Wonder Workshop

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I have told you a great deal about the projects I have been working on since arriving in Tanzania, so this time, I figured I would tell you about another volunteer's work.

Lisette is from The Netherlands and this is her third year in Dar, working with Wonder Workshop. It is an organization that makes funky pieces of art out of recycled materials, such as scrap metal and glass.

Here is a little bit of the back story to the organization...

In 2004, a group of adult polio victims, many of whom were begging on the streets in Dar es Salaam, came together with help from Blue Mango Photography, funds from The Dar es Salaam Charity Goat Races (I have blogged about the Goat Races in the past) and from big companies in Dar who donated their scrap metal, and established a welding workshop.

Here, with training from a local welding expert they learned how to weld and, using recycled scrap metal, started very quickly to make animals, birds and boats which were sold locally.



After a few months, Heather Cumming, a professional artist/welder from Scotland, come to Dar es Salaam for two months to train the Welders in the art of metal sculpture. After her visit they held an exhibition, and with the funds raised, they officially launched the project and registered WONDER WORKSHOP, as a Tanzanian NGO.

Since then, Wonder Workshop has grown and now trains more disabled Tanzanians as well as producing world class metal artwork. The organization is self-sufficient and is expanding rapidly to keep up with the demand for the pieces of art.



In the last few years, they have expanded the workshops to include a handmade recycled paper project, handmade wooden toys, natural handmade soaps and recycled glass bottle beads. They currently employ 40 people on a full-time basis as well as 4 others in their out-sourcing satellite workshop.

The sales of the items sustain the project and pay a good salary to all the members so that they can support themselves and their families.

In the future they hope to expand the project and hire more polio victims. They have started exporting the pieces of art overseas.

I happened on to Wonder Workshop when I told Lisette that I would shoot some video of the project. Lisette was doing a presentation on the Worshop at our Annual Volunteers Conference in December. Since she couldn't bring the big pieces of art to Dodoma, we thought a video would help her explain what the project is all about.

While I was shooting the video, I decided to take some pictures to give you another perspective on the work that volunteers doing here through VSO.

Their artwork is impressive... as is the story of the locals who worked together to get themselves off the streets.

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Photos

Scrap Metal
This is where the workers get the materials they need to create.

Close-Up Of A Sculpture
From a distance, you don't notice it, but up close, you can see that they use everything to create their works.

Crocodile
If you look closely, you can see that they used a ton of old hinges to give the body that textured look. Very cool.

Stork
This stands almost 7 feet tall

A Lion
This one sold at a craft show I was at. It went for big money.

Samples Of Their Work
You can see how they used old bolts on the top of the giraffe's head

A Welder
He is working on some small pieces.

Workers At Wonder Workshop
The flip flops at the bottom of the picture are what many of these people use to get around. They put them on their hands and then crawl across the floor. The gentleman in the very back of the picture is doing just that.

A Wood Carver
He sits against a wooden box to keep him upright, so he is a.ble to do his work

Making Paper
This has to be the worst job of them all. The smell almost knocked me over.

Nothing Goes To Waste
They will melt down the glass bottles in kilns to make jewellery. The cans get transformed into various items as well.

The Picture She Is Creating
She takes colourful scraps of metal and makes a picture from the dawing.

Using Old Soda Cans
She uses an old Coke can when she needs some red for her work of art.

Local Women Working Away
The paper along the wall behind them is the recycled paper they sell.

A Rooster
This work is approximately 2 feet tall.

Comments

[Jack W. Wetherall]

I am so inspired by this story and the photos.Their shop would do so well in Manhattan!

[John Githanga]

Creative Art
I'm impressed by your artistic production that empowers a good number of the lowly and physically challenged persons of TZ.I'm also part of this field here in Nakuru-Kenya.God bless you.

[Cath Lawlor]

Wonder Workshop
The sculptures are particularly impressive.