Q006 - Stichting Wanawa (Kenya): Fair Trade export of clothing and accessories Question Which Kenyan products (handmade clothing and fashion asseccories) are the most suitable to be produced for the Dutch market? What is the best way to advertise these products for the Dutch market? How can we show, inform and keep the people in Kenya posted on the product development and quality standard concerning fashion items in the Netherlands? For this assignment you will attend the GENE conference on 14th September in Zwolle. Please see: http://www.worldschool.nl/crd/knowledgedays2012_1.html Situation At the Kenyan coast, in the village of Shariani, Rukia Suleiman has founded the Zalawi Community Centre. It is an educational centre for both young and old. It also provides a children's day-care and a growing elementary school. An important feature of the centre is the Zawadi Designers Group. This group produces clothes and fashion accessories out of local materials and sells them in the Netherlands, United States and Kenya. The Dutch Wanawa Foundation supports this projects by, among other things, buying the products of the Zawadi Designers and selling them on the Dutch market. Foundation Wanawa believes in the strength of the local population of Kenya. We want social and economic justice for everyone. We are convinced that the local population has the strength to make positive changes in Kenya. Together with local partner organisations, we contribute to these positive changes. The local organisation that forms the core of this entire project is the project of Rukia Suleiman: the Zawadi Designers Group in the Zawadi Community Centre. The Zawadi Designers Group was founded in 2007 when a Dutch designer was visiting and provided insight into the Dutch market. At the time, they designed bags, aprons and various other products that we (Wanawa Foundation) have been able to sell very successfully on the Dutch market, namely on street fairs, African events, or music festivals, up to two years ago. In addition, we have been developing an online store. In the Netherlands, we are also very active in fund-raising and education and we often use this project and its products as an example. Explanation of the assignment During the last two years, the project leader in Kenya have been involved in various other developments of the Community Centre. Because of their involvement, they do not have enough time to work with the Designer Group. The fact of the matter is that we have arrived at a point where the sales have been cut in half and as a result the motivation level has dropped considerably. We are looking for new inspiration for all people involved by giving a practical boost to the Designers Group. With this goal in mind, we are looking for answers to the following questions: What products should the Desingers Group produce in order to sell well in the Netherlands?
How do we find (more) customers, and who are these customers? What is our target audience? What is the best way to promote our products (including the good cause that is being supported)? In what way can the Designers Group/Wanawa Foundation receive information and stay in the loop of developments on the Dutch market and fashion world in order to keep the production line up to date in the Netherlands? What can we learn from similar successful projects? Are there any new and interesting products and/or product lines developed in which the Dutch and Kenyan culture symbolically meet? What is the imagery of these products that contain aspects of both cultures? Are they hybrid forms, like mixing, and do notions such as language, poetry, cultural historical background, customs and craft trades possibilities play an important role? Is it possible to use fashion items and asseccories as a tool for such encounters? What is the most typical fashion statement and custom (clothing, hairstyles, asseccories and such) for Kenyan women that can lead to surprising effects and mixing of cultures in Dutch context? You can consider the following new products for the answer to this question: wrap skirts, headscarf, large beach towels, scarves, mobile phone cases, schoolbags, sportswear, boekcasings, etc, etc, etc. Could you design some example products? Desired endproduct A marketing research that needs the following ideas for: a. product development b. insight into target audience/extension of customer circles/market outlet c. development of network and pr - (including possibilities for online sales) Suggestions on how to execute Market research. Research questions could be: a. What kind of products are interesting for the Dutch market? Make an inventory of the existing products of the Designers Group. Find out to what extent these comply with the taste/fashion and quality demands in the Netherlands (ask advise from some of the fashion trade schools/fashion designers) and collect ideas on how to extend the product line. (N.B. You do not need to design a product (line) yourself).
b. Is there a specific niche to be addressed (like bio-cotton or fair-trade) and is Zawada Designers Group capable of answering specific demands for these niche markets? Find out what the requirements are for fair-trade products or sustainability qualifications. c. What outlets on the Dutch market could be interested in connection with the Zawada Designers Group? d. How can we incorporate African designs within the Netherlands market? e. In these different trading opportunities, what would be the consequences (work/time) for design, development and communication? Find out what parts of the research can be done in the Netherlands and what the Designers Group can do on their own. You need to bring the research (or parts of it) into practise. Create a network a. Identify possible partners. Make an inventory of what companies/organisation/facilities could be useful in creating a network. Try to find good starting points. These may include young product designers, potential outlets, young entrepreneurs,etc. Information www.wanawa.nl www.eerlijkwaar.eu www.facebook.com/stichtingwanawa www.africancraft.com www.wereldwinkels.nl www.fairtrade.startpagina.nl www.fair21.com www.modemeteenmissie.nl (a similar project for women in the Netherlands) www.kvk.nl - Chamber of commerce www.mkb.nl (Midden en Klein Bedrijf) Contact information A. Stichting Wanawa, contact persoon 1: Jane Sijl (founder of Wanawa and Eerlijkwaar) jane@wanawa.nl 06-20006535. Several months a year, she is only available via email due to work in Kenya. B. Stichting Wanawa contact persoon 2: Inger Huls is vice-president of the Wanawa Foundation. inger@wanawa.nl C. Address and telephone number of local partner Rukia Suleimen, founder of the Zawadi Community Centre:rukiasuleiman@gmail.com
Worldschool advice (also refer to the Worldschool manual at http://www.worldschool.nl/manual) 1. Contact with the foundation We kindly request you to contact the foundation A. when you have chosen the assignment -introduce yourself (name, school, name of assignment, motivation) -inform them about your timeline (important dates, deadlines etc.) -make clear arrangements about the frequency of your communication B. when you have made a plan of approach for the assignment and need to ask the foundation for approval C. for regular updates on the progress of your work
D. to send your final report Please be polite in your correspondence 2. Think globally, work locally Discuss your work with our experts: foreign students from ISS and IHS or Dutch PUM experts from field. In this way you will prevent intercultural mistakes. Ready-made solutions do not exist. Everything that has been done before has to be adjusted according to the local situation. Try to collect as much information as possible locally. Prevent westernised solutions. 3. Research solidly Make use of Worldschool's knowledge centers and the support from the Universities. Base your work on research; analyse comparable projects to find pitfalls and success factors; meticulously test designs; check your plan with scientists.