Since so many of you have seen, purchased, sold or worn the paper beads that we bring back from Uganda, we decided we should do a story about them.

 

The paper bead necklaces are really neat. The women start by cutting scrap paper (whatever they can find lying around) into long triangular strips. They wrap the end around a needle, add a little glue down the strip and then quickly roll them up. The needle allows for a hole to string them together. When a bunch of beads are finished, they are strung on a long piece of wire, varnished and left to dry. Once dry, they are strung onto fishing line with tiny seed beads.

 

About two years ago, Tim went to Uganda for the second time and saw some kids and moms making these really cool necklaces out of paper. He thought he would bring a few back for us and seeing about 10 or 15 of them, told them he’d buy all they had. The next day, they arrived with about 200 finished necklaces and oooops, what he could say, he bought them all.

 

When he arrived home, I agreed that they were very neat, but what would we do with so many? We let Olivia take one for each of the girls in her Grade 2 class. After school that day, she told us some of the teachers wanted to buy some and to bring more. So we sent her with 25 beads and she came home with empty hands saying she needed more. Even her young male teacher started wearing a short brown set. Tim told him the story of the beads at the parent teacher interview and he said “bring them all”, by the end of the week they were gone and we were able to buy school books for Uganda. Very cool.

 

Both sets of our parents came to Uganda last February, while we lived there. And both brought 100 sets of beads home to Canada. They quickly sold them to friends, and then their friends sold them to friends etc. They became beads for books, with all proceeds going towards school and library supplies.

 

When we came home last summer, we brought home even more. And then this past August, we brought home another 200 necklaces. Dr. Chau and his family brought home a bunch too, gave them to staff and continue to sell them at his dental office.

 

Well, Tim had a big request for his November 2008 trip:  30 for me, 100 for my mom, 100 for Tim’s mom and 300 for Dr. Chau’s daughter, Caeden, who wanted them for a joint highschool/HIPPO fundraiser. Canadian customs wasn’t too thrilled with him bringing so many this time, it’s always quite a story to explain. Since we needed so many this time, Tim organized a working day for some of our mothers and other widows in the community so that they could all share in the profits. We just arrived home from Uganda once again, and brought another 240 strings of beads home with us.   

 

We wanted to say thank you to those of you (and there are many of you), who have supported our school in this way. Many of you have bought them, donated more than the cost, offered to sell them, taken them to your various churches and clubs, and worn them ready to share their story. We have been able to buy suitcases full of library and resource books and other supplies like puzzles and art supplies for the school. 

 

To see a slideshow of the beads and bead making, click on the youtube link.