Hello Bead Circle Friends,
The summer has been a busy time for the beaders and Beadforlife staff in Uganda and in North America. In Uganda we have moved our community development projects forward. In the area of health we have tested the beaders’ children for HIV, sadly finding some positive. These children can now get the treatment that they will need. We have also partnered with a reproductive health service to provide family planning services in exchange for beads. Read below how our savings program is booming. We are now sponsoring 17 children for school and hope to add a vocational training program by year’s end.

This summer we also did a survey of all of the beaders. Here are just a few of the ways that selling beads is changing their lives.

* 73% beaders have been able to enroll a child in school who was not previously enrolled.

* 68% of beaders report that their health status has improved.

* Over a fifth of the women have used their earnings to start other small businesses like selling vegetables or charcoal to diversify their income and secure their climb out of extreme poverty.

In North America we are proud of the community of women who are coming forward to give BeadWear parties…more than 400 this year alone. We have also been invited to many wonderful events to sell the beads and to tell the story of women helping women in our circle of sharing and enrichment.

The holidays are approaching providing the BeadforLife Cirle an opportunity to sell lots of beads which will fund our community development projects in 2006. Please consider getting helping us reach our goals. The beads make wonderful, gifts that touch many lives. Make your shopping easy this year by shopping at our webstore. Consider giving a Bead Party for your friends and co-workers. These parties are fun and help others get involved with helping to end poverty. You can also bring BeadforLife to your fairs, churches or school events. To give a party, an event, or to buy beads just go to our website at www.BeadforLife.org. And thanks for thinking of others during the holidays.

On behalf of all the beaders, their families, and the communities we touch - thank you so much for your support. I hope you enjoy this newsletter. “Waybali Nyo”.

Torkin Wakefield
Cofounder and Director

Orphans, Concy and Grace, Go to School
Concy, age 12 curtsied and squeezed my hand while little Lakop Grace, 6, looked shyly at me from behind her cousin's skirts. They had just completed the long and somewhat dangerous trip from Gulu, in northern Uganda, to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. This was not a happy journey for these orphaned children.

Their mother, Akwero Lillian, had been among the first women to learn to make paper beads for BeadforLife. Her lovely smile and laughter were remarkable. Unfortunately Lillian was killed in the course of an argument with a drunken man. This death had come as a great blow to the Beadforlife community. As a way to honor their mother we agreed that BeadforLife would sponsor Lillian's two daughters, Aciro Concy and Lakop Grace for their schooling.

Concy is just at that stage of prepubescent innocence and curiosity. She was excited to see Kampala, and to learn new things, to go to a "real" school. Lakop Grace has dimples and a radiant smile, which she reluctantly bestowed upon us as we told her about her new school. Looking at the list of items that the girls would need to go to school we asked them what they already had. Nightgowns? No. Black leather shoes? No. Underwear? No. Towels, soap, bedding, pens, crayons? No, no, no. In fact they had traveled from Gulu with no possessions because they did not have anything.

The school had tested Concy and decided that she needed to go back two grades, to primary 5, as the village school had been very poor. Lakop Grace would start first grade. The day arrived for us to drop the girls at school. We arrived with mattresses, boxes, and bags of foodstuffs required by the school. Children came running to help the teachers welcome their new students.

With lots of hugs and a few kisses we said goodbye assuring them that we would be back on visitors' day to make sure they were happy and adjusting. Our last glimpse was of little Grace surrounded by other 6 year olds, all eager to meet her. Her head was tipped down but a small smile was on her face.

Three New BeadforLife Items
Wonderful Gifts for the Holidays
All of these items are available on our website store

The Five-Strand Necklace
Just in time for the holidays the Five Strand Necklace. This is elegant full necklace that comes in all of our colors. We think it looks fabulous with fancy dresses as well as business suits, or sporty outfits.

2006 BeadforLife Calendar
(end of October)
Our BeadforLife calendar has 12 stunning colorful photos of beads, beaders, and children. Each month gives information about the project, how the beads are made, and the people that make them.

Note Cards for Every Occasion
(end of October)
Our note cards each feature a beautiful photo from BeadforLife…our beaders, the beads, and the children. The inside is blank for your own message. On a back we briefly describe BeadforLife.

BeadforLife Savings Program

Of all the community development projects BeadforLife is starting, our savings program is one of the most successful. In Uganda, the web of social commitments is very complex, and anyone who has money is expected to help not only their immediate family, but also sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, and others. The beaders reported that these social demands, in addition to requests for money by husbands, made it difficult to ever accumulate savings at home.

In response, BFL researched many banks and selected one with a relatively high rate of interest. The beaders designate how much they want to save at each sale, and BFL keeps that money and deposits it directly into the women's accounts. Deposits or withdrawals can be made any time they want with their bankcards.

We have completed a 3-month pilot project with 20 beaders. In just 9 rounds of savings, the group as a whole has managed to save 3,777,500 shillings - about $2160 dollars! Our top saver now has 420,000 shillings ($240) in her account, which for women who were living on less than a dollar a day is an impressive accomplishment in just three months. We are now enrolling all of our other beaders in the savings program. Women report that they are saving for school fees for their children and for down payments on the houses we hope to build with Habitat for Humanity next year.

Comments from a Happy BeadWear Hostess
Our midsummer BeadforLife party was attended by about 50 people and included friends, work colleagues, family members, traveling companions, and neighbors. It was so much fun! The compelling story and beautiful, creative products moved everyone we invited.

We set up 3 display tables - one in the living room, one in the family room and one on the deck outside the back door. Guests gathered to watch the television where we had set up the BeadforLife slide show and music. All were moved by the plight of the beaders, their beautiful smiles and the look of joy on their faces as they displayed their wares. Everyone who came bought at least one piece of jewelry and many made extra donations. Expressions of gratitude at learning about the Ugandan women abounded. We sold so many necklaces and a good time was most definitely had by all!
Julie King
San Francisco Bay area

Do you want to give a holiday Bead Party or bring the beads to an event? It's easy and fun. Just go to our beadforlife website and click on beadwear parties or events. We will support you to have a fabulous party or booth and happily welcome you to join the bead circle.