Partner of two artisan workshops in Madagascar, Pass the wings imports and distributes handcrafted objects using mostly recycled materials.
Who is Pass the wings ?
Passer'ailes is a solidarity trade company, created in 2004 in Gironde, to promote and distribute the creations of tinsmiths of Madagascar.
Passer'ailes does not intervene in the management of the workshop. It then takes over to establish a link with the outside world and broaden the horizons of Malagasy craftsmen. In France, through a light structure, Passer'ailes adapts its commercial offer to the fluctuating production capacities of the workshop and makes its partners aware of this constraint.
The distribution of products complies with the principles of ethical trade. «Fair trade» is not simply an act of generosity, but rather a balanced form of trade in which everyone – artisans and consumers alike – benefits. On this basis, trade will be sustainable and offer the hope of genuine development for artisans. Passer’ailes rigorously controls its costs, minimises the number of intermediaries, and is committed to ensuring fair remuneration for everyone’s work so that the price of the items remains in line with their production costs. Its profit margins are fixed.
Kabambî adheres to Passer’Ailes’ operating principles and complies with the recommended prices, which are regarded as «ethically correct» by Passer’Ailes.
A showcase for the know-how and creativity of these craftsmen who are forging a more dignified daily life with their hammers, Passer'ailes invites encounters by building a bridge between two worlds that time has separated.
NEW: the foundry workshops at’Ambatolampy
These aluminium foundries are all clustered in a village situated 70 km from Antananarivo. These are long-established family businesses that mainly produce cooking pots from recycled aluminium (engine cylinder heads, aluminium profiles, etc.). The younger generations are trying to modernise their businesses by working with companies such as Passer’ailes, but this is still in its very early stages.
The workshop of the Miis’Art’Dines
The Miis’Art’Dines workshop uses recycled paper and cardboard to create cheerful, colourful mobiles. The skill and creativity of these talented craftspeople result in a unique range of beautiful, lively objects for the home.
The marketing of Passer’ailes’ products adheres to fair trade principles by promoting sustainable trade and the development of the workshops it supports in Madagascar.
Miis’Art’Dines – A story of women and sardines! Find out more about Miisa, the workshop’s founder and coordinator, by clicking here.
For this range of home and garden items made in Madagascar from recycled sheet metal, Kabambî works with Passer’ailes, the importer partner of the Atelier d’Ankazobe, which is nestled amongst the rice fields, just a few minutes from the centre of Antananarivo. The workshop has been developing at its own pace for the past ten years, at the heart of a wholly Malagasy environment. Its priority is to provide work and training to those who need it most. The items are crafted entirely by hand.
The workshop at’Ankazobe
Violette and Dieudonné, a Madagascan couple who have taken over the family tinsmith’s business, have built up this project, brick by brick, to combat poverty and despair. They refuse to accept their fate and have created a workshop – a living space – where every worker can regain a decent life. Today, 400 men and women have built their lives there. Here, there is no assembly-line work, no sophisticated tools; people work on the floor and learn alongside one another, whilst always retaining the freedom of their hands.
Everyone finds their place, whatever their skills, age or disability. Mothers with their babies, older women, deaf-mute adults, young delinquents, each one is concentrated on his or her task, but the looks we see radiate the same smile, that of rediscovered dignity. Crouched down among the workers, Violette explains, adjusts, organizes the work.
Dieudonné, surrounded by a few attentive craftsmen, draws ambitious projects on the red earth.
The wind propelling this Noah’s Ark draws its strength from mutual support and solidarity. The project is not limited to shaping iron; it also supports the workers« lives: »We need to get a grip on everyday life, so that everyone can work with peace of mind,’ says Dieudonné. So, amidst the tools, a canteen and a community grocery shop have been set up, to provide food for themselves and to better feed their families.
But the pride and joy of them all is the little school built in the middle of the reclaimed rice field. Around a hundred children are learning to read and write in five immaculately kept classrooms. «One day here,» says Dieudonné with a smile, “we’ll build a secondary school!”
A true and beautiful story… told by each and every item from Passer’Ailes/Atelier d’Ankazobé!