Kenyan artisans get platform to market goods

NAIROBI, KENYA: Undugu Fair Trade is offering Jua Kali artisans a global platform to sell their produce to Europe, Asia, Pacific Rim and the United States by linking them to buyers.

In 2012, the informal sector--small businesses and the Jua Kali -- is estimated to have employed 10.5 million people, which together account for 82.5 per cent of the country's self-employed, according to the 2013 Economic Survey.

This sector has, however, shied away from the export market due to lack of information, and its inability to finance exports, besides the challenge of not being able to meet the strict and costly regulations governing the exports market.

These combined effects have hampered the artisans' ambition to venture into international business. With a clear understanding of the factors that make it difficult for artisans to embrace the global market, Undugu Fair Trade is now providing a comprehensive solution to help partisans explore the export market.

Undugu Fair Trade, a joint venture between Undugu Society of Kenya and The Awendo Foundation, was established in 2010 to provide marketing support to disadvantaged artisans and producers.