Biojoia Group

About

Product: Jewellery

The BioJoia products are the most unique products on the island of Atauro because they are made of different forms of sea stones and different types of seeds. The combination with strings makes the product more beautiful. This production takes time and effort as women must go and gather stones and shells at the beach and seeds at the fields and then they have to make holes on the stones and seeds to make the jewellery.

Group Profile

The Biojoia group was created in 2006 by Father Francisco (Brazilian) and led by Teresinha da Costa Soares as Coordinator of the Biojoia group. The group has 10 members and all group members (except Teresinha) are people with Disabilities (sensorial type or cannot speak and listen). This group was established with the aim of giving women with disabilities the opportunity and the hope to engage in economic activities so that they can earn money for themselves and their families and on the other hand gathering women with disabilities together into groups as a way to express their voice. 

Every day, women meet at their store to produce products such as necklaces, bracelets, and earrings of materials such as seeds, coffee grains, shells and so on to sell in their store and often take them to a fair at Atauro Diak Centre (Beloi) and also in Dili. 

The Biojoia group is located in Vila Maumeta, Atauro and is very easy to access because it is close to the Road and the beach or you can contact Teresinha da Costa Soares at + 670 77763323 / 7681 2596.

Handicrafts