Employment opportunities are thin on the ground in the Aboriginal communities of central Australia, but a not-for-profit art enterprise is celebrating two decades of achievement.

The Tjanpi Desert Weavers group gives local women a way to make and sell their traditional weaving and other artworks.

For many of the local women, a woven basket ensures being able to put food on the table at night.

The NPY Women's Council supports the weavers by buying their work then putting it on sale online and through an art gallery at Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

Desert Weavers manager Michelle Young said it gave the women a vital income stream.

"It's absolutely essential for women to be able to access income so that they can actually meet basic necessities in community," she said.

More than 400 women from 26 communities are involved, across the remote region close to where the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australian borders meet.

Anawari Mitchell weaves for a living and said it means having food.

"I can make money for food, for anything, to buy things like blankets or anything but especially for food," she said.

Weaving builds knowledge of the land

The desert weaving is an important cultural activity too, Ms Young said.

"The collecting of grass to make the fibre artwork, they get out onto country and maintain some of those custodial responsibilities to land," the Desert Weavers manager explained.

"They pass on knowledge to younger members about land and country and also [are] able to hunt for food, collect bush medicine and local foods."

With 20 years of achievement, the weavers are now focused on the next generation.

"It's about really engaging younger people to make artwork and create that income stream for themselves," Ms Young said.

Weaver Jennifer Mitchell said she wanted to pass on her passion.

"I'm trying to [teach] my grandchildren and they will start making baskets," she said.

"I always tell them [that] when we've passed away, the new generation [needs to take over] for the future."