I know we all don't want to think about it, but Christmas comes pretty quick after school starts, and school is only 2 weeks away (hallelujah! oops, I didn't say that, right?) and before you know it it'll be time to wrap Christmas presents!
Ok, take a breather, go get some caffeine, or wine, and come back, because I have found a GREAT way to spread the LOVE and get wonderful presents for everyone on your list!
BeadforLife, is a Colorado based nonprofit organization, part of the Fair Trade Federation, that creates opportunities for Ugandan women to lift themselves out of poverty. Women in Uganda work hard to roll recycled paper into gorgeous beaded jewelry, or harvest shea nuts to make shea butter for cosmetics and soaps. Women worldwide sell these items and educate one another about extreme poverty. The profits return to Uganda and fund health care, housing and business training initiatives for the women.
What can be better than empowering women? Talk about a gift that teaches!
And the products?
The jewelry speaks for itself- look how gorgeous, no one would ever guess the beads are recycled paper! I will be reviewing one of their lovely bracelets on Saturday, so stay tuned for more info on the jewelry!
BeadforLife began with a chance encounter between a Ugandan woman, Millie, who was rolling beads near her mud home, and Torkin Wakefield, Ginny Jordan, and Devin Hibbard. Stopping to admire the beads, the women learned that there was no market for her jewelry, which they admired, and had bought some pieces of. When friends at home admired the beads, the three women realized that there might be a market after all, just in another part of the world! Torkin returned to Uganda, and held classes to improve the quality of the beads and develop several styles of necklaces and bracelets. Soon women in the US began to hear the stories of the beaders, and buy their beautiful jewelry. In September of 2004 the founders launched BeadforLife, as a foundation, in the belief that they could build bridges of understanding and commerce.
The goal is BeadforLife members to be independent of BeadforLife within 18 months by being able to support themselves within the Ugandan economy. To assist members in launching their own small businesses or in creating new revenue streams, they provide entrepreneurial training, facilitate savings accounts, and make business funds available. In the rural areas the program focuses on agricultural development.
BeadforLife sponsors Community Development projects in health, vocational training for impoverished youth, affordable housing, and business development. The projects are financed with the net profits from the sale of the beads and shea butter products and support not only the BeadforLife members, but other impoverished people living in Uganda.
And if that's not a powerful mission, I don't know what is!
So go check out their excellent products and I'm going to be sharing more about BeadforLife in the next couple of days with you!
Kamu Kamu gwe mugaanda'
'One by One Makes a Bundle' - an African proverb
Disclosure / Disclaimer: BeadforLife offered this info, for blog posting purposes. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about the program.
Ok, take a breather, go get some caffeine, or wine, and come back, because I have found a GREAT way to spread the LOVE and get wonderful presents for everyone on your list!
And the products?
The jewelry speaks for itself- look how gorgeous, no one would ever guess the beads are recycled paper! I will be reviewing one of their lovely bracelets on Saturday, so stay tuned for more info on the jewelry!
BeadforLife began with a chance encounter between a Ugandan woman, Millie, who was rolling beads near her mud home, and Torkin Wakefield, Ginny Jordan, and Devin Hibbard. Stopping to admire the beads, the women learned that there was no market for her jewelry, which they admired, and had bought some pieces of. When friends at home admired the beads, the three women realized that there might be a market after all, just in another part of the world! Torkin returned to Uganda, and held classes to improve the quality of the beads and develop several styles of necklaces and bracelets. Soon women in the US began to hear the stories of the beaders, and buy their beautiful jewelry. In September of 2004 the founders launched BeadforLife, as a foundation, in the belief that they could build bridges of understanding and commerce.
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| Photo by Charles Steinberg |
The goal is BeadforLife members to be independent of BeadforLife within 18 months by being able to support themselves within the Ugandan economy. To assist members in launching their own small businesses or in creating new revenue streams, they provide entrepreneurial training, facilitate savings accounts, and make business funds available. In the rural areas the program focuses on agricultural development.
BeadforLife sponsors Community Development projects in health, vocational training for impoverished youth, affordable housing, and business development. The projects are financed with the net profits from the sale of the beads and shea butter products and support not only the BeadforLife members, but other impoverished people living in Uganda.
And if that's not a powerful mission, I don't know what is!
So go check out their excellent products and I'm going to be sharing more about BeadforLife in the next couple of days with you!
Kamu Kamu gwe mugaanda'
'One by One Makes a Bundle' - an African proverb
Disclosure / Disclaimer: BeadforLife offered this info, for blog posting purposes. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about the program.
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