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BACKGROUND

Founded by the late Dr. (Mrs.) Esther Ocloo and formally chartered as a non-profit organization in Ghana in 1988, ATAG has emerged as one of the key players in the Ghanaian handicraft industry, providing economic opportunities through craft development for the rural and urban poor.

Ghana, formally known as the Gold Cost has a rich culture and tradition that has been preserved and portrayed in many formats. One example of this rich culture is the ornate Kente cloth that embodies a secret weaving technique unique to Ghana.

Local artisans in Ghana live rural areas, which are not easily accessible. There are many handicraft communities that are not reached due to poor road conditions. This creates a difficult condition for forwarding their crafts to the market place in the rural areas.

Another factor is the dwindling local market buying power. The economy of Ghana has deteriorated over a period of a couple of decades, where exchange rates depreciated drastically and local economic conditions have been quite harsh.

However, it was realized that besides our wealth in Gold there was a hidden treasure which could solve part of the economic woes of the country. Tourism is the fastest growing industry in Ghana with a growth rate of over 12% a year. The industry encouraged the promotion of Ghanaian culture, which is also richly manifested in our artifacts. This has in turn rejuvenated the handicraft industry. The advent of tourism has given a needed boost to the Handicraft industry in terms of employment and foreign exchange earnings for the country in general through export.

These are the circumstances gave birth of Aid to Artisans Ghana (ATAG). ATAG was founded to bridge the gap between local producers/artisans and the worldwide market, which includes the domestic environment.

Under its current Strategic Plan, ATAG sees itself in the roles of a visionary, innovator, advocate/lobbyist, communicator, diplomat and organizer in the further development of the Ghanaian Handicraft Industry.