchase you make is a contribution to keeping artisans on their jobs and is a fight against poverty.