HELPING
WOMEN EARN A LIVING
THROUGH
TRADITIONAL CRAFTMANSHIP
***
YOU
CAN HELP US DO SO
THROUGH
PURCHASE OF OUR PRODUCTS
In 2007, BHCRAFTS:
·
reached over 90%
sustainability
·
local sale was more
then 50% of the total sale
·
Had more then 500
women engaged in the project
·
Worked in 9 regions
across the country
·
Applied for the Fair trade membership
| FACTS AND FIGURES FROM 2007 |
Because of this
scale, each year the organization invests heavily in sustaining the program and
promoting crafts from B&H, including:
Investments
in the purchase of raw materials and production equipment,
such as yarn, looms,
knitting needles, etc.;
Marketing activities, including market
research, attendance at international trade fairs, maintaining and extending
networks of sales representatives, developing retail shops in country, etc.;
Promotional activities, such as web site
development, brochures, and post cards;
Development, including the training of new
women and product development;
Administrative costs,
covering the maintenance of two offices and several vehicles.
Approximately 80%
of these investments are financed each year through the sale of goods and
services performed by association's commercial arm (BHcrafts d.o.o.), while the
new initiatives and up scaling of activities are typically funded through
sources or funds mobilized from the public and/or the philanthropic sector.
IDENTITY
PHILANTHROPY
In 2007. the organization
hosted two auctions/fashion shows, on May 8th and December 5th . Both were held at Bosniak Institute, a well-known institution and a true
guardian of B&H cultural heritage, located in the heart of
Sarajevo
. Many organizations and individuals
contributed to making the program successful. Professional and amateur models volunteered
their time, as well as auctioneers. Media patrons of December’s event were
Gracija, Dnevni Avaz, Radio Stari grad, Radio Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine, and
NTV Hayat.
In
May 2007, the auctioneer was H.E. Ambassador Dimitris Kourkoulas, Head of
Delegation of the European Commission to BiH. December’s trio of auctioneers were
Mr.Raffi Gregorian, Principal Deputy High Representative ; Mr. Edin Arslanagić, CEO Bosnalijek; and
Mr. Tie Sosnowski, CEO Triland Development. All performed beautifully, and were very supportive of the organization’s
mission and work.
A percentage of sales from the auction
always goes to another humanitarian project. In May 2007. it was for the
children’s home Bjelave,
Sarajevo
,
while the one in December supported two children’s homes: “Duga”, in Kulen Vakuf, and “Bjelave” in
Sarajevo
.
.
POSITIVE
CHANGES
At BHcrafts we want to highlight the
positive changes within the program and our continued interaction within the
community. We are proud to say that in 2007 our campaign of “shopping with
purpose” has achieved the following results:
- Sales
of handicrafts have provided income for hundreds of women included in the
project, and their families.
-
We have continued protect and promote the cultural
heritage of
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
.
-
The auctions have welcomed many prominent
guests from political and public life, and were followed by a media campaign which
enabled the organization to raise the issue of social awareness and
responsibility.
We
are also happy to report that the marketing results of the organization’s
campaign “Shopping with purpose” are excellent. Local sales were more than 50%
of the total sales in 2007 which is good news for us and for the community.
The total budget in 2007. was
approximately 280.910,13 Euro,
which is
17% lower than the budget for
Y2006.
A majority of activities were financed
through own sources (sales of handicrafts, in
country and abroad).
Significant sources have come from local
fundraising
campaigns.
For percentage details pls. see,Chart
Budget in 2006 was 17% higher
Then in Y2007 because of the EU
grant.
How sales reflect
on women we work with?
The
higher the turnover is, the higher are the artisans’ salaries, and the higher
is the possibility to include new women in production program.
In 2007. The BHCrafts team
created a vision for its future work and has
determined to emphasize the following:
§
To preserve and
promote the cultural heritage of the people
Bosnia and Herzegovina
, focusing on
traditional craftsmanship;
§
To decrease poverty
in B&H by creating work opportunities in traditional activities,
particularly supporting the economic empowerment of women;
§
To stimulate
regional economic growth, with emphasis on rural areas;
§
To promote local
entrepreneurship and development of the entrepreneurial culture necessary for the
growth of a transitional economy; including the promotion of social
entrepreneurship;
§
To provide support
for the economic and organizational development of small and medium
enterprises, humanitarian organizations, associations, co-operatives and other groups;
§
To promote dialogue across entity and state borders
§
To support and
strengthen local wholesale trade;
§
To expand within
the regional markets, i.e.,
Slovenia
,
Croatia
and
Serbia
.
·
To
find a donor for a felting project – the introduction
of a new crafting technique;
CHALLENGES IN 2008
