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| Puzzles are great for
people of almost all ages, even if the puzzle is just used as a decorative sculpture. As with any puzzle or toy, children
should be supervised appropriately - these are not designed for young children. The woods used on this page are either recycled scraps or are certified sustainable.
Indian Puzzle Boxes |
Bolivian Puzzles
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Indian Wooden Puzzle Boxes
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Dolphin
Wooden Puzzle Box
$18.00
NOA:BOXPZL-DO
Did you know that dolphins have very acute eyesight, and that their living group is called a 'pod'?
This puzzle box depicting a dolphin leaping above the water's surface will be right at home living in your
home or office.
Outside: 7" x 3" x 1.75"
Inside: 3.75" x 2" x .75"
(Sorry - out of stock.)
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Noah's Ark International Exports is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides resources to
100 artisan groups across India.
Noah's Ark ensures that fair wages are paid, helps improve working conditions through education and grants,
offers free classes in capacity building to its network of 600 artisans, and provides quality controls.
Besides creating jobs for artisans, Noah's Ark also finances health, education and sanitation projects
that benefit the community.
For instance, water pollution from raw sewage and rain runoff of pesticides is a huge problem in India,
rendering much tap water undrinkable for the country's large and increasing population.
By addressing issues at a local level, Noah's Ark does its part to improve the living conditions of Indian artisans.
NOTE that all of the puzzles are displayed below in their
dismantled states
so you can view the inside compartment
and see the puzzle complexity!
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Cat
Puzzle Box
15.00
NOA:BOXPZL-CAT
Every cat 'owner' knows
that cats run the show.
Our 4-piece Indian cat
puzzle box will show
that you're a cat lover.
Outside: 3.5" x 5" x 2"
Inside: 2.5" x 3.25" x .75"
(Sorry - out of stock.)
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Frog
Wooden Puzzle Box
$15.00
NOA:BOXPZL-FROG
Carved from scraps of wood in India,
this frog creation is going to be a hit
with all the frog collectors on your
shopping list. The frog puzzle consists of 9 pieces!
Outside: 4" x 6" x 2"
Inside: 2 compartments at .75" x 2.5" x .75" (these compartments are smaller than those of the other puzzles)
(Sorry - out of stock.)
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Turtle
Wooden Puzzle Box
$15.00
NOA:BOXPZL-BUTR
Butterflies mostly feed on flower nectar, but this wooden puzzle box requires no feeding, nor will it flutter away.
A cheerful decoration, you'll be helping artisans in India earn a living for their families.
Outside: 4.5" x 4.5" x 1.75"
Inside: 3.75" x 2.5" x .75"
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Turtle
Wooden Puzzle Box
$18.00
NOA:BOXPZL-TUR
We hope you'll be speedier than a turtle when you take this box apart and put the 5 pieces of the puzzle back together!
Outside: 6" x 3.25" x 1.75"
Inside: 2.75" x 2.75" x 1"
(Sorry - out of stock.)
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Elephant
Wooden Puzzle Box
$15.00
NOA:BOXPZL-ELE
One of the largest land mammals, elephants are mostly threated by mankind, via hunting and habitat loss. Elephants are herbivores, and need large areas
of forest from which to eat. Scrap pieces of wood are utilized to create these elephant puzzle boxes.
In Asian cultures, elephants are a symbol of wisdom.
Outside: 4.25" x 3.75" x 2"
Inside: 3" x 2.75" x .75"
(Sorry - out of stock.)
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Views of the Indian wooden puzzles when taken apart
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Cat |
Frog |
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Turtle |
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We have plenty of other products from Noah's Ark in India, including bangle bracelets, an assortment of
Christmas ornaments,
mirrors,
picture frames crafted from bicycle chains,
recycled metal "Word Bowls," plus bowls from recycled bike chain,
and these puzzle boxes handmade from
discarded wood scraps.
In addition, please see Indian cloth tote bags.
Bolivian Puzzles
Ecowoods Helps Youth Put the Pieces Together
While you have fun putting together these high quality, 3-dimensional wood puzzles,
you can also feel good about how they were created.
Ecowoods works with young artisans in La Paz, Bolivia who are economically disadvantaged and
lack the education to find employment in a difficult job market.
Young adults, both men and women, who are fortunate to find their way into the Ecowoods' program
receive valuable on-the-job training.
Each is paid an excellent wage, and many save money to further their education while developing their woodworking skills.
