Yaounde: UNESCO recognises outstanding textile artisans at SIARC 2024.

The laureates were offered state-of-the-art sewing machines at the UNECSO Regional Office for Central Africa in Yaounde on Thursday, September 12.

This was in the presence of the Director of Handicraft at the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, MINPMESSA, Nanji Mercy.

The artisans won the prizes during the just ended SIARC 2024, which was organised at the National Museum in Yaounde from July 22 to 31, 2024.

This prestigious event brought together artisans from various sectors, but the spotlight was on the clothing and textile industry, where according to experts, creativity, resilience, and skill were on full display.

One of the winners, Mirriam Etongwe, expressed satisfaction with the industrial machines she received.

“The industrial machines that have been handed to us are of top-notch quality and this will go a long way to boost the quantity and quality of my production,” Etongwe said. 

She went on to add that: “At first, I used the butterfly machine before, but the capacity is very low. However, thanks to the updated version I just received, sewing will be easier with its many functions. I offer free training in my community to young girls; the less privileged as well as interested persons”. 

About the winners

The first prize went to Etongwe Miriam, a dedicated advocate for women’s empowerment. 

Born in Matoh, Konye Subdivision, Meme Division of the South West Region into a family of 11, Etongwe today stands out in crafts work.

Currently based in Kumba, she offers free training to 30 young women, empowering them to pursue careers in textiles. 

On his part, Dewah Donatus is a talented traditional dressmaker from Balikumbat won the second position. He works in Bamenda with just one machine and two employees. 

Married with seven children, he has managed to keep his business thriving despite limited resources. 

Meanwhile, Biya Ousmane from the Adamawa, a dedicated mentor, currently training 10 apprentices in his workshop in Banyo with just one machine, got the third prize. 

Coming from a large family of 12 children, Ousmane has worked tirelessly to sustain his business and offer valuable skills to others. 

The Resilience Award was won by Deumeni Noupoue Nadege who is an industrial sewing specialist, running her workshop for three years with two aging machines. 

Employing seven people, her vision is to establish a training center to empower others. 

Enter UNESCO official

Speaking to reporters after handing the machines, the Associate Program Officer for UNESCO, Carole Kayum Fokue, explained their motivation. 

“For us, going by the UNESCO 2005 convention which stipulates that promotion and protection of the diversity of all cultural expressions, we hope to absolutely guide and encourage local artists, in a bid for them to inspire themselves on up-to-date methods to help them grow,” Kayum said. 

The support, the UNESCO official said, isn’t just a recognition of talent but also a means to uplift and support the artisans in expanding their businesses and training others. 

The winners, each with unique stories of perseverance and passion, she said have made significant contributions to the artisan sector in Cameroon.

Gov’t recommends good use of machines

The MINPMESSA Director enjoined the recipients to make good use of the equipment received. 

“I implore the winners of the prizes to make good use of the machines received. The textile sector was identified by the National Development Strategy 30, SND30 as one of the priority sectors that would transform Cameroon structurally, and I think this gesture of UNESCO would go a long way to improve on the know-how that these four craft people,” Nanji said. 

The Director went on to add that they will accompany the selected artisans and follow up to ensure that the industrial machines are put into effective use of them.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3231 of Monday September 16, 2024