The enthusiasm among village families was so great that Eghawel made plans to build a more permanent structure of clay bricks that would include a solar panel and battery. He made a formal request for funding from the Toolbox Initiative. In a well-researched proposal, he has asked for about $3,000. This is a large sum for our small organization, but a terrific bargain when you think of creating an entire school, including the building, furnishings, instruction and food for the students. This program, anchored in a multipurpose building, has the likelihood of creating a multi-generational benefit to this small village. The Toolbox Initiative sent seed money to start this ambitious project and supplied additional funds as progress continued. The school opened with a public celebration in March 2021.

jewelry School in Niger

We met Eghawel Douga on our first visit to Senegal in 2013, and spent time with him each time we returned. Like many other Touareg jewelers in Senegal, he is from Niger, over 2000 miles away. With the collapsed economy, there was no reason to stay in Senegal, so he returned to his wife and extended family in a small village in the Sahara.

Ever restless, he came up with a plan to teach local kids to make jewelry. Having a trade is no small matter there, and this was an opportunity of great value. The Toolbox Initiative thought it was a great idea and sent about $350 seed money to get him started. Within a week he had erected a temporary pole-and-mat building and gathered a collection of tools, including the traditional stakes that are the centerpiece of every Touareg workshop. In addition to training in metalsmithing, the class also includes a midday meal. You can see a short video of the students at work here: https://youtu.be/_MHwswwf9ew