Waraniéné: weavers open a workshop to train 30 young people in the craft

The Waraniéné weavers' cooperative, in the craft village on the southern edge of Korhogo, this week launched an apprenticeship workshop that will take in 30 young people for six months. Apprentices will learn traditional loom weaving, dyeing and selling to visitors.

Cooperative leaders explain that many young people in the village have drifted away from the craft, seen as poorly paid, even though demand for woven cloth and Korhogo cloths remains strong among visitors and shops in Abidjan. Several master weavers, over 60, fear their know-how could disappear.

The workshop is funded by the cooperative and by part of the sales made over the holidays, a peak period for visitors. Apprentices will receive a small monthly allowance and will be able to sell their first pieces at the craft market stalls.

What the creator verified this week: the first day of the workshop, with around twenty apprentices working alongside four master weavers. What remains to be confirmed: whether all 30 announced places will be filled by the end of the month.