All the money has been tallied up and the bracelets sent off! It has been an amazing summer working with the Uganda paper beads and I am feeling very accomplished. I started this project on May 26th and for 12 weeks made bracelets, talked to people about the project, updated my blog, and collected photos of those wearing the bracelets. The Ugandan beader women were constantly on my mind. I have to admit this summer was busy and I ended up putting more time into it than I had originally planned. Fundraising is hard work!
What I am taking from this project is that people WANT to help. I asked Etsy sellers to donate beads from their shops - and they did. I asked friends and family to buy bracelets - and they did. Then I asked them to sell them for me - and guess what? They did that too! I am so fortunate to be apart of a community that has compassion for others and realize that $20 can make a difference!
Drumroll please......We are donating $2000 to Outreach Uganda!!!!!
- I made 200 bracelets
- They were sent all over the US-- California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Nevada
- They even vacationed in Spain, Hawaii, and Costa Rica
One last HUGE thank you for participating in Summer of Love for Uganda. I am very much hoping to one day meet the women who inspired me to embark on this project, hear their stories, and have them teach me how to make the beautiful beads!!
I have to give a very special and public thanks to the love of my life for being so supportive of me taking on this project over the summer (when I was supposed to be relaxing and hanging out with him before grad school). And...he ordered a Raiders themed Uganda necklace with black beads and silver skulls which he wears EVERY time he watches football :)
Check out this blog post to see how people are wearing their bracelets.
Message me if you want to add your picture.
They have a facebook page if you want to stay in touch, click here
I will leave you with an African proverb about the power of community that I thought was fitting...
"A single bracelet does not jingle."
~ Congolese proverb
~ Congolese proverb