These puzzles are crafted from scraps discarded by larger companies
who are sourcing their wood from a sustainable conservation program.
The ecological finish is made from natural linseed and eucalyptus oils, and bees wax.
Bear ECW:3DPZL-BEAR
7" long, 4" high, 1.5" deep
(Sorry - the bear is out of stock.)
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Cow ECW:3DPZL-COW
6" long, 3.75" high, 1.5" deep
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Pig ECW:3DPZL-PIG
7" long, 4" high, 1.75" deep
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Bear, Cow, Pig, Rhino, Stegasaurus
$20.00 each
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Rhino ECW:3DPZL-RHINO
8" long, 4" high, 1.5" deep
(Sorry - the rhino is out of stock.)
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Stegosaurus ECW:3DPZL-STEG
9" long, 4" high, 1.5" deep
(Sorry - the stegosaurus is out of stock.)
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Each puzzle has a small dowel for eyes -- remove that piece and magically you can pull the other pieces apart!
These puzzles would make a great desk display for your office, or an environmentally friendly
decorative piece for a bookcase or mantle. The puzzles are not designed for young children.
Tropical Fish ECW:3DPZL-FISH
6" long, 4" high, 1.75" deep
(Sorry - the fish is out of stock.)
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Horse ECW:3DPZL-HORSE
6" long, 5.5" high, 1.5" deep
(Sorry - the horse is out of stock.)
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Fish, Horse, Turtle, Whale
$22.00 each
(Sorry - out of stock.)
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Turtle ECW:3DPZL-TURTLE
6.5" long, 3.5" high, 3.5" deep
(Sorry - the turtle is out of stock.)
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Whale ECW:3DPZL-WHL
8" long, 4.5" high, 1.75" deep
(Sorry - the whale is out of stock.)
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Adriana (left) works with a jointer,
and Rodrigo (right) works with a bandsaw to create these fun wooden puzzles. |
Alligator, Dolphin
$24.00 each
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Dolphin ECW:3DPZL-DOL
11" long, 4" high, 1.75" deep
(Sorry - out of stock.)
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Alligator ECW:3DPZL-ALL
13" long, 2.5" high, 1.5" deep
(Sorry - out of stock.)
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Painted Wooden Crayon Holder
$26.00
ECW:CRAYON
Although this isn't a puzzle,
this cute crayon holder is crafted
by these same Bolivian artisans.
It can store 8 crayons.
9.5" high, 2.5" wide, 6" long.
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More information about our supplier, Ecowoods BO
Social mission:
Many Bolivian companies working with wooden products hire only experienced workers
under a per-contract, temporary basis when they receive an order.
When the order is fulfilled, companies get rid of workers and so these experienced workers again are seeking work.
Young people have an even harder time obtaining a stable job because they lack both experience and training.
 Ecowoods BO works with young artisans coming from poor areas of La Paz,
such as El Alto and other suburban districts of the City of La Paz.
They have stable work and are paid well over the minimum wage, even if there are no orders to fulfill.
A new employee without experience would make 40% over the minimum wage, and an employee with
two years of experience inside the company would make almost 80% over the minimum wage.
Bolivian labor law allows any company to work Monday through Saturday.
Ecowoods BO works from only Monday to Friday, so many employees study on Saturdays.
All workers receive training on woodworking and other topics such as equipment maintenance,
motors, electricity, and industrial safety.
Both genders have equal opportunity.
Ecowoods BO receives trainees after they are selected by Aldeas SOS and the Municipal Program for Poverty Reduction.
Also, many orphans from Aldeas SOS have been received by Ecowoods BO.
Everybody is paid for overtime, receives vacations and a bonus equal to a month's salary for Christmas time.
Ecological mission:
There are several major companies in Bolivia working with wooden products such as furniture, doors, windows, etc.
Some other companies export wood without any added value.
In both cases, companies use long pieces of wood whereas the "short" (from one to six feet long)
pieces are discarded or even burned because the leftovers do not fulfill the minimum sizes!
Ecowoods BO produces small wooden products, and therefore uses
leftovers discarded by the big companies! Only wood that's been legally harvested is utilized.
Plus, Ecowoods has started the first steps of certification for the use of sustainable wood.
Your purchase of these fun 3-dimensional puzzles will help provide work for this company that is being
such a positive influence for young people in Bolivia, and for our planet's environment! Thank you.
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43 Ellicott Ave 