Endale Assefa
2 November 2007
Adama — Some 20 traditional hand weavers drawn from various regions received hands on training with the techniques of using the flying eight-a newly introduced advance hand loam- aimed at boosting their production.
The training conducted in Adama (Nazareth) was facilitated by the engineering capacity building program (ecbp), an Ethiopian German joint development program, in collaboration with the Oromia Trade and Industry Bureau.
German expert, Andreas MÖller conducted the 15-days training program which mainly focused on the practical aspects of weaving using flying eight.
Participants were presented with certificates in recognition of their successful completion of the training.
At present, there are 500,000 hand weavers in Ethiopia who make a living producing fine traditional Netela and Gabbi, the traditional weaving which takes a lot of time and energy.
With the new technology which can design up to 1.60 meters of width, weavers will be able to produce more putting less energy and time, a participant told The Daily Monitor.
"The old(traditional) technique used to take us a week to make Sofa covers but with the new flying shuttle system, it only take us 2 days," he said.
According to Andreas MÖller- the trainer-Gabbi and Netela are the only products hand weavers (which use two harnesses) used to produce in Ethiopia, earning an average 40 birr per Gabbi.
But the market for Gabbi is declining and most weavers do not sell more than four a month.
The flying eight, however, can design Sofa-Covers, bed-Covers, Curtains, and all textiles in a way similar in quality to that produced in the factory.
Flying eight, (called eight because of the eight harnesses or shafts) has total production capacity of 7 times higher than the traditional hand loom, the German trainer explained.
But one of the participants said the new machine was difficult in that he neither could nor produce Gabbi and Netela as the threads are very fine which can be torn easily.
All the same he said he hoped, they could gradually adjust the new machine to fit to specific needs.
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