COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

DIL BAHDUR CHANI, Jeweler and Teacher, Kathmandu
Dil started a 2 year apprenticeship with a traditional jeweler in 1990. After the apprenticeship he started working on his own. Now Dil Bahadur is a master jeweler intent on teaching the next generation of jewelry apprentices from his village. Dil Bahadur brings boys, 15 and older, from his village to Kathmandu and teaches them a valuable income producing skill while at the same time sending them to school to complete their education. Jewelry making offers these boys a viable alternative to forcible conscription into the military conflict that is brutalizing Nepal. These wonderful jewelers and visionaries are developing secure livelihoods, receiving an education, while financially supporting their families and communities.