In the lush green semi-tropical jungle of the Andes Mountains lies the Muzo Emerald Mine, the source of the world’s finest emeralds.
The Muzo Foundation has sponsored a project with Clayhands to build a 33 x 55 foot Community Center for the mine’s social responsibility efforts. It is part of the Muzo Companies’ social responsibility program to have a center for community activities for both the mine workers, their families and anybody from the Muzo town area. We are also training local men in construction skills that they can use in the future.
It is our firm belief that the future of this area will be a destination for eco-tourism and gem tourism: the climate, at 2500 feet above sea level, is balmy and warm; but without the malaria mosquitos that inhabit the coastal regions near sea level. The mayors of the small towns in this area are concerned with unemployment in this growing region. Clayhands, with its labor-intensive earth-based construction methods, will train and prepare young people for building their own habitat as well as teaching them a lifelong skill in the process.
