Beaders
Since the beginning of the year, the Uganda currency has been falling against the dollar. When I moved to Uganda in 2008, you could get about 1600 shillings per dollar. Now the rate is around 2900. Imagine if two years ago you spent $5.50 for a sandwich and today it cost you $10 – that [...]
Two years ago Suubi and Sanyu groups were enrolled into the BeadforLife program, their faces wore a heaviness that could only be interpreted as sadness, worrying, hopelessness and anxiety. They came and rolled many million beads which became small and big businesses, houses, education for their children, independence, acceptance by the community and families. Recalls [...]
The activities in the inventory department, at BeadforLife include: purchase of beautiful beads from members, storage, quality control and shipping. Bead jewelry is purchased from members and sold to meet existing demand. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings are bundled and tagged; differentiated by style and color, before shipment to Europe and North America. The proceeds from [...]
Continue reading about Behind the walls of the Inventory Department at BeadForLife Uganda
“We want to sing you a song to bring you twins!” shouted the women, before engulfing BeadforLife staff member Phoebe Aringo in a tide of clapping, dancing, ululating bodies, showering prayers for two babies. As the coordinator of Suubi group, Phoebe has worked with these women for the past two years, acting as resource and [...]
The BeadforLife office in Uganda is a flurry of activity today. Past and present beaders fill the front courtyard and porch, children and babies wait patiently for their parents to finish conducting their business, paper sellers market their brightly-colored goods to the beaders, and BeadforLife staff members perform countless tasks all while monitoring the Suubi [...]
Continue reading about (Sun)lights, Camera, Action at BeadforLife Uganda
- Contributed by BFL Staffers: Linda Crane and Nicole Givan- BeadforLife recently held an appreciation dinner to express our deep gratitude to the amazing volunteers that work at our office in Boulder, Colorado. These volunteers give many hours of their time working in the BeadforLife store, helping the fulfillment team choose the most beautiful piece [...]
One of the hardest issues we confront has to do not with poor nutrition, lack of education or ill health. The hardest issue is dealing with people who have a dependency mindset. For much of the past 20 years, Uganda has received a huge amount of foreign assistance – in some years it made up [...]
You have overcome! “Banange kino siki kiriza!” “My dears I can not believe this!” exclaims Constance Nakaliri who has been waiting to get a house for the past one year, really her entire life. Constance is a beader with the Kakwanzi group. She graduated last June before she could build a house because she [...]
In 2005 an estimated 40,000 children were fighting to survive in the midst of Uganda’s 20-year civil war. Many children escaped death every night by walking from rural villages into the town of Gulu and other urban centers for safety. Upon hearing this story, in 2005, two Canadians began walking every night to downtown Toronto [...]
Continue reading about Guluwalk: Helping Northern Uganda Rebuild