Idyllic
beaches, rain forests and parched deserts, lemurs and chameleons, the
woodcarvers of Zafimaniry villages, the relaxed tropical ambience of Anjouan,
the bustling flower market of Antananarivo, pirogues cruising the Tsiribihina
River – our new favourite African destination of fascination is Madagascar. It
also just happens to produce some of the most beautiful and orginal crafts we’ve
seen for a long time. One of the most unique is the art of modelling recycled
tin cans which is called "kapoaka". The cars, bicycles, planes and
scooters are made from discarded pop, beer and air freshner cans. They are
skillfully constructed with each little piece of tin being carefully soldered
with precision in tiny workshops, throughout Madagascar, creating sustainable
employment for hundreds of crafters. Bundu Designs has been working with a co-operative
based in Antananarivo
for
some time, that was established to unite disparate workshops working with artisans.
It provides Fair Trade employment to formerly impoverished artisans in crafts.
With the profits generated by the workshops, the Kapoaka artisans have been
able to build houses establish small subsistence farms.
On our recent African trip, we were able to view some new designs. We especially loved the little Vespa scooters. Madagascar has had a fascination with the Vespa for decades and you can hire one on the island, plus helmet and lock for less than $35 per day!
All new stock is available from bundudesigns.com for more info email us at info@bundudesigns.com
On our recent African trip, we were able to view some new designs. We especially loved the little Vespa scooters. Madagascar has had a fascination with the Vespa for decades and you can hire one on the island, plus helmet and lock for less than $35 per day!
All new stock is available from bundudesigns.com for more info email us at info@bundudesigns.com
