Bud Keith Fund

Vocational Training

 

For three months in 2019, six blind Panamanians learned to string beads into necklaces and bracelets. The students included Bud Keith scholar Luis Ortiz. We paid for the instructor and materials. The Patronato Luz del Ciego selected the participants and provided sighted volunteers who supported the students. The photo shows the class in action. The man on the left is the instructor, who is also blind. He’s been making jewelry for a living for five years. We hope that at least some of the class follows in his footsteps.

 

Members of the class applied for artisan licenses and sold their work at a crafts fair a few months after the end of their class. The photo below shows their work. If some succeed in marketing their products, we will support them with training in more advanced jewelry making, such as wire wrap.