Response from Carol

Hey Everyone,

I just wanted to share with you the response I got from Carol, the founder of Outreach Uganda when I let her know about the $2000 we raised for her organization!

Hi Carol,

I hope this email finds you well and back from your summer trip to Uganda. I wanted to let you know that my summer bracelet project went very well and in total I made about 200 bracelets with the Ugandan beads and raised $2000 for your organization! I will be sending you a check out later this week. My community of friends, family, and co-workers really came together to support your beader groups and make a difference in their lives through the purchase of a bracelet. They were touched by the skill in making the beads and the struggle the women have been through. We think it's important that your organization's work be carried on to help these women and their families!

Here is the link to my blog which chronicles the summer project, I hope you will take a look and at some point share with the beader groups, they really touched us!

http://summerofloveforuaganda.blogspot.com/2012/09/goalaccomplished.html

 

Hi Nicole,

That’s great about your summer bracelet project! I will look at your blog this evening. Thanks so much for all your work and your generosity and heart to help our women. As always, I very much enjoyed my trip over there. Being with the women and being part of their lives for six weeks always renews my energy and makes me want to keep doing what I’m doing to help them! I can see the progress in both their beading and silk scarf making skills, and in becoming more in charge of their own lives. It’s a long process that encompasses so many dimensions. I will certainly let them know about your project and your efforts.

 

Aloyo Margaret and other members of the Kitgum beaders’ group proudly show OU president, Carol Davis, their new 4 acre garden where they are growing cash crops as a group income-generation project

 

Goal...ACCOMPLISHED!

Hey Everyone,

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

Wrapping It Up

Hey Everyone,

So the project is officially over and its been a wonderful summer getting to be creative, meeting new people who supported the project, and raising money for Outreach Uganda! I don't have the total number and am still waiting for some final money to come in but I will be sure to let you all know how much we raised and what an impact it can make for this organization :)

Here are my THANK YOUs for the last orders that came in. I am shipping out my last bracelet today!

Norma Silva

Karen Butterworth

Karen Langsham

Allen Lester

Rosemary Calderon

Shannon Sales

Adrian Soto

John (Crustