🏺 Safeguarding Crafts and Pottery-Making Heritage through Vocational Education
📍 Introduction
The Safeguarding Crafts and Pottery-Making Heritage through Vocational Education project is dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional crafts and pottery-making skills among youth in Rungwe and Kyela Districts. The initiative actively involves both elders and younger generations through vocational training and intergenerational knowledge exchange, ensuring that valuable artisanal heritage is passed down and revitalized.
🎯 Primary Objectives
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Safeguard Intangible Cultural Heritage: Protect the unique skills, techniques, and cultural significance of local crafts and pottery.
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Enhance Artisans’ Skills: Improve craftsmanship quality and marketability through structured training programs.
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Ensure Generational Continuity: Foster sustainable transfer of traditional craft practices from elders to youth, maintaining cultural identity for future generations.
🛠️ Key Activities
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Selecting target villages and schools to focus efforts effectively.
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Mapping skilled artisans to identify local expertise and foster mentorship.
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Mobilizing youth into Craft Clubs to stimulate interest and participation in traditional crafts.
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Conducting workshops to co-develop a practical, culturally rooted curriculum and train artisans on pedagogical methods.
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Delivering hands-on vocational training in weaving and pottery-making to 130 youth, through a blend of in-house instruction, artisan apprenticeships, and learning tours, enhancing skills, creativity, and cultural appreciation.
📚 Approach & Methodology
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Heritage Preservation & Vocational Training: Combining traditional artisan knowledge with formal vocational education tailored for both in-school and out-of-school youth.
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Intergenerational Knowledge Exchange: Facilitating interactions between elders and youth to transfer skills, stories, and cultural values associated with craft-making.
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Curriculum Development: Incorporating a culture-related Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum rooted in local heritage and craftsmanship.
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Collaborative Skill Transfer: Experienced artisans partner with formal educators to deliver hands-on training, fostering pride and mastery of traditional techniques.
🌟 Expected Outcomes
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A sustainable network of skilled artisans and craft practitioners.
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Increased youth engagement and participation in traditional crafts.
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Preservation and revitalization of weaving and pottery-making techniques.
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Enhanced cultural pride and creative expression among youth.
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Strengthened community capacity to sustain craft-based livelihoods rooted in local heritage.
🤝 Support & Partnership
This impactful project is proudly supported by Crafting Change under the auspices of UNESCO-Alwaleed Philanthropies, highlighting a global commitment to safeguarding cultural heritage.
