Bead for Life

Yesterday my new beads arrived and I wore the to a wedding that we attended Friday night--our director Kate got married in a beautiful ceremony.

Bead for Life is a non profit organization providing impoverished Ugandan women an opportunity to lift their families out of poverty by making beaded jewelry out of recycled paper. Many of the beaders are HIV+ mothers or refugees, all of whom have been living in extreme poverty. In spite of their hardship, the beaders are resilient, hardworking and resourceful. Around the world, people partner with the beaders to sell beads and educate others on ways to end extreme poverty. 1.2 billion people around the world--one out of every five people alive--struggle to survive on less than $1 a day. After paying the beaders fair trade prices for their work, all net proceeds from the sales are invested in programs that fight extreme poverty in the areas of health, housing, sustainable livelihood, and education.

I was on vacation when a friend of mine hosted a Bead for Life party--so when I got back I was able to purchase mine on their website (www.BeadforLife.org).

The beads come in a special gift bag--so they make great gifts!