Recycled Magazine & Calendar Hand Rolled Bead Necklaces

 
Novel, beautiful, and recycled, it just can't get any better than that.

We offer these necklaces from three women's groups:

one in Kenya and two in Uganda, Africa.

You can accessorize, look fabulous, save the planet and give women in Kenya and Uganda a better life with our unique and eye-popping necklaces made out of recycled magazines! Give a splash of color to your look -- and a tidal wave of compassion to our earth and some of the women on it.

Created to help women worldwide gain economic security for themselves and their families by earning fair wages for their handiwork, two different women's groups off these fair-trade imported, eco-friendly products. By supporting long-term partnerships with the artisans, they fosters equal employment opportunities, healthy and safe working conditions, technical assistance, and development strategies to help reduce poverty, one community at a time.

These necklaces are made from beads of glossy paper from old calendars and brochures, some with hand blown glass beads and native seeds interspersed.  Each beads has been hand rolled by disadvantaged women. These women have formed a bead making cooperative to create a better life for themselves and their children. They use paper that would normally be thrown away because it is no longer useful (i.e. out of date calendars, colorful magazines and other similar colorful papers). The result is an almost endless variety of colorful beads and one of a kind necklaces and other jewelry.  Through the cooperative, they are able to provide for their families and raise their standard of living. Your purchase helps these women and their families.
 

 Varnished to a high-gloss, each paper bead looks like a polished stone or wood. The paper is cut in long triangles and rolled to form the beads - wide, short strips for narrow beads and long, thin strips for fat beads.

One of the Cooperatives we work with is TEMAK in Kenya.  The sign for the Teenage Mothers Association of Kenya (TEMAK) indicates that it is "the last house towards the Obunga slums," the most destitute area of Kisumu. Many of the unwed mothers and young girls who come to TEMAK to learn job skills live in these slums. TEMAK is an organization that offers job training in tailoring, hairdressing, secretarial skills, craft making, and recently computers to unwed mothers, girls, and others in the Obunga slum community. As a community center, the organization also provides the community with an educational forum for HIV/AIDS awareness and other health issues.

Many of the young women at TEMAK participate in making crafts, earning income to support themselves and their families. In the past few years, TEMAK has also become a craft center for the artisans and craftspeople in the town of Kisumu by providing local and international sales outlets that make available a sustainable income for many in the community.

NAWOU, the National Association of Women Organisations in Uganda, works with more than 80 independent women's groups located throughout Uganda. In addition to health care, social welfare, lobbying and advocacy, microfinance and education programs, NAWOU runs a handicraft program. Each group is responsible for production, quality control and transportation to Kampala. All crafts are based on traditional skills and products; natural dyes are also used. NAWOU helps with local and export marketing of the handicrafts. Through NAWOU, artisans receive loans, training, counseling, links to aid agencies and assistance with medication. NAWOU encourages microlending with the urban poor in Kampala. NAWOU does public education on HIV/AIDS, a significant problem in Uganda. Many of the women producing baskets for NAWOU are infected with HIV/AIDS, and income from basket weaving provides a lifeline of support for them.

 

NAWOU is a Ugandan umbrella organization for women’s organizations that was formed in 1992, and is registered as an NGO (nongovernmental organization) with the NGO Board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. NAWOU is an affiliate of the International Council of Women, has a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and collaborates with several networks, international NGOs and development partners.

NAWOU was established in 1992 by members of nongovernmental and community based organizations. 

Our newest cooperative is the LUGAZI LADIES GROUP.  In the remote village of Lugazi, Uganda, a small group of women work to create these beautiful