Handmade products made by the ethnic community in Quảng Nam Province are on sale at Kansai International Airport. It's the first time local craft products have been sold abroad. — Photo courtesy of FIDR

QUẢNG NAM — A ‘One Commune One Product’ (OCOP) shop, showcasing and selling unique traditional handicrafts made by the ethnic group of Nam Giang District in the central province of Quảng Nam, has been opened at Kansai International Airport in Japan.

The Japanese non-governmental organisation Foundation for International Development/Relief (FIDR) said the craft products by the Cơ Tu ethnic community and other groups in the rural mountainous area of the province, are being introduced for the first time abroad.

“We are very happy and proud to introduce many unique products from the local people to our Japanese friends and around the world. If you have a chance to visit Kansai International Airport in Japan, please visit and shopping with us at North Area, 4th Floor, Terminal 1, Kansai International Airport from 6.30am to 10.30pm,” FIDR shared in a message.

A Cơ Tu ethnic woman demonstrates hand-made brocade weaving at an event in Quảng Nam Province. Nine rural mountainous communities in the province have been given support and assistance from the Japanese non-governmental organisation Foundation for International Development/Relief, and JICA. — VNS Photo Công Thành

The sales area is part of efforts by FIDR to support local ethnic communities to improve their livelihoods by producing and selling unique handmade products.

FIDR has helped ethnic farmers from Tây Giang and Nam Giang districts in the province bring agricultural produce, food and fashion to the regular weekend farmers’ market in Đà Nẵng City.

The market is open at 64A Nguyễn Chí Thanh Street in Đà Nẵng City from 2pm to 6pm on Thursdays, and from 6am to 10am on Fridays.

FIDR and JICA have supported 80 local ethnic groups to develop 230 products of brocade weaving crafts under the four-year Project for Rural Development by Local Initiatives of the Ethnic Minority Communities in Nam Giang District 2016-20.

A weekend farm shop opens in Đà Nẵng City. The shop offers local specialities from ethnic groups in Quảng Nam Province. — Photo courtesy of FIDR

It helped build the ‘Nam Giang Model’ – a structure of the craft network among ethnic groups in Việt Nam, while building brands and marketing systems for local products.

FIDR said it started a supportive project in Nam Giang District in 2012, and the project has been extended to nine other rural mountainous districts in Quảng Nam.

Local ethic communities have been given supports in promoting specialities, community-based tourism and farm produce to improve their living standard and income.

Nine community-based tourism sites have been built in the area from FIDR-supported projects, it said.

The community-based tourism service in Nam Giang District received the ASEAN community-based award for the second time last year.

FIDR and JICA also supported the first weaving network for the traditional brocade of ethnic groups in the central and Central Highlands regions, a trade that involved the participation of 17 weaving teams from seven ethnic groups including Xơ Đăng, Ba Na, Tà Ôi, Cơ Tu and Mạ from five localities, namely Quảng Nam, Huế, Đà Nẵng, Kon Tum and Đắk Nông from 2001.

Efforts made by FIDR have helped to revive brocade weaving among ethnic groups of Cơ Tu in Đà Nẵng, Huế, Quảng Nam and Đắk Nông with more than 300 weavers. — VNS