This project aims to develop the handicraft products of Laos and increase the popularity of the Lao products in order to increase the employment rate and the consumption within the society. Also, we would like to magnify the abilities of people with disabilities in Laos that can produce the dedicated piece of works and utilize this space for them to showcase their capacity, express and exchange the opinion. Importantly, we would like to show that there are plenty of precious products in Laos that are worth exploring and purchasing.

This project will tackle several issues regarding the small rate of employment among people with disabilities as well as provide them with the space where they are able to fully participate. Besides, we are trying to promote the popularity of the local Lao products and share the knowledge and skill to the new generation and make the local people who produce the handicraft work from different ethnicities to be recognized and appreciated.

Our first international adventure in Thailand to WECAN, an ethnic group recycling fashion show. 

Along with the development of the nation, the development of the living of the people with disability group is also considered as one of the important tasks and the task of solving environmental problems, especially the management of waste, which is likely to increase in the future, is a problem that is catching the world’s attention. Handicrafts group of people with disabilities and Xonphao has seen the importance of these factors and have created a project of handicrafts from the waste created by the handiwork of people with disabilities. 

In 2022, our Handicraft Group of people with disability and ethnic individuals (Xonphao) participated in the Now-Us Laos 2022 Vol.2 competition by proposing a project “Waste handcraft for Creative Reclamation” and was awarded as a winner. After receiving an award, the funds were allocated to enhance the skills of our team members who already possessed basic handicraft proficiencies (handmade shoes, clothes, bags, and jewelry). Specifically, the grant facilitated a 30-day training program for three individuals with disabilities from our team, focusing on high-heeled handmade shoe production under the tutelage of a Thai instructor in a neighboring country. Additionally, the program encompassed training in ethnic fashion clothing design, bag creation, and jewelry crafting to elevate product quality. 

Following the successful training, the team deliberated on methods to showcase the work of our members with disability to society. After consultation with our team in the center and partners from the Lao network of people with disability group, we came to a consensus to organize an event that would effectively promote the work of individuals with disabilities to a wider audience. Consequently, we have scheduled a catwalk event titled “WE CAN” on June 4, 2024, featuring ethnic recycling fashion. This event is regarded as a significant milestone in our efforts to raise awareness and visibility. 

(We also took this opportunity by using the WECAN event as a space for groups of people with disability from various sectors to meet and share knowledge and experience and show their abilities within the event for guests from various sectors to see the development work of our group order to promote more disabled people to access jobs). 

Our event’s primary objective was to repurpose various discarded materials (fabric remnants, used plastic bags, discarded suction tubes, and food foam containers) that were generally considered worthless. These waste materials were transformed into recycled ethnic fashion attire, creating aesthetically pleasing and refined garments.  

We have drawn a lesson from this project to become a force to train and develop ourselves to prove to everyone that even though we are born with physical defects and imperfect shapes and are different from others, we have special abilities that can be used like others. The resulting creations are distinctive products, unparalleled elsewhere. To showcase these designs, we enlisted the participation of 12 Laotian models to present our work on the catwalk. The event garnered significant praise from attendees, who expressed their admiration and noted that this was the first event of its kind in Laos to prominently feature the work of artisans who have disabilities. Many guests were astonished to learn that the exquisite garments were crafted from discarded materials, recognizing the potential for these creations to enhance Laos’s reputation.  

Previously, We had never thought such an opportunity like this before. it was beyond our reach due to the typically high costs associated with such productions. The Now-Us project’s support was instrumental in providing this platform to showcase our abilities and introduce a novel concept for societal change regarding disabilities. Ultimately, this initiative aims to amplify the voices of disabled individuals in Laos, fostering greater societal understanding and creating more opportunities in education, service accessibility, and employment for people with disabilities.