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Ecowoods Helps Youth Put the Pieces Together
While you have fun putting together these high quality, 3-dimensional wood puzzles,
you can also feel good about how they were created.
Ecowoods works with young artisans in La Paz, Bolivia who are economically disadvantaged and
lack the education to find employment in a difficult job market.
Young adults, both men and women, who are fortunate to find their way into the Ecowoods' program
receive valuable on-the-job training.
Each is paid an excellent wage, and many save money to further their education while developing their woodworking skills.
These puzzles are crafted from scraps discarded by larger companies
who are sourcing their wood from a sustainable conservation program.
The ecological finish is made from natural linseed and eucalyptus oils, and bees wax.
Bear ECW:3DPZL-BEAR
7" long, 4" high, 1.5" deep
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Cow ECW:3DPZL-COW
6" long, 3.75" high, 1.5" deep
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Pig ECW:3DPZL-PIG
7" long, 4" high, 1.75" deep
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Bear, Cow, Pig, Rhino, Stegasaurus
$20.00 each
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Rhino ECW:3DPZL-RHINO
8" long, 4" high, 1.5" deep
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Stegosaurus ECW:3DPZL-STEG
9" long, 4" high, 1.5" deep
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Each puzzle has a small dowel for eyes -- remove that piece and magically you can pull the other pieces apart!
These puzzles would make a great desk display for your office, or an environmentally friendly
decorative piece for a bookcase or mantle. The puzzles are not designed for young children.
Tropical Fish ECW:3DPZL-FISH
6" long, 4" high, 1.75" deep
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Horse ECW:3DPZL-HORSE
6" long, 5.5" high, 1.5" deep
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Fish, Horse, Turtle, Whale
$22.00 each
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Turtle ECW:3DPZL-TURTLE
6.5" long, 3.5" high, 3.5" deep
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Whale ECW:3DPZL-WHL
8" long, 4.5" high, 1.75" deep
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Adriana (left) works with a jointer,
and Rodrigo (right) works with a bandsaw to create these fun wooden puzzles. |
Alligator, Dolphin
$24.00 each
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Dolphin ECW:3DPZL-DOL
11" long, 4" high, 1.75" deep
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Alligator ECW:3DPZL-ALL
13" long, 2.5" high, 1.5" deep
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More information about our supplier, Ecowoods BO
Social mission:
Many Bolivian companies working with wooden products hire only experienced workers
under a per-contract, temporary basis when they receive an order.
When the order is fulfilled, companies get rid of workers and so these experienced workers again are seeking work.
Young people have an even harder time obtaining a stable job because they lack both experience and training.
 Ecowoods BO works with young artisans coming from poor areas of La Paz,
such as El Alto and other suburban districts of the City of La Paz.
They have stable work and are paid well over the minimum wage, even if there are no orders to fulfill.
A new employee without experience would make 40% over the minimum wage, and an employee with
two years of experience inside the company would make almost 80% over the minimum wage.
Bolivian labor law allows any company to work Monday through Saturday.
Ecowoods BO works from only Monday to Friday, so many employees study on Saturdays.
All workers receive training on woodworking and other topics such as equipment maintenance,
motors, electricity, and industrial safety.
Both genders have equal opportunity.
Ecowoods BO receives trainees after they are selected by Aldeas SOS and the Municipal Program for Poverty Reduction.
Also, many orphans from Aldeas SOS have been received by Ecowoods BO.
Everybody is paid for overtime, receives vacations and a bonus equal to a month's salary for Christmas time.
Ecological mission:
There are several major companies in Bolivia working with wooden products such as furniture, doors, windows, etc.
Some other companies export wood without any added value.
In both cases, companies use long pieces of wood whereas the "short" (from one to six feet long)
pieces are discarded or even burned because the leftovers do not fulfill the minimum sizes!
Ecowoods BO produces small wooden products, and therefore uses
leftovers discarded by the big companies! Only wood that's been legally harvested is utilized.
Plus, Ecowoods has started the first steps of certification for the use of sustainable wood.
Your purchase of these fun 3-dimensional puzzles will help provide work for this company that is being
such a positive influence for young people in Bolivia, and for our planet's environment! Thank you.
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43 Ellicott Ave 