We collect donations of new or gently used tools and silver and deliver them directly to hardworking jewelers, primarily in West Africa.
Each exchange is personal and non-commercial. Contributors send tools or sterling silver scrap to us, we clean the tools and process the silver, then carry it with us when we travel to Africa. Cash donations are used to purchase specific tools such as files, sawblades and drawplates that are rarely donated. All tools and materials are distributed to working jewelers at no cost.
A jeweler in West Africa will typically own a hammer, pliers or tweezers and a few other odds and ends that he keeps in a handmade toolbox. They must rely on their ingenuity because commercial tools are rarely available. The Toolbox Initiative aims to address this imbalance. We hope that this exchange forges important connections and deepens the bond between jewelers everywhere.
Because the Toolbox Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, donations are tax deductible.