Artisan visits in Neiva

Spent 5 days in Neiva, the capital of the department of Huila, located along the banks of the Rio Magdalena, and surrounded by dessert. We taught basic computer classes to 20 artisans, all women, all displaced, and in the afternoons visited their workshops. The artisans work with the natural fibers Fique and Mimbre, leather, wood, Tagua (a nut from a palm native to colombia which has similar qualities to ivory) i learned that it was used to make about 25% of all buttons sold in the US before 1920 before the mass production of plastic buttons.

Working with Aid to Artisans and learning from the artisans has been super educational. Not only learning about the artisan processes which is fascinating, but learning about their realities, their struggles. To see their community, their support for one another. We will be working with several indigenous artisan groups in Guajira, northeast part of the country on carribean coast and bordering Venezuela, later in the month.