Coca for Clay

As a boy, Willian was recruited by the cartel to grow coca. He had no choice. You either did what the cartels asked of you or you lost your life. After a time, they realized he had a head for math, and so he began doing the books.

When the cartels left the area, many people in the village struggled to make a living in small villages like Chazuta, Peru. In 2004, the Government of Peru made a plan to reduce illegal coca cultivation, but as people stopped growing coca, they struggled to make a living. Since 2002 USAID has provided job opportunities to 80,000 families, helping former coca farmers find legitimate work growing cacao, coffee, and opening pottery businesses.

Willian still works with his hands, but now he’s an artist. He goes into the Amazon and extracts a special clay from the ground, takes it back to his workshop, and prepares it for his potter’s wheel. And thanks to aid organizations providing the village with internet service, you can find his business on Facebook.