Acholi Beads: "Wear their beads. Share their story."
It began over 20 years ago. A vicious rebel group in northern Uganda, unable to prevail against the government it wanted to overthrow, turned on its own community. The insurgents started abducting children, mutilating adults, destroying villages.
The Acholi people, stuck between the volatile rebels and a callous government army, fled their homes in order to protect their families.
Some of these Acholi people made it as far as Uganda's capital city, but could only find refuge in a neglected hillside slum- a slum that has since been dubbed "Acholi Quarters."
The only work available in Acholi Quarters was at a rock quarry, where still today men and women toil in dangerous conditions for $1 per day, trying to support their families.
Beautiful Acholi Beads are made from recycled paper by women living in Acholi Quarters. Instead of making $1 per day in the quarry, our bead makers earn a monthly income that is competitive with teachers in the local high schools. Now they can afford health-care and education, now they can save money and invest in other business opportunities, now they can rebuild their lives.
www.acholibeads.com
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