These Negrense Volunteers Turn Used Coffee Pods Into Christmas Decor
You can also contribute to their feeding program.
(SPOT.ph) A number of non-governmental organizations advocate sustainability, while there are those that aim to generate employment. Others aspire to end malnutrition and hunger, while others promote arts and crafts.
Then there are those organizations that can do all four with much success, like the Negrense Volunteers for Change. Established in 2010, Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) is composed of volunteers who believe that when individuals pool their energy, resources, talents, and skills, they can effectively contribute to nation-building.
“We started with a group of people who wanted to do small acts of goodness in the community, believing that even an ordinary person can be a vehicle for change,” NVC president and co-founder Millie Kilayko tells SPOT.ph in an interview.
The organization is known for its Artisans of Hope livelihood workshop that's located in Bacolod City. They produce handmade sustainable products, from religious items to home decor and trinkets such as earrings and bracelets. Most of the designs are vibrant and ornate mosaics, reminiscent of works by the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona’s famous Parc Güell. Even the structure that houses both the showroom and the workshop is decked in mosaic art.
Kilayko learned how to make mosaics from a friend. What started out as a hobby inspired her to teach the craft to indigent craftsmen to give them an additional source of livelihood.
To this day, NVC trains artisans from challenged communities to create unique and beautiful handmade products. The Artisans of Hope livelihood program oversees the design, production, and marketing of mosaic art using ceramic tiles, glass, and eggshells, as well as crocheted crafts.
"The artisans, as well as the people they support, directly benefit from each item they make," she shares.
Also read: 10 Places to Buy Last-Minute Christmas Décor in Manila
Creating Art out of Used Coffee Pods
The most eye-catching of their products are those that are made from upcycled coffee pods. The colorful containers are given a new lease on life, rather than being unceremoniously thrown away in a trash bin.
The idea of using single-use capsules as material goes back to 2018 when a volunteer sent them a whole bag of used coffee pods one day and challenged the team to make something out of them. "We responded to the challenge by crafting our first set of Christmas balls," she recalls.
They discovered that aside from being colorful with a distinct and striking metallic luster, the aluminum pods are pliable, making them relatively easy to shape and cut up.
Kilayko and her team of talented artisans make the prettiest earrings (starting at P160), bag charms (P220), mask holders (P270), crosses (P750), Christmas tree ornaments (P175), and many other works of art.
Recently, they have also been accepting commissioned work, such as Masskara ornaments for a store opening in Bacolod. Design inspirations also come from patrons themselves who request customized pieces.
They have collaborated with Nespresso boutiques to help them gather used pods. "The Nespresso boutiques in Manila turn over [the] used capsules to us. NVC’s volunteers and friends likewise gather used capsules and we have received capsules from Nespresso users in Spain, U.S., Australia, and many other countries," Kilayko explains.
Also read: How Bohol Bee Farm Supports Their Community During the Pandemic
Contributing to NVC's Feeding Program
For every piece of trinket or decor you buy, you not only get to promote sustainability, provide a livelihood to locals, and look good while wearing/using them, but most importantly perhaps, you also get to feed malnourished Filipino children through their feeding program.
As a non-profit organization, all the proceeds go back to NVC’s advocacies, one of which is the production of Mingo. A nutritious instant complementary food made of rice, mongo (mung beans), and malunggay (moringa), Mingo is ideal for children three years old and below.
Because of its convenience and nutritional value, Mingo has also gained popularity as food for emergency relief operations in times of natural calamities or armed conflict. The foil packs are waterproof and compact, making them easy to transport and distribute. Each pack contains just the right amount of Mingo powder for one meal so nothing gets wasted.
Plus, the malunggay they use is sourced from Negros farmers who grow it on heritage farms, for which the foundation provides technology and farming inputs like fertilizers.
Kilayko says that most of their clients are those who love the idea of upcycled art done by Filipino artisans. “They appreciate that our pieces not only support the artisans’ livelihood but also our Mingo Feeding Program for undernourished Filipino children as all the proceeds from the sale go back to the program,” she says.
Those who want to donate their used coffee pods can drop them off at Nespresso shops that work closely with NVC. The capsules can also be sent directly to their workshop in Bacolod City.
Negrense Volunteers for Change is in St. Vincent’s Village, Tangub, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. For more information, visit NVC's website.