| dc.description.abstract | This paper highlights the important role played by design in shaping the new African continent
economically, socially and environmentally. This role is highly linked to the rich interaction
between religion, art and culture in Africa. Africa thrives well through networks formed by different
cultures, customs, history and people spirit of working together. It is in such setups that handicrafts
communities thrives well, however, Africa has been left behind in the sustainability of the practice
key to rural development. This paper is aimed at exploring ways in which design can play a key
role in the process of developing sustainable handicraft communities from inception to full
implementation. It also explores the barriers for the uptake of community development initiatives
in the design profession in Africa. Qualitative analysis and case studies are the major research
strategies used. Wamunyu area will be used as the case study of a handicraft community existing
in Machakos County. Data collected from archives, interviews and published reports for this
purpose. This paper concludes that design plays an important role in the development of
sustainable handicraft communities especially in the rural areas. The impact of this research is
realized by the benefits of sustaining the handicraft communities that are important enterprises in
rural areas development. The innovative use of design approaches today ensures a smooth
transition for design use in Africa’s problems tomorrow.
Key words; Community development, Design approaches, Handicrafts, Sustainability. | en_US |
