A student-led company has launched its locally crafted upcycled products earlier this week.
Ginefsaga, which means serenity in CHamoru, is a Junior Achievement company sponsored by Title Guaranty of Guam.
The team, which includes high school students around the island, hopes that through their products they will fulfill their mission of producing pieces that not only represent our island environment but also signify the importance of preserving and protecting nature through upcycled wood products.
One of their products is a gleaming wooden piece decorated with resin and an assortment of blue pigments. It symbolizes the marriage of beach and ocean views found all around Guam.
In recent weeks, the Ginefsaga’s production team, with the guidance of former Guam resident and wood artist Christian Bendo, currently based in Oahu, has been sourcing local wood and streamlining a process to produce on a larger scale. The team aims to produce 120 high-quality pieces for sale.
Each wooden piece is sold for $25 and can be used for multiple purposes such as house decoration, gifts, souvenirs, and serving platters.
In an interview with PNC, Mark Wang, Ginefsaga’s vice president of finance, says their products are priced at great value since they are not only locally handcrafted and sourced by students, “but that we are also probably the only people on Guam currently producing wooden resin pieces at this scale.”
He added that “many pieces that are similar both in size and design to what we have can be found online from off-island sellers but they all range northwards of $50.”
With that in mind, he says that Ginefsaga’s target market is really anyone who wants to decorate their space with unique local art pieces; or feels a sentimental connection to Guam, especially people who are moving off-island or are former residents.
Products are available for purchase until the end of December or while supplies last.
For more details, you can check out their Instagram @ginefsaga.gu, Facebook @ginefsagaguam, and website ginefsagaguam.com
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