The Nicaragua Children's Foundation

The Nicaragua Children's Foundation has decided to provide further support to our projects through the sale of pottery. All of our pottery comes from the small village of San Juan de Oriente in southwestern Nicaragua. This town has a long history of pottery-making, dating back to Pre-Columbian times. Many families have been here for generations and the art of pottery and ceramics continues to be passed down.

Each piece is hand-made, using only traditional tools, and its creation is many hours in the making. Clay comes from the volcanic soil of the area and must be softened, a process involving a worker walking on it for several hours. For most pieces, paint is obtained naturally from a mixture of water and rocks. These rocks, which allow for a large variety of colours, all come from different locations in Nicaragua. Pottery wheels are run manually, using the feet. Etching is also painstakingly done by hand. The pieces are then fired in a clay oven heated by bamboo.

It is important to us that the artisans who design and create this pottery are treated fairly and we pay them generously.