Report 1 (of 5): Dyeing for Batik - Ghana

Introduction

Batik tie-dye is a practical craft which can be easily learnt and needs only a small amount of space for production. It is a relatively cheap means of producing fabric because there are only a few inputs that go into batik making compared to the mechanised form of printing. A batik making business can be established at home with only a reasonable amount of capital required. Batik clothing is really popular and it has the potential to develop into a small scale industry which provides employment and income to young people.

The Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Service (GRATIS)

The Ghana Regional Appropriate Technology Industrial Service (GRATIS) Project was established in 1987 to promote small scale industrial growth; to improve incomes and employment opportunities; and to enhance the development of Ghana. These objectives are being achieved by developing and demonstrating marketable products and processes which enable micro, small and medium enterprises to increase productivity, jobs and income.

Alongside the introduction of improved technologies, manufacturing processes and products is the provision of loans for equipment acquisition and working capital, engineering design, marketing and other consultancy services to small scale industrialists seeking to expand or upgrade their operations.

The working capital scheme offered by GRATIS offers a start up loan to course graduates which has to be repaid over the period of a year.

Intermediate Technology Transfer Unit (ITTU)

GRATIS operates through a network of Intermediate Technology Transfer Units (ITTUs) which have been established in nine regions of Ghana. It is responsible for coordinating the work of these units. Together, the ITTUs provide short and long term training for over 8,000 people annually and they administer over one billion Ghanian cedis (approximately GBP £250,000) in loans for working capital and equipment.

The ITTUs provide training, business and technical advice, access to equipment and tools for specific jobs, repairs and maintenance, use of specialised machines, marketing and other support services, to small scale artisans and entrepreneurs to address specific needs of the regions.

Funding and Support

The services provided by GRATIS and the ITTUs are made possible through the support of the Government of Ghana, the European Union and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Funding for specific projects has been provided by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the British Overseas Development Administration, now the Department for International Development (DFID).

Income Generating Activities

Income generating activities introduced to women in rural communities using equipment that has been designed and manufactured by GRATIS/ITTU include batik and tie-dye production; cotton spinning; beekeeping and honey extraction; soap and bead making; food processing, for example, shea butter extraction; and vegetable oil extraction and citronella oil distillation.

The Batik Tie-Dye Technology Transfer Programme

The batik tie-dye technology transfer programme is organised at the Textile Training Section of the Tema Intermediate Technology Transfer Unit (ITTU) in Ghana. The main aim of the programme is to train young people, especially women, in the art of dyeing and printing to produce quality batik which can serve as a source of income to improve living standards.

During a six month training period, between 15 and 30 participants are taught both technical and managerial skills with the emphasis being placed upon a participatory learning approach and hands-on practical on the job training. The trainees are shown practical technical skills, such as pattern making, waxing, dye preparation, dyeing and dewaxing. They also learn design making, knotting, binding, folding and stitching techniques to get the tie-dye effects on the fabric. Having completed all the technical processes, the participants are able to produce colourful and beautiful fabrics which are sold to the public to recover the costs.

Managerial skills are taught to prepare the participants for the real world of business and they learn record keeping, accounting, management of credit, production planning, marketing, customer relations, financial management and housekeeping.

Batik Making

• Prepare the stove and melt the wax.

• Cut motifs out of pieces of foam.

• Dip the foam into the wax and print the first motif onto the material.

• When the wax is dry, wash the cloth in cold water.

• Dip the cloth in the dye and move it around for 30 minutes.

• Lay the cloth out and then hang it up to oxidise to the right colour.

• Print the second pattern and wash it again.

• Dip the cloth in the second colour and hang to oxidise.

• Wash out excess dye and plunge into hot water for de-waxing - the wax can then be recycled.

• Finally, wash and hang out the finished product.

Intermediate Technology would like to thank GRATIS and ITTU - in particular, Robert Buatsi - for providing the original material on the batik tie-dye technology transfer programme.
 

Further reading available from ITDG Development Bookshop

Technique of Batik
Noel Dyrenforth
A selection of seven dyeing projects which explore a range of dye design and production techniques featuring advice on traditional and modern materials, and information on the history of batik.
£19.99 pb (Batsford) 1997 ISBN 0-7134-8301-6

Dyeing and Printing: A Handbook
John Foulds
The text and line drawings describe chemical dyeing and printing techniques as they apply to small-scale operations, and how to plan for small-scale production. (Published in the Small-Scale Textiles series).
£6.95 48pp pb (ITP) ISBN 1853390283
 

TVE/ Practical Action gratefully acknowledge support for the HANDS ON programmes from the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission (EC), the UN Foundation and UNDP/The Equator Initiative in collaboration with the Government of Canada, IDRC, IUCN, BrasilConnects and the Nature Conservancy.