QLA coordinates village based training in traditional dyeing and weaving and making handicrafts. Participants are UXO survivors, people with disabilities, family members and impoverished families living in UXO affected communities.
With equipment and materials provided by QLA to get them started, participants form a village based producers’ group and work collectively to produce quality products which are sold in the village shop at QLA’s visitors’ centre. The proceeds from the sales go back to the producers.
QLA also hosts a Producer Group Leaders’ meeting on a quarterly basis which enables group leaders to come together in Phonsavanh for peer to peer knowledge exchange and further training in quality improvement and producer group management skills. This approach has resulted in significant improvement in product quality and has also increased the income of the producers.
