The HBWSAA national workshop held in Johannesburg from the 16th to the 18th of January was a successful gathering of 15 provincial coordinators and three facilitators with specific objectives in mind.
The purpose of the workshop was to bring together the provincial coordinators in order to cultivate a common understanding of HBWSAA, adopt a draft constitution that reflected the needs and aspirations of the membership, and elect an interim committee for HBWSAA. Additionally, feedback and input were also received about the craft supply chain research that had been conducted in South Africa.
Over the course of the three-day workshop, discussions were productive and the objectives were achieved. It was agreed that the craft supply chain research was valuable, and steps would be taken to develop a database of HBWs contacts, products, and product photos to enhance market access for craft shops. An interim executive committee was elected, and they were tasked with finalising the draft constitution, re-aligning provincial coordinators, and registering the network.
