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SAF chapters in Goa

The Foundation has been working to identify villages and communities in the remote locations of North Goa which have the skills to produce quality Handicrafts. SAF is currently providing benefits to more than 2500 artisans that can help in making it a sustainable socio-cultural enterprise and also an alternative source of livelihood. The Foundation ensures that all these initiative are community driven and having larger community participation.

South Asia Foundation is setting up a crafts Village in Goa, a unique crafts village, which would be only of its kind in South Asia. The unique aspect about this crafts village would be that 200-250 artisans of different crafts from Goa would be provided with residences cum worksheds and place for displaying their crafts under the same roof. There will also be 20/25 additional housing cum workshed units for domestic visiting artisans from outside Goa and for visiting 10-15 South Asian Nations’ artisans with a maximum stay of 15/20 days to share work skill, design development and exchange of creative ideas. In a broader perspective, a rural arts and crafts complex, this would be an educative and enriching place to visit for tourists and researchers. An artistic and innovative set up will be built, with total rural infrastructure, so that one can appreciate the artisan’s way of life in that village in Goa.

The Foundation in association with Directorate of Industries, Trade and Commerce opened a Crafts Display Centre cum e-Kiosk at Panjim, Goa recently. The showroom is a grandeur atrium wherein the best of the handcrafted items have been displayed that is made by the traditional artisans of Goa. The only showroom of its kind where the products are displayed by the artisan's representatives themselves.It showcases wide range of products depicting infused skills of the Goan artisans varying from stylish and unique in-fashion Bamboo crafts to innovative patchwork and pottery.

All the artisans covered under the workshops organised by South Asia Foundation will be provided with improved Some of these Bamboo craft toolkits have been developed by the Industrial Design Centre (IDC), IIT-Bombay. SAF has made an effort to distribute 100 potters wheel at Kumhaargram already. All the artisans covered under various schemes shall be beneficiaries of this programme.

The Projects of the Foundation also aim at creating job opportunities by way of imparting skill & enhancing the skill of the crafts persons, helping them create marketing avenues, bringing more people into the fold who would appreciate artisan’s way of life and join the village.

Initiative would be taken for setting up of Training cum Production Centre for better marketing and enhanced productivity. The infrastructure, thus created, would be put into optimal use. Highly professional, artisan sensitive designers will be engaged to bring a new look to existing products with diversification & by value addition, through design workshops as per market trend and national & international design concept.

Every effort would be made to create a sustainable model of development that would be artisan led, also would focus on rural development and a community based income generation programme for their socio-economic enhancement. The crafts village would be a centre of excellence in promoting & preserving arts & crafts, Goan ethnic & traditional crafts and would also have a resource centre on these.

SAF Initiatives in Goa

Winners of the drawing competition "Towards a greener Goa" on World Environment day-June 05, 2013 at Kala Academy Goa, Panaji are Junior category winners (5-8 years): Gajesh Siddhivinayak Naik adjudged 1st prize. 2nd prize to Mihika D’souza. (9-12 years): Arnav D’souza adjudged 1st prize, Jonathan A Vas 2nd prize and Ashish Rath 3rd prize.Senior category (13-16 years): Aiswarya Rath adjusged 1st prize, Mayuri Gaurav 2nd prize and Aasfa Shaikh 3rd prize. A special citation to Rishikesh C V for acknowledging his painting skills.For more details, please visit www.facebook.com/saf1991.
Setting up a Goa Crafts Village at the outskirts of city with complete rural infrastructure.
Setting up of a Community driven Dairy Unit where artisans and farmers would be involved and made partners/stake holders in cattle farming and be part of a dairy processing unit through a well knit Co-operative initiative specially created for the purpose.
Setting up 11 crafts facility centers cum model crafts villages in various parts of Goa
Working on Brand building for Goan artisans - "Handmade in Goa"
Setting up a Hand-made Recycled Paper Unit in Goa to make best usage of waste papers and other materials in various offices and agencies of the State Government
Setting up a Pottery Unit at Paliyem,Harambol, North Goa, a community driven initiative, specially created for the purpose, where the artisans will be directly benefitted.
Time to time survey and documentation conducted on artisans on social, cultural, economic, skill assessment by students of reputed institions like NID-A, NIFT, IDC, others under the guidance of SAF.
Working on expansion of Common Worksheds and Design Facilitation Centre and a common display unit.
Regular Design development and Product diversification cum skill up gradation training are given to the artisans covered by SAF.
Crafts Cluster development with handicrafts and handlooms.
To introduce new techniques in crafts, introduction of innovative ideas –identification, improvement of tools and equipment.
Identifying the important /popular and languishing crafts of Goa.
SAF is majorly working upon BRANDING, MARKETING and effective MICRO-FINANCING for the artisans of Goa. Involving Central and State Govternment, Various reputed Institutions and Organisations, SBI, SIDBI, NABARD, & other FIs.
SAF has build up a monitoring mechanism for effective implementation & sustainability
SAF has created awareness about the artisans way of life and its appreciation.
SAF also institute awards for master crafts persons.
Working dedicatedly on organizing & improving the socio-economic conditions and creating new marketing avenues & opportunities for the artisans