I shall pass this way but once.
Any good therefore that I can do
Or any kindness that I can show
Let me not defer nor neglect it
For I shall not pass this way again.

We Are All One Planet

Flying north from Uganda the plane crisscrosses the mightly Nile river and gives a terrific view of the Alexandria Nile River basin as the water from the heart of Africa, water that fell as rain water in the wet jungles of Burundi and Rwanda, enters the Mediterranean.  From this vantage point it is clear that the water of the world moves as one great system of flow, evaporation, precipitation, ice, currents, and tides.
 
As women in BeadforLife we all join into a circle of caring that flows from each of us to the next one, from our beaders and tailors in Uganda to our buyers in big cities and small towns. We all care about the same things: our children, their education and well being, having a home and food on the table.  In our poverty eradication efforts we are taking care of each other.  We also are concerned with taking care of Mother Earth.

April 22nd is Earth Day, celebrated in 141 countries.  Earth Day is a time for communities to take on local and global projects, to educate and celebrate, and work together  to create the environment and world we seek.  We want to let you know that BeadforLife has adopted conscious business practices stepping up efforts to operate a green business, and therefore taking care of our environment.

  1. All BeadforLife beads are made from recycled paper transforming trash into beauty, income, food, medicine, and hope.  That is an astonishing alchemy!
  2. We reduce our environmental footprint through continuous education and steady improvement in reducing, reusing, and recycling in our offices.
  3. We are seeking ways to reduce energy use and material needs.
  4. We are consciously purchasing materials and selecting vendors who have environmentally friendly products.
  5. We buy employees bus passes and encourage bike riding.
  6. In our Friendship Village we have planted hundreds of trees.

A few things all of us can do:

  • Conserve water
  • Cut energy use: drive less, turn off lights and appliances,
    lower the thermostat and put on a sweater
  • Recycle everything including composting
  • Carry your own shopping bags and stop using plastic bags
  • Avoid buying plastics
  • Lobby for tough green house emission regulation
  • Get involved in Earth Day in your community
  • Green up your businesses as well as your homes

A big thank you, “way bali nyo nyo,” to the 1400 people who filled out the market survey in the last Bead.  Your opinions really help us.  We also thank the 50 teachers and youth workers who responded to the curriculum we are developing.  In this Bead you can sign a petition about reforming Foreign Aid.   You are one incredible BeadCircle!

Happy Earth Day to our BeadCircle wherever
you may be on this beautiful planet.

Torkin Wakefield
Co-Director and Co-Founder

Meet Jennifer Rowell Gastard, baby Elena
and our new French Office

After graduating from college, Jennifer Rowell went to France to travel for 3 months. Over 11 years later she is still there, married to that special Frenchman and settled down near Montpellier where her family now includes two wonderful children.

Back in Vermont, Jennifer’s mother gave a BeadParty, told her daughter about it and Jennifer found her calling. Over the past two years she has stayed involved with BeadforLife in Southern France telling our story, hosting BeadParties, and selling  beads. On April 1st BeadforLife hired Jennifer to represent BeadforLife in Europe bringing our beads there as well as our special invitation to participate in eradicating poverty.  If you live in Europe and would like to bring BeadforLife to your workplace, fair, home, school or community please get in touch with Jennifer.  Look for our new French website coming soon!

basket
Jennifer Rowell Gastard, baby Elena



Mumpe Ellen’s  Excellent Brick Factory:
A few months ago Mumpe Ellen graduated from BeadforLife.  The business she started a year ago was a brick factory on the edge of Kampala. This is what Ellen had to say in a recent interview:

“I’m so happy I just can’t believe it. I’m the owner of this big brick factory.  Before I came to BeadforLife I was making bricks for someone else on a very small scale, earning not enough for feeding.  Once I joined BeadforLife it enabled me to get some capital which helped me to start and expand my own business. In the beginning I was alone with my husband, then later on I employed one person. As time went on I employed the second person, the third and fourth. Right now I have five people.

