THE GIRLS ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE JEWELRY SKILLS WORKSHOP. MOST OF THEM HAVE NO POSESSIONS AND NO MONEY, SO THEY ARE THRILLED TO RECIEVE SOME SUPPLIES AND LEARN HOW TO MAKE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THEMSELVES. IN THE PHOTO ABOVE I AM HANDING OUT TOOLS TO TEACH WIRE WRAPPING TECHNIQUES WHILE ANTONIA HELPS PREPARE MATERIALS. OTHER TECHNIQUES WE HAVE BEEN TEACHING THE GIRLS ARE WEAVING, KNOTTING, METAL CUTTING AND METAL STAMPING, HAMMERING, AND DRILLING. I CAN SEE THE EXCITEMENT IN THEIR FACES WHEN THEY FIGURE OUT A NEW TECHNIQUE AND ARE ABLE TO COMPLETE A NEW PIECE.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF JEWELRY SKILLS WORKSHOP??
I see this as a fun, theraputic, and empowering activity for all of the girls, but for the older girls, i also see the workshops as a possible future. The future for these girls is very limited. For a poor cambodian girl who doesn't speak much english there are just a few options. She can sew leisure wear for the West in a sweat shop in Phnom Penh, break her back in the fields, clean houses, or cook food with the possiblity of making a maximum of $45 per month. There is great potential for turning the jewelry making skills into an actual vocation for some of the girls, and many shops are willing to carry jewelry made by these girls. This is a very exciting time as we develop the program through this pilot prograqm we are running. Any dontations to help us cover the cost of materials would be a HUGE help. Thank you!
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