Supporting Indigenous Artisan Women in Papua New Guinea

Written by Talei Caucau

Apo Meri is a collective of Artisans who work in the non-profit sector in Papua New Guinea. Apo Meri was founded by Evelyn who is an indigenous Papua New Guinean. Evelyn engages with communities for her job where she specializes in GEDSI (gender equality, disability, and social inclusion). So the idea of helping women and other marginalized communities comes naturally to her. Indigenous Papua New Guinean handicrafts are famous throughout the world for their intricate patterns, designs, textures, and colors. Apo Meri’s mission is to share these brilliantly made pieces of art and culture while at the same time, preserve the integrity of the art, and protect the artisans from being exploited from the outside world.

Across the South Pacific, in countries such as Fiji, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, it is a well known fact that artisans are often taken advantage of by many expatriates, and international businesses who buy locally made products from indigenous artisans only to turn around and make a profit from the products without the artisan's consent. Most of the artisans that are part of Apo Meri are from villages in the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. Apo Meri supports over 100 artisans and their families through their work.

Apo Meri has given rural families an opportunity to prosper without forcing them to move out of their villages. There are so many rural indigenous artists who do not have access to a supply chain which means they struggle to take their products to big cities such as Port Moresby. Apo Meri focuses on helping artisans who are single mothers, widows, or have disabled family members. It is a labor of love and they are a strong team dedicated to making sure every operational aspect of selling and buying runs smoothly. The administrative work and physical labor that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly is quite intensive. There are three men who spend hours making their way to and from remote villages to collect the finished products from the artisans to sell. Another team is in charge of the administrative tasks of communications and marketing work.

Through this initiative, the founders of Apo Meri hope to raise awareness about gender equality, disability, and social inclusion primarily through the promotion of indigenous products. Their long-term goal is to sell their products to customers around the world and provide artisans with a consistent income.

You can show your support for Apo Meri by following their Instagram and Facebook pages. Please share their posts to encourage your friends to follow their work. Here is a link to their Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/handmadelocally/.