I really feel so good. Since I joined BeadforLife I managed to support my husband and my kids are in school. I also support other relatives around me. I have been able to help them up and it is really good seeing them come out of poverty because of me and BeadforLife.”

xmas
Mumpe Ellen, brickmaker and business owner



index
Announcing Our
Latest Creation:
Triple Earrings now available at our web store!

Due to popular demand, our Triple Strand Earrings are now available for purchase on the BeadforLife web site! 

Previously only available through BeadParties, the Triple Earring adds variety to our line by offering a sophisticated and elegant earring option. 

A great buy at $10!
Check them out at www.beadforlifestore.org

Teaching Global Issues, Travel to Uganda, July 11-24
A special opportunity for teachers and youth workers.

Conservation Concepts is now taking enrollment for its trip to Uganda “Teaching Global Issues.” You've been providing "hands-on" experiences to your students for years. Now it's time to have one yourself! Hands-on, minds-on, hearts-on. Your teaching will never be the same. Spend two weeks with other teachers who are bringing global issues to life in the classroom. Uganda will be the context for exploring issues of poverty, health, wildlife conservation and the environment. For more information: www.ConservationConcepts.net.


Shopping Is Giving
Customer Appreciation Month at the
BeadforLife Web Store!

By purchasing BeadforLife products you play an important part in making BeadforLife what it is today, a life-changing organization.   With spring here now is the perfect time to buy gifts for Mother’s Day, graduation, weddings and birthdays.

When you buy something online from BeadforLife this month
through May 7th we will show our appreciation to you by including
a 3-Strand Bracelet absolutely FREE!
   

Because of you, women and children have raised themselves out of extreme poverty.  Thank you for being such an important part of the BeadCircle! 
 
This offer is valid through May 7th and will be honored for all orders placed over the web, over the phone or in our Boulder studio. 
Click here to check out our web store.



Take Action

Foreign assistance reform: our best chance to help billions of
impoverished women & families

The Problem:  Women and Families are Suffering 
US Foreign Assistance has the potential to be a major force for good –- in fact, when done right it has eradicated entire diseases and sent countless girls to school. However, our foreign assistance system is designed in a way that prevents us from reaching these achievable goals.  It doesn’t focus on reducing poverty as much as it does diplomacy and defense; it is outdated (hasn’t been updated in over 40 years!), inefficient, and often does not reach or target the women and families that need it most and who make such a big contribution towards development.

The Solution: Reforming Foreign Assistance
Our foreign assistance needs to invest in economic opportunity for women who take care of the children, promote education, and start small businesses that lift families out of poverty.  It needs to be “bottom-up,” listening to the voices of the local communities it is meant to help.

Now is the perfect time to reform foreign assistance but with so many problems facing our country there is a risk that we will miss this opportunity to reform foreign assistance. Join us in sending a powerful message to President Obama and Congress to live up to the promises of fighting world poverty: Sign the Petition Asking the President and Congress to Reform Foreign Assistance


Letters from the BeadCircle
This month we sent out a small watercolor to thank our BeadParty hostesses.  Here are two replies that made us smile.

To the Fabulous BeadforLife Team ~
Thank you so much for the beautiful watercolor painting.  I am overwhelmed by this lovely gift.  BeadforLife has given me so much more than I have contributed.  The best part is that I feel that I am part of an international family now.  Plus...I get to wear a stunning piece of handmade jewelry almost every day! 
With gratitude for all you do ~
Evie Aloisi

Dear BeadforLife,
I feel overwhelmed by your gratitude.  First this lovely email, then a beautiful watercolor in the mail!  What a heart-felt appreciation and it is graciously accepted. When I make arrangements for my 2nd round of BeadParties, I will be proud to display the watercolor on a small easel on the table with the beads.  It speaks volumes. As with many things women put together, this is not only a joyful way to celebrate women in the world, but a very classy act too.  Thanks for including me.
Sue Stein

All photos by Charles Steinberg