After the Club de Artesanas class, we had a short lunch break and then the chicas arrived for their jewelry making class! The Chicas range in age from 12-15 and every year there a few new chicas mixed in with the previous participants. This year, my first class was almost entirely new chicas.
I modified the class to teach the basic techniques and then the chicas threw themselves into the project. Fortunately, at that age, most of the chicas are fearless when it comes to learning something new and picked up the work quickly and independently.
It’s fun to watch how each of the chicas has a different work style. At this age so much of their personality begins to bloom and watching how they work gave me a sense of who they are. One of them was so careful that every time she cut her wire she checked with me to see if she was cutting it right. Another developed a whole system for her work: first she made all the loops, then she added all the beads, then she finished off the second loops, and lined everything up in a row. Another was so enthralled that she didn’t talk to anyone the whole time, but rather laser focused on her project.
One of the chicas, Veronica, made a beautiful necklace to go with her pendent. Her color combinations were interesting and the skill in her work top notch. The woman noticed her necklace and came over to admire it. As they passed it around, they asked, “Who made this?” and Veronica was so proud to say it was hers. It was wonderful to see how, as each woman commented on her necklace, her smile grew wider and wider.
This is why programs like the Club de Chicas are so essential. At an age when everything is coming into full bloom it’s important that self-confidence develops in young girls. In these crucial years, the self-worth that emerges in these girls can have a tremendous impact on their future. Not just their decisions, but what they believe is possible for themselves.