Amy aims to craft a better business for Kenyans

Published on Wednesday 31 January 2007 12:03

A CITY entrepreneur is using her business expertise to help an African craft group boost its sales.

Amy McNeese, who runs an online Fair Trade shop - Muirneag - from her Leith home, has been adopted as patron of the Victoria Handicraft group, based in western Kenya, and is helping to regenerate the local economy.

Ms McNeese, who has visited countries including Mexico, Ukraine and Poland to source goods for her store, came across the group on her travels last year.

Although the 50-strong group, which is set to adopt the African name Ziwa on Ms McNeese's advice, has Fair Trade status, its leader ran off with all of the group's money - leaving them destitute.

The workers, predominantly former street children, make a range of products from decorated tin "boogie boxes" to Valentine's cards and jewellery.

Ms McNeese said: "This is quite a common problem - they have Fair Trade status, which should mean their working conditions are good, but the guy in charge had absconded with their money and the Fair Trade Association didn't know, as the only contact details they had was for the guy who disappeared. Their market entirely disappeared with him and although they were still making crafts, they had nowhere to sell them to.

"I heard about them through somebody else I was working with in Kenya and went to visit them. They have asked me to be their patron, which is a huge honour. I want to promote the work they are doing throughout Britain and give them advice on improving what they are doing."