jewelry, one last time

my goal in teaching art to the deaf in ghana was basically to try to give students a creative means by which they could earn a living in the future. i knew i wasn't going to change the world with my project, but i just hoped that i help even just one deaf student to find a source of income for the future.

the jewelry project just fell in my lap. i started making bottlecap earring with the jhs kids, and the vocational teacher saw us and asked about our supplies, saying she had experience with jewelry but no supplies. i agreed to try to collaborate with her. we started by selling just a few pieces, which allowed us to buy supplies to create more. when the ngo that supports the school saw what we were working on, they were so impressed they offered to help as well.

but the rewarding part of this wasn't getting the supplies; it was getting the girls' enthusiasm. that, i'll admit, was a battle. with no set class timetable for jewelry, many girls just didn't show up because they weren't interested. at some point, though, they began to enjoy it. suddenly girls were coming to class and were making beautiful, interesting jewelry. they learned how to mix and match colors and how to use the hardware correctly.

as a final goodbye, (thanks to my mom's help from america) we were able to use some of their profit to purchase a jewelry kit for each student. i think this is the part of the project that was the most rewarding. the girls were truly grateful for the kits when we distributed them yesterday. not only did they appreciate what they received, but they asked very good questions about where in ghana they can also buy their own supplies when these finish.

i think some of the girls are really excited about this and truly do want to learn it well to sell jewelry in the future.

that's exactly what i was hoping for!