Norwegian

In November NHE and partnering organizations organized a Fair Trade Charity event in Baku. More than 500 people visited the event which benefited local producers of home made handicraft. 

For the first time ever, NHE  hosted a Handicraft Fair in Baku with 46 artisans representing several regions in Azerbaijan. More than five hundred people attended the event at the Hyatt Regency. A soft classical melody playing at the Hyatt’s Kishmish Hall set a soft tone as Baku shoppers journeyed from table to table speaking with Azerbaijani artisans about their specialties. 

Fine Azerbaijani handicraft

Carpet weaver Tamilla Nabiyeva was pleased to attend the fair with her products. She is a client of NHE’s Cottage Industries Promotion project and a member of the network of home producers connected to the Enchanted Cottage fair trade shop in Baku.

- I really like working with Enchanted Cottage, the staff helps us, thinks about us and encourages us in our handicraft trade. I started to work with carpet weaving when I was 15 years old. I chose carpet weaving because I always liked art and literature. And carpet weaving was a very good combination of art and literature. I could weave some illustrations of our writers’ novels and poems. 

Tamilla has many students who want to make a living in this old oriental handicraft trade. -  I’m very glad that people are interested in carpet weaving still, although many factories are closed down.

Grants

Thanks to donations from Rotary, Ufuq-S, CBT, Enchanted Cottage, Peace Corps, NHE and the Indian Clinic, AZN 2,200 worth of grants were distributed to artisans to celebrate their quality and expertise in their craft. The grantees were selected by a committee with representatives from the American Embassy, Norwegian Embassy, Indian Embassy, Peace Corps, Khazar University and Rotary. Several volunteers helped the event run smoothly and food tables provided Azeri food, both traditional specialties and more international cuisine. Neal Williams, Cottage Industries Promotion project manager and main organizer of the event, said:

- The success of any event is defined by its purpose. The purpose of the fair was to give an opportunity for buyers in Baku to meet face to face with home-based artisans in the regions, so that the artisan's small businesses can be developed through knowing what the market demands. After getting much positive feedback, these artisans are ready to return to their villages with a greater understanding of how to use their gifts to sustain their lives.