Summary:

Barro Negro—literally “black clay”—is a dying Mesoamerican Lenca craft tradition rooted in the town of Guatajiagua, Morazán, in eastern El Salvador. This exquisite artisanal practice, one of only two of its kind in the Americas, is mostly carried out by elderly women. It involves a long, labor-intensive process using special organic materials sourced locally and handed down through generations.

The primary reason this craft is disappearing is the lack of economic incentives for younger generations of Lenca artisans in Guatajiagua.

The Rescuing Guatajiagua’s Barro Negro Tradition Project aims to preserve and sustain this Lenca heritage by:

• Teaching the craft to younger generations.
• Providing artisans with fair economic opportunities, ensuring they are the main beneficiaries.

This project has the potential to transform Guatajiagua’s historic challenges of unemployment and migration

The Challenge:

Guatajiagua, located in the remote eastern region of El Salvador’s Morazán department, has endured significant hardship—from the mass exodus during the civil war of the 1980s to the rise of gang violence in the 1990s and 2000s, which further fueled emigration to the North.

Despite these obstacles, the Barro Negro tradition has survived thanks to the resilience of Guatajiagua’s elderly Lenca artisans. Their pottery is beautifully handcrafted, functional for cooking, baking, and serving, and admired as decorative art.

The challenges this project must tackle include:

• Motivating and training the younger generation to embrace the Barro Negro craft.
• Establishing a practical training center in Guatajiagua.
• Developing reliable distribution channels, including export pathways.
• Enhancing the community’s overall economic wellbeing.

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The Solution

Preserving a millenary artisanal tradition is no small feat. This rescue effort requires a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach, focusing on:

• Sustaining the tradition through a dedicated center for training and promoting Barro Negro craftsmanship to younger generations.
• Pilot programs with selected families to improve production techniques while maintaining traditional methods.
• Technical and infrastructure upgrades, such as improved clay ovens, better workspaces, and enhanced material sourcing.
• A robust production, distribution, and marketing strategy that ensures artisans receive fair compensation and strong incentives to continue their craft.

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Long term Impact

The remaining Barro Negro artisans in Guatajiagua are mostly elderly women, many of whom have no successors. Without intervention, this unique Lenca tradition—one of only two black clay crafts in the Americas—could disappear forever.

By supporting this project, we can create lasting positive change by:

• Educating and training younger generations to secure the future of the Barro Negro craft.
• Creating employment opportunities in a region historically plagued by chronic unemployment and high emigration rates.
• Reducing illegal emigration by offering sustainable economic alternatives.
• Preserving Lenca culture and heritage in eastern El Salvador.
• Elevating the profile of Guatajiagua, the Lenca people, and El Salvador through national and international recognition of this invaluable cultural tradition.

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Our team visited with Jorge Scimmel who is spearheading this project along with his wife Ingrid,

Your one time  or recurring donation donation can make a huge difference  Here is How

$20 imacts

$40 will buy

$50 will buy

$75

$100 will buy;

$250 will buy

YOU CAN Help this Project HERE!!

The  Last Black Clay Artisans in El Salvador

Evarista had six children. At 83, she no longer gets up at 4 a.m. like other artisans in the El Calvario neighborhood of Guatajiagua. However, at 8 a.m., after bathing and breakfast, you can find her with her knees bent on the floor, sinking her hands and forearms into a heavy ball of still-fresh clay . There, Evarista’s muddy hands display their agility, strength, and delicacy.  See above post for more!