Ecocraft Samartex Timber & Plywood

The EcoCraft workshop was established in January 2002 and now boasts 24 skilled carvers and two designers. EcoCraft is the first certified training centre in Ghana for woodcarving and lathe turning. Since June 2004 every year 20 Junior High graduates take part in the formalized apprenticeship program. With a high proportion of young women, EcoCraft also aims to help break down some traditional gender barriers. After a three-year training period the young people have the oppotunity to continue working at EcoCraft or other wood processing companies, or to set up their own workshops for the local markets. EcoCraft will also give a hand as main purchaser of the products, and as middlemen for contracts and marketing. Products EcoCraft tries to bring and to preserve the variety of the tropical rainforest ecology into its products. The products have an unmistakable African flavour; they are uncomplicated, warm and open just like the land and the people of Ghana. Each product is like a member of the African extended family-proud and unique on it?s own -but unmistakable part of a vast and diverse family that stand together at any time. As an essential principle of the EcoCraft concept, only ?waste wood? (wood not other wise utilized), branches, buttresses, roots, tree-defects and other natural rainforest resources, such as seeds, leaves, lianas, etc. are used.