A vibrant tie-dye workshop in Accra is challenging perceptions of disability while creating economic pathways.
OSEI Collective hosted the event at the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre, featuring disabled artisan Nora Hlordzi teaching traditional and modern techniques to locals, expatriates, and tourists.
Participants each crafted personalized tote bags, gaining hands-on appreciation for skills often sidelined by stigma.
“This dismantles barriers and opens minds,” said OSEI Collective founder Jessica Quelennec. She stressed that such initiatives reject charity models by proving disabled artisans’ commercial value. Attendees who might never encounter these creators in mainstream markets left with tangible proof of their capability and innovation.
Hlordzi, a batik expert, guided the diverse group through intricate designs, highlighting cultural artistry’s adaptability. The workshop forms part of OSEI Collective’s broader mission to equip persons with disabilities with entrepreneurial skills and direct market access. By centering artisans in interactive experiences, the nonprofit shifts narratives toward inclusion and self-reliance.
Future programs will expand these efforts, forging direct connections between disabled craftspeople and paying customers. “We’re rewriting what disability inclusion looks like,” Quelennec added. The event’s success already sparked new interest in Hlordzi’s work, showing commerce and creativity can override outdated biases.
