Africa-Press – Mauritius. Christmas and New Year are approaching. In less than one month, all homes will be celebrating in their different ways and many are already preparing this event that they?ll probably spend with their families.
But relatives and friends living abroad should not be forgotten and it is just time to start sending cards to them? SPES, a non-governmental organization, manufactures the perfect cards for the occasion? These hand-made cards are uncommon, colourful and original.
?People should not forget that we live in Mauritius. We don?t have any white Christmas here.
Wouldn?t it be more logical to send Mauritian-made cards, which would remind friends or family abroad of the place we live in?? wonders Helena Langlois, SPES? chairperson.
SPES attracts many tourists in its shops. ?I believe these people want to have something from our country to take back to their homeland and offer to their friends.
? Helena has been working at SPES since 1969 (two years after its creation) and she has an album with lots of postcards that she has kept to show how talented craftswomen are in Mauritius.
These cards date back 30 years and cost Rs 1.25 at the time. Some designs are reminders of Mauritius and others have religious themes. ?Because Christmas has a religious meaning.
? But they still keep something of Mauritius: they use banana leaves, sugar cane stems or ?veloutier? leaves? ?We try and innovate with our materials ? we found that papaya leaves can give interesting results in the manufacture of photo frames for instance.
Straw is not so easy to find and we have to import a lot. In Madagascar, for example, the handicraft sector benefits from the availability of many resources.
In Mauritius, however, it?s much more difficult. The country has to raise the standard of its crafts. ? But SPES now concentrates on a different method of making postcards: silk-screening.
The result is totally different but the work is still fine and artistic. Thanks to this method, they can make reproductions of Malcom de Chazal?s paintings on postcards.
?It looks important to us to boost our local artists as much as we can? So we buy some designs from them and reproduce them on our postcards.
? Light-weight present This year, SPES has decided to do something different. They?ll sell postcards together with a small, light-weight present from Mauritius, easy to send through the post.
?We know that textile industry needs a boost in Mauritius so we?ve decided to manufacture small cotton bags with Christmas designs on them. People receiving them will be able to keep them as souvenirs while using them. It?s different from a card.
Likewise, we have personalised calendars to be sold with the cards?? So if you want to send something different to your friends this year, just go to SPES. You?ll certainly find what you?re looking for!
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