Your Purchase = Economic Empowerment

We have discovered that working directly with the women of the community has an immediate impact on the children, leading to increased food security, funds for medical care, and school fees. Since the beginning of the bracelet project in 2014, we have witnessed a positive transformation in the families of the surrounding communities of Loitoktok and Kimana. This has empowered the women to unite around an income-generating project of their choice, fostering relationships, providing advice, learning about women’s health, and receiving basic education from our local leaders. As word spreads about the program’s impact, interest among other Maasai women in the community is rapidly growing. Women who are unfamiliar with making recycled paper beads can receive training from others. The bead-making project, led by our dedicated local leader, Dorcus Parit in Southern Kenya, has facilitated community building, women’s education, skills training, sustainable income, clean water for all their homes and surrounding villages, and hope.

Once the beads are brought back to the US, we collaborate closely with volunteers to create the world-changing bracelets. The response to starting ‘I am One’ Clubs in local schools has been overwhelming! The ‘I am One’ Club provides middle and high school students with the opportunity to “Be the Change” by volunteering to help string the recycled paper beads into bracelets. The students can earn service hours through their participation. The volunteer efforts are used to create all our bracelets sold in our online store and at local events. We have partnered with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and various youth groups. Additionally, we offer corporate team-building activities as well as home-stringing parties. Young people are changing the world, one bead at a time!

We utilize all the funds from the bracelet sales to buy water filters and distribute them to communities in Kenya that have access to water but need an easy way to clean it. We have distributed the filters in various places, such as orphanages, schools, hospitals, clinics, rescue centers, and communities throughout Kenya. Since the program began in late 2014, the funds generated by the recycled paper bracelets alone have enabled us to distribute over 2800 water filters. This initiative has provided over 67,000 people with clean water for life. Changing the world isn’t so hard after all!