Lite Blue Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Salmon Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Yellow Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Black Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Blue Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Burnt Orange Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Brown Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Burgundy Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Cranberry Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Green Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Grey Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Lite Avocado Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Lime Green Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Lite Rose Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Mustard Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Natural Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Olive Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Orange Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Pink Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Red Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Rose Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Violet Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Wine Tagua Nut Round Bead9mm w/ 2.3mm hole
Naya Nayon Artisan Story
Ecuador
Naya Nayon, an Ecuador-based NGO, counters poverty and deforestation by creating new jobs that depend on conservation and responsible forest management. To accomplish this goal, the company works with 23 local artisans to create figurines, jewelry and ornaments from tagua nuts. These nuts grow year-round in Ecuador and can be harvested without detriment to the rainforest. Naya Nayon gives its artisans all the training, tools and materials they need to work from home, and then manages work distribution from the organizations main office to make sure orders are fairly distributed.
Naya Nayon's artisans work in home-based workshops throughout the country. Within each workshop, which is usually attached to an artisan's home, one artisan serves as the leader/manager and hires family members and friends to help produce products. New artisans begin by sanding and polishing figurines made by the more experienced artisans, and then gradually progress into the more complicated aspects of the craft, such as detailing, burning/coloring, and finally shaping the crude form of the nut. As demand and production increases, more artisans are invited to join the workshop. When the workshop grows to about 8 people, an experienced worker leaves to form a new workshop and train new artisans, and the cycle of learning continues.
Despite their humble backgrounds, many of Naya Nayon's artisans are highly educated with university degrees in engineering, law, business, and medicine. Unfortunately, Ecuador's shaky economy means jobs are scarce, even for highly-qualified professionals. Thankfully, Tagua nut carving has emerged as a sustainable alternative and is often the primary source of income for an artisan's family.
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