Artisan Impact: Community Crafts Association of the Philippines

Community Crafts Association of the Philippines (CCAP) is a nonprofit organization that helps communities of marginalized artisans sell their handcrafted products in local and global fair trade markets. Your purchase enables Filipinos from the poorest urban and rural communities to become self-reliant through skilled handcrafting.

CCAP is one of the oldest fair trade organizations in the Philippines. Since 1973 it has worked to improve the lives of those in poverty, providing livelihoods for artisans who rely on handcrafting as their primary source of family income. Today the organization continues to create employment opportunities for hundreds of marginalized Filipino artisans, marketing their handcrafts through strong partnerships with fair trade organizations around the world. CCAP uses a strategy they call "development marketing" to help community-based enterprises become effectively organized and self-reliant. Artisan training programs, employment opportunities, and administrative development skills are provided to the artisans, as is access to international retail buyers. CCAP artisans use locally available natural fibers—bamboo, rattan, coconut, and other vines and grasses—to create their beautiful, high-quality products.