Fonea unveils free national beading course
Brazzaville’s National Fund for Employability and Apprenticeship, better known as Fonea, used the quiet holiday week to spring a brightly coloured surprise for jobseekers. During a 30 December press briefing, director Dr Ghislain Louboya announced an upcoming, totally free nationwide training programme in beadwork.
The initiative aims to equip 3,000 young Congolese, half of them in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, with hands-on skills in perlage, a craft still under-exploited locally yet increasingly visible in regional fashion markets.
3,000 places split between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire
Fonea is partnering with the Société Africaine de Recouvrement, a local financial services company, to cover materials, trainers and kits. That backing means every accepted learner aged 16 to 35 will follow the full course, receive tools on graduation and pay nothing up front.
Organisers chose the two largest cities for the pilot phase, citing their dense youth populations and existing craft markets. After the first cohorts graduate, Fonea plans to roll out sessions in all twelve departments, creating what it calls ‘a travelling classroom’.
From craft to market: a three-step training path
The curriculum follows three clear steps. First, trainees master the art of selecting, threading and patterning beads. Second, they move into small-batch production, learning to meet deadlines and quality standards. Finally, mentors guide them through marketing, pricing and customer service, turning hobbyists into micro-entrepreneurs.
Dr Louboya insists the course is more than a craft lesson. ‘We are shaping business owners, not just artisans,’ he told reporters, framing perlage as a scalable trade capable of delivering steady income with modest start-up costs.
Made in Congo at the heart of the project
A central pillar of the programme is creative sovereignty. Trainees will source most beads, threads and decorative accents from local suppliers, then design products that speak to Congolese tastes—think flag-coloured bracelets, statement clutch bags or bead-studded sandals for the dry-season festival circuit.
By focusing on ‘Made in Congo’, Fonea hopes to keep more value within national borders and help diversify a youth economy often dominated by reselling imported goods. Successful graduates could even supply tourist outlets looking for authentic souvenirs.
Real-life success story fuels motivation
Guest speaker Gelvie Simba, already earning a living from beaded handbags and home décor, illustrated the programme’s promise. ‘I pay my bills with beads,’ she smiled, explaining that a medium-size purse takes her two days of work and sells quickly on social media marketplaces.
Simba purchases most supplies in the city’s open markets, proof that a viable value chain already exists. Her testimony drew nods from young journalists in the room, some of whom filmed the moment for TikTok and Instagram reels that racked up views within hours.
Next steps: enrolment drive starts this month
Fonea will launch a two-week awareness caravan in January, visiting secondary schools, youth centres and popular bus stops with flyers, sample products and a portable beadloom. Officials say the goal is to demystify the craft while collecting pre-registrations on a dedicated WhatsApp line.
Once selected, participants will attend weekday sessions over three months, culminating in a mini-expo where they can sell their first collections. Fonea pledges to track graduates for at least a year, measuring revenue growth and providing refresher modules online.
Dr Louboya summed up the ambition in practical terms: ‘Our vision is that a young woman from Poto-Poto, armed with a bead kit and a smartphone, can invoice her first customer before Independence Day.’ The optimism felt infectious inside the conference hall.
The beading push aligns neatly with government priorities on youth self-reliance and local value addition, frequently outlined in ministerial speeches throughout 2023. Observers see Fonea’s model as a template that could be replicated in other creative sectors like leatherwork or digital design.
For now, the focus remains on getting bead kits into eager hands before the school holidays end. Anyone interested can follow Fonea’s Facebook page or visit district labour offices, where staff have been briefed to guide applicants through the short form.
If the pilot hits its targets, a second intake could open in mid-2024, potentially doubling capacity. That prospect alone has already sparked friendly competition among neighborhood youth associations keen to secure spots for their members.
Whether they end up crafting wall hangings, festival jewellery or corporate gifts, the next wave of bead artisans will carry the same message thread by thread: Congo’s youth are ready to design their own opportunities.
Registrations open in the coming days. The beads are waiting.
Local economists note that small craft businesses create ripple effects, from packaging suppliers to bike couriers who deliver finished products. A 2019 study by the Chamber of Commerce estimated that each successful artisan supports at least two indirect jobs within the community.
Fonea’s team believes the same multiplier could apply here, particularly if graduates cluster in cooperatives that pool orders and negotiate better prices for raw materials. Discussions with micro-finance institutions are already under way to design tailored credit lines.
