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Roughly translated, Ndawe means "House of Art."
Formerly the master carver for Prescraft,
Cameroon's most well-known exporter of Fair Trade crafts,
Edwin Fotachwi now has his own apprentices and a roadside
showroom in his home town of Bali-Nyonga, Cameroon
As a young carver for Prescraft, Edwin took on the
challenge of replicating a complicated African ceremonial
bowl supported by two rows of statues. He had only a
photograph to work from. Many of his fellow carvers
had tried and failed. Some of them said that it would
be impossible to carve the bowl. Edwin took the time
to study the photograph and plan his work carefully.
When he succeeded he soon became the most prominent
carver among the many carvers in Bali-Nyonga.
 Edwin
carving the "impossible" bowl. This photo of Edwin,
taken when he was in his twenties, has appeared
on postcards, posters and in Fair Trade publications.
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 Edwin
working on a small figure of a man in traditional
clothing.
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In 1993, Edwin decided to leave the relative security
of Prescraft to start his own carving studio and showroom.
With the assistance and encouragement of two Peace Corps
volunteers, he learned the basics of bookkeeping and marketing.
Then he made the unprecedented step of choosing a young
woman, Babila
Veronica Ndungmbowo, as his first apprentice. Veronica
now has her own workshop and apprentices.
Edwin's talents as a sculptor have earned him many
admirers, including the Fon
(King) of Bali-Nyonga. However, the local market
for his sculptures, traditional stools and drums is
not reliable.
When PEOPLink visited Edwin in late 1999, he immediately
grasped the potential of the Internet to help him reach
new customers. Although he does not own or use a computer,
he was able to accurately describe the Internet – while
speaking Cameroonian Pidgin English – to fellow carver
Nchinda
Wanjel Frances.
To make ends meet, he must often "mass produce" smaller
objects such as letter openers and bottle openers. Beautiful
products, but not very challenging for the talents of
a master carver. If Edwin can reach new customers on
the Internet, he may be able to stay focussed on his
art.
Click
here to see all the products of Ndawe available through
PEOPLink
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Edwin
Fotachwi stands in front of the Ndawe showroom in
Bali-Nyonga, Cameroon.