Joyeria Semilla’s mission is three-fold; to create new jobs, to revive this community’s quickly disappearing handicrafts sector, and to motivate locals to better manage their natural resources. The company accomplishes this goal by training artisans to make necklaces, bracelets and earrings using seeds from the plants and trees found in the area. While all materials used are renewable, Joyeria Semilla takes special care to purchase seeds from trees that don’t appear to have any commercial value. These trees are often cut down or mismanaged, and have some have even become endangered species because nobody values or harvests them. Since Joyeria Semilla began to buy seeds from these underappreciated plants, local villagers have begun to reassess their value, and no longer cut them down at random or use them for firewood.
Joyeria Semilla is located in Villa de Leiva, Colombia, an old colonial town of about 10,000 inhabitants located in the Eastern Andes. Due to its elevated location at 2200 meters above sea level, the land is not suitable for farming which allows limited work opportunities and leaves unemployed youth easily tempted by alcohol, drugs and to join illegal and/or violent groups.
The artisans at Joyeria Semilla have very diverse stories; many of them are women and single mothers, others are high school dropouts who’ve been rescued from street gangs or lives of violence. Most begin without any previous training or work experience; the company provides all the training, tools, materials and safety equipment they’ll need and offers free classes in product design, technical training and marketing. The artisans are also asked for their input in monthly meetings, and are given the opportunity to complete an EPS (Company Promoter of Health Services) course, which is paid for by the employee and the company.
Joyeria Semilla pays its workers are paid an hourly wage that’s far about the national standard, and managers receive a monthly salary with extra allotments for trips to the capital city, quality control, packaging and deliveries. All workers are allowed to work flexible hours to accommodate school needs, harvest days and household obligations.
