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Phenomenal soapstone products made by the Fatrine Self Help Soapstone Group...
Phenomenal soapstone products made by the Fatrine Self Help Soapstone Group... (our artisans that were in the post election violence of 2007, and were burned out of their homes).. we have been doing all we can to help get back on their feet again and are building a health center in Kenya for them... and working on education programs for woman and children... all because of these artisans!
The Fatrine artisans are located in Kenya. They produce custom made, beautiful soap stone carvings such as bowls and plates for local and export markets. They provide work for about 15 families, many widows suffering from HIV and AIDS. One goal is to eradicate poverty in the surrounding community and for each member to be able to have health insurance.
They search for the soap stone in mining holes, carefully removing the top layer of soil in order to reach the inner layers of soft stones for carvings. When they mine the soapstone they essentially dig a big pit in the ground (maybe 50-75 feet in diameter) using picks and shovels. The earth isn't gouged by heavy machinery.
They are very careful not to waste any of the stones, and have attended seminars to learn how off-cuts can be salvaged to create small items like earrings, eggs and little animals.
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock consisting mostly of the mineral talc. Sometimes known as steatite, it's very soft and frequently used for sculpting.
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