Overview

For centuries Pacific Islanders lived in relative harmony with their environment. The 20th century brought rampant logging and unsustainable fishing, destructive to both native culture and ecology. Chris Delany saw opportunity in the spectacular skills, unique imagery, and fast-disappearing cultural heritage of the Pacific Islanders, and she set about designing craft projects for the 85% who live in villages. Simple cultural mapping and inventories of existing crafts identify skills, designs and materials. High value product ideas are selected, produced, and niche marketed, and small business management training gives the artists control of their enterprises. Collaboration with international galleries and museum outlets is growing with the expansion of ethical markets. The model adapts well to other cultures and offers men, women and youth in rural communities without formal education or access to jobs, a dignified chance to make a living.

How it Works

Progress so Far

STAGE

• Proof of concept pilot – rolling out systematic methodology and evaluating impact

DELIVERY SO FAR
Over 300 artisans trained in the Pacific Islands

• Solomon Islands 120
• Vanuatu 70
• Tonga 80
• Cook Islands 20
• Composite group of 20 from Vanuatu, Solomons, PNG, Kiribati, Nauru, Fiji, Palau, Cooks, Nuie, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu

Measuring Impact

IMPACT INDICATOR

• Increasein family income

IMPACT MEASUREMENT

• Change in annual income measured from village business records, compared to matched control group of villages without craft intervention

IMPACT SO FAR (Aug 09)

• More than 200 families with better incomes
• More than 50 traditional indigenous designs/products revived

Bang for the Buck

SOCIAL RETURN ON INVESTMENT (SROI)

• Average 3-year additional artist/craft worker income per donor dollar

SROI CALCULATION

• Average 3-year additional income divided by average donor subsidy per participant

SROI SO FAR

• SROI data pending completion of this round of project sites

How it will Scale

HIGH IMPACT projects to date have a profound effect on artist incomes

COST-EFFECTIVE cost per project is low, with increasing efficiency over time, and each project becomes financially self-sustaining

SUSTAINED BEHAVIOR producer groups from earlier projects are still up and running because activities remain profitable in terms of money and status

REPLICABLE systematic approach can be performed by other organizations and is easily adapted to new settings

PATH TO SCALE via growth of the organization, leveraging of government programs and partnering with other NGO’s interested in ecological and cultural conservation (and discouraged by their progress to date)

Contacts

Email: delanychris@gmail.com
Phone No:
+64 4 3839827
+64 272474000