The Craftsmen’s fair

The Craftsperson’s Association and the French Comorian Alliance invited you to the Artisans’ Market in Moroni from 30 November to 3rd December 2023. The fair was held at the terrace of its cultural center. There were around fifty exhibitors at this 4th edition. It’s was cloudy this first Saturday of December when I visited the fair, but the weather forecast was predicting some rain in the afternoon. Amina Mohamed is the founder of Zahrat al-Hayat Creation. Her job is to collect and recycle objects and items found in the streets. “I recycle plastic pots, cans, denim skirts and pants. I make bags, jewelry and small traditional fans where Comorian ladies carry them in their purse during wedding ceremonies” she said. Her family concern was set up in 2020. Zahrat al-Hayat Creation has a Facebook page. “When I finished high school, I didn’t know what to do. Then, I decided to enroll in law at the University of Comoros. After my bachelor degree, I launched my own business as there are no job opportunities for many graduates and undergraduates from the University of Comoros,” says Abdullah karim. The 28- year- old law graduate makes bags, shoes and pretty African outfits for men and women. He thanks God for being able to live from his work and feed his family. Djidji Couture is his small business. It is located in Foumbouni, the capital region of Mbadjini. Mrs. Zalhata Mchinda is the developer of Babou Salama Art (BSA). She is a specialist in making household linen, apron for cutlery, traditional fans and bags. Her prices vary from 10 to 15 euros par item. You can contact her at this email: bsa.comores@gmail.com Zarianti Said dropped out of school when she was in the middle school, but she doesn’t regret anything at all. She is nowadays a successful entrepreneur in sewing Comorian traditional clothing. She crafts traditional boubous and hats for men. A handmade boubou costs 100€ and a machine-made one costs 60€. A handmade kofia (hat) costs 300€. Thanks to her work, she asserted that she was able to send her little brother to study abroad. The artisanal soap was also in the exhibition. Mataany Hassani is the manager of Bio Mat. It’s an enterprise specialized in natural bath soap for the whole family. The bio soap is made from papaya, charcoal, turmeric, etc. It protects your skin and is different from the industrially manufactured soaps that contain chemical products you may find in the market. Established in 2022, the small company is located in Nyumadzaha, in Bambao County. Kinaya SARL is a one year- old glass bottled beverage small company. Its plant is located in Domoni ya djuu in Mboude district, but its distribution network is in Itsandra Mdjini city. Kinaya produces grenadine, baobab, pineapple and other juices for its grocery and restaurant customers. It sales some crates of 20, 24 and 30 bottles to its clients. A bottle costs 1€ in an ordinary shop and may be the double in a restaurant. Other exhibitors proudly showed their know-how to the public in the fields of beauty and cosmetics products, pastries, cooking and the cultivation of flowers. Chami Mouzawar, Contributing Writer