Give the Gift of Hope by Sharing BeadforLife

Recently, I got to know about a wonderful program called BeadforLife that has grown over the years through women connecting around the world. When we share this story of BeadforLife, or a piece of their unique jewelry or Shea product, it opens a new world of possibilities for women in Uganda who are trying to lift their families out of extreme poverty. The World Bank defines extreme poverty as living on $1.25 or less a day. 

The story of BeadforLife began... when the co-founders Torkin Wakfield, Ginny Jordan, and Devin Hibbard met Millie Grace Akena while they were walking through a crowded Ugandan slum. They noticed Millie sitting on the ground outside her mud home rolling small strips of paper into vibrant beads in the hot sun, so they stopped to look. Millie expressed her love for rolling beads out of recycled paper and showed the unique handcrafted necklaces, which she had no way to sell or market.

Millie was originally from Northern Uganda who fled to the Kampala slum to protect her children from becoming child soldiers. When they met her, she was barely surviving on less than a dollar a day by working in a rock quarry crushing stones into pebbles with a hand mallet to earn enough income for just one meal a day. Her children had to often work alongside her. The co-fouders admired Millie's talent and purchased a few necklaces and wore them around Kampala in support. Other people began to notice the distinct jewelry and asked where they had been purchased. This encouraged the co-founders to return to Millie’s slum and meet a hundred more women who knew how to create paper beads. 

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In 2004, BeadforLife was formed providing opportunities for a few dozen women from Millie’s slum and now it provides opportunities for thousands of women. These jewelry and products between $5 to $28 would be wonderful to give as gifts to our mothers, those special to us or even purchase for ourselves, as it will change many lives for good. 

They have wonderful items such as Hand tailored apron created by Uganda “Arise” tailor group. In one of the apron pockets there is a special vanilla bean and another pocket has a recipe card donated by Rodelle. A bead party box and a sale of their beads brings 2 weeks earnings for 40 women in Uganda, and business grants for 20 women to build sustainable ventures for their future. It also provides other benefits such as 5 oxen and plows in Shea nut region of Northern Uganda that reaches 25 families to expand their farms, and 1 year boarding school fees of 14 girls in Uganda. 

We can host a bead party and share the message, stories and the BeadforLife products with our friends and family. When hosting the BeadforLife party, you can make wonderful snacks from Uganda like these delicious sugar coated peanuts. This recipe is adapted from the recipe, which was in the Bead party resources.

For these sugar coated peanuts you will need

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar (can make it 3/4 cup)

2 cups peanuts without the shell

In a saucepan combine sugar and the water and bring to boil, while stirring to make sure the sugar is dissolved and makes clear syrup. Add the shelled peanuts with or without the skins and coat with the syrup. 
Pour the coated peanuts into a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. Gently stir the peanuts a few times while they are baking and remove it has soon as they are lightly browned and the syrup is almost dried, as it will easily burn. 
Place the peanuts on a wax paper and allow the nuts to dry before serving and storing in an airtight container. 

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