Local producers and promoters of authentic local craft products, set on ensuring these are not lost, have embarked on a new initiative to give our locals and foreign visitors to the craft village at Val des Pres the chance not only to see live craft making performances as experts demonstrate their skills, but they can also try their hands at making their own craft.
The initiative by the Groupe Artisans des Seychelles (GAS) aims to bring more activities and more life to the craft village and give visitors something to look forward to when they visit the village.
The chairperson of the GAS, Jennie Ah-Kong, said the craft village, tucked away in an idyllic and beautiful environment, is too quiet and it was high time that some new life was breathed into it with its different kiosks each scattered in their own little spot among the lush vegetation.
“All the different artisans each produce or source out products to sell in their kiosks and now that business has started to pick up, I believe this initiative will bring some excitement among visitors and boost sales for the artisans. So far it has been interesting to see many of the visitors trying their hands at making some of the craft products,” Mrs Ah-Kong noted.
She is encouraging travel agents taking visitors on tours in the south, not to miss the chance to take them to the craft village for the craft making experience using the related material like dried coconut leaves, to make hats, green coconut leaves to make kapatya and hats among other products.
The craft village is open every day from 9am to 5pm.
Now that the school holidays are approaching, Mrs Ah-Kong is encouraging more heritage clubs from the schools to consider bringing their young members to the craft village to watch and take part in live craft making and to connect with and also learn more on the authentic traditional craft of Seychelles.
The finished craft products are sold to the visitors or put on display in the GAS kiosk at the village.
In existence for many years now, Mrs Ah-Kong said the GAS kiosk at the village sells a large variety of traditional delicacies like fruit jams, coconut nougats, crystalised pamplemousse peels to name but a few as well as a large variety of craft products including traditional water recipients and buckets made from iron sheets.
Mrs Ah-Kong is meanwhile calling on senior citizens with skills in making different craft products to visit the craft village to see how they can share their skills to others.
The accompanying photos show some of the artefacts on sale at the craft village.
Source: Seychelles Nation