KOZHIKODE: Alinda Joselyn and Nandawula Mariam had no idea how the people of Kerala would react to their handmade crafts imported from their native land, Uganda. But on the very first day that they put up their hut at Iringal Sargaalaya Crafts Village as part of the International Crafts Expo, the two women were stunned seeing the love of Keralities for handmade crafts.
The two women are the representatives of the National Arts and Cultural Crafts Association, Uganda. The duo have exhibited crafts including oil paintings, show pieces, cotton and jute bags, accessories, all made by their members.
“Our crafts are not appreciated back home even though they are priced low, but what we find here is very different, as the people here love our products and talks to us more about our lifestyle, crafts and a lot more”, says Alinda with a smile.
Alinda comes from Munyoro in Misindi district in Uganda, whereas Nandawula comes from Muganda in Buganda District. Both of their have their craft units in Kampala District, which is one of the major crafts centres in Uganda.
“Only recently, crafts in Uganda were appreciated by the Government but unlike in India, artisans are not supported by the Government. Here the opportunity to get platforms to display your product are wide, so we have decided to stay back in India to promote our products here,” Alinda added.
