One World Projects
Coal Pendant w/ Duck Design
Coal Pendant w/ Duck Design
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Coal, an unexciting derivative of carbon found deep in the earth, has been carefully hand-carved and polished into these classic round pendants with abstract duck etchings. Commonly used for fuel, this black sedimentary rock makes a unique piece to add to your jewelry collection or give as a gift to that special someone in your life.
Handmade by young artisans from the Morca Coal Project in Colombia through an effort initiated by the Colombian government to discourage child labor and train young men in new professions.
- Measures 1-3/4” diameter and 1/8” thick
- Suspended on a 36” black cord
Handmade in Colombia and fair trade imported.
Colombia
The community of Morca, a mountainous area in the town of Sogamoso, Colombia depends heavily on coal mining to sustain its livelihoods. Casualties and deaths are common in these mines, either due to mining-collapses or the inhalation of poisonous gases. In 1995, the Colombian government established the Morca-Boyaca workshop to keep young men and boys out of the hazardous mines. The boys from the area were encouraged to attend school and learn the craft of carving coal into beautiful pieces of jewelry.
Excessive and long-term mining in this small town of Morca has made farming impossible, leaving the local residents with coal mines as the only source of employment. Men and boys responsible for supporting large families are often the victims of these unforgiving mines and unsafe working conditions. The Morca – Boyaca project aims at being able to eradicate child labor in the mines and provide these young boys with a better and healthier source of living.
The Colombian government, therefore, has been building networks with several marketing agencies and importers of handicrafts to boost the market for the coal jewelry. The Morca – Boyaca project is one such example of alliances that relies on One World Projects in the U.S. and the National Pedagogical University in Bogota to help expand the project and find suitable and more stable markets.
About the Artisans
About the Artisans
We work with One World Projects who in turn, works with Choma Museum and Crafts Centre Trust Ltd (CMCC), in Choma, in the center of the Southern Province of Zambia, Africa.
The crafts divisions of the CMCC are associated with about 450 crafts makers, primarily women (400) who are subsistence farmers who derive badly needed cash income from their crafts making. The CMCC seeks to promote Zambian crafts and culture by assisting in marketing, skill development and local organization of producers. The skill development is based on traditional techniques, materials, and design.
Plateau Baskets are made on the Plateau districts by Tonga women living on the highlands of the Southern Province of Zambia. The development of this basket during the past 25 years has been spectacular. It is the major single craft of the province and is exported all over the world.
Basket Weaving from Natural Fibers
Basket making is the main economic craft of the province, so domestic cultivation of the Malala Palm tree is promoted. Women are the main beneficiaries of basket-weaving income.
The traditional Tonga basket has a square woven base and a wide round rim at the top. The bottom strips or twigs extend radially into the walls of the basket and palm leaf strips are then woven into it. The pale strips may be dyed black to allow for woven patterning. Patterns are also made by variations in weaving, by leaving the dark radials exposed or by covering them. The basket is then completed by weaving in a round rim.
Materials
Materials
Dimensions
Dimensions
Care information
Care information
