Note: I took this post down once we were finished selling, but The Kwagala Project is interested in partnering with other adoptive families (hooray!), so I'm adding a few more details and putting it back up!
These beads are made by girls and women living at the Kwagala Project in Uganda; these precious lives are rescued & redeemed from sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Here is one of the girls living at Kwagala Project where she is safe, goes to school, and is cared for.
The girls and women are taught how to crochet, how to style hair, and how to make these beautiful beads.
I love these beads! They are made from recycled paper. Because dozens of people have asked, I'm adding a video explaining how the beads are made.
When I was selling bracelets from Haiti, many people were asking for necklaces.
My friend, Brenda, sold Kwagala necklaces to help fund a missions trip to Uganda. I read everything on their website after purchasing a necklace from her.
Remembering them, and the amazing work they do, I decided to go out of my comfort zone, and ask The Kwagala Project if they would be willing to partner with us for our adoption. They said YES! Since that time, they have decided that they would like to partner with other adoptive families, too. If you would like to be one of these families, you can contact them here.
I purchased one box of jewelry at a time, four boxes total. We spent around $1,050 on this fundraiser, and we've received almost $1900 in donations, almost doubling our investment. I sold most of it at jewelry parties, through friends, on Facebook, and at a holiday market in our community.
If you have questions, please ask in the comments section. I would love to see {many} more families partner with this organization for a win-win experience.
Amanda says
What is the initial cost of buying a box? How much do you make per necklace? They are beautiful!
Ami says
Hi Amanda,
Please contact Kwagala directly about the cost per box. I think you can tell them what you want (how many coils, how many necklaces, etc. and things run different prices). I always paid according to how many pieces I wanted. š I was kind of their guinea pig, so I’m not sure if things have changed since. šĀ
I typically charged 40-60% more on each piece, depending on what I thought I could sell it for. š It averaged out to 50% profit.
I hope it works out for you! They are a fantastic organization, and their work IS beautiful!