Profile
Mikono was established in 1996 as a private company owned by workers and handcraft producers, its aim is to create more jobs and employment for marginalized youth, men and women who are able to produce arts and craft products from local resources. The objectives of the company is to promote self-reliance for crafts people by providing income generating opportunities, preserve indigenous craft traditions, create awareness of the social and environmental conditions of producers and promote Fair Trade in Tanzania.

Mikono achieves its aims through promoting Tanzanian crafts, product development, organizing exhibitions, linking producer groups with new markets, offering training and advice in marketing, product design, and small enterprise administration.

Change of management and subsequent introduction of professional multidimensional
Approach to business, helped Handicraft Marketing Co. Ltd. (MIKONO) to turn around and successfully renew export operations.
Mikono deals with handcrafted giftware, alternative use giftware and items of
ethnic/cultural value. The company is the successor to the Tanzania Handcraft Marketing
Corporation (HANDICO). The later was acquired in 1996 under the government privatization exercise through a management and employee buy out scheme.

Unlike most of its competitors, Mikono primarily seeks to promote income generation of marginalized artisans, sustainability and self-reliance among producers.

Other primary goals include preservation of indigenous crafts and arts tradition as well as development and promotion of unique artists talents. Then there is the issue many forget and others deliberately ignore. That is creating awareness of the social and environmental conditions under which producers operate.

At the time of acquisition, HANDICO was making very little sales to the local market and no exports. Previously the company did brisk business selling handcrafts to Europe, Japan and
USA, but most of the buyers had stopped buying from the company due to failure of the
Company to fulfill orders. The company has managed to secure new additional markets in
Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Australia and UK.

Mikono products are positioned as either cultural items or given functional values. For example, African bowls previously sold as tourist collections are now being sold as salad bowls.

The management engages in market research in order to see how better they can improve the organization and meet their customer needs.