Ecuador’s Dale Foundation has added a new course to its Community Development Program! The course teaches women in the provinces of Guayas and Los Ríos how to make value added products out of banana waste.

Through the program, the wives of our farm workers and other interested women in the community are taught how to make handicrafts out of handmade banana paper.  The ladies are first taught how to make paper from banana stems and then taught how to use the paper to make different kinds of crafts to later sell for a profit.  Some examples of the handicrafts produced and sold are lamp shades, boxes, book marks, gift bags, cards, baskets, and hats.

This program has been developed in cooperation with the “Foro Social Bananero” (Banana Social Forum) and the “Corporación de Promoción de Exportaciones e Inversiones CORPEI” (Corporation for the Promotion of Exports and Investments).  The program’s objective is to provide new working opportunities and develop new sources of income. In 2006, fifty-six women benefited from the program.

Furthermore, thanks to the Dale Foundation, the women are often invited to participate in fairs and expositions where they have the opportunity to show and sell their products. 

All of the money collected by these women through the sale of their products is entirely for their benefit.

Steps for making Paper out of Banana Fiber

	Step 1 Using a knife the fiber is scrapped off
	Step 2 The fiber (thread) is then put to dry in the sunlight
	Step 3 Once dried, the fiber is chopped up
	Step 4 Recycled paper or toilet paper is put to soak
	Step 5 Aloe is liquidized and filtered; then a cup of glue is added along with the banana fiber and the soaked paper
	Step 6 All these ingredients are mixed together in a large tub
	Step 7 A metal mesh held together by a frame is put into the tub.  Once the substance has gathered on the mesh all wrinkles are smoothed out.  The paper is left to drip dry.  The duration depends on the thickness of the paper being made
	Step 8 The paper on the frame is then spread out on a clean sheet without wrinkles where it can drip dry.  Any extra water is soaked up by a sponge and then the frame is turned over releasing the dry paper
	Step 9 Once the dry paper is obtained the desired crafts can be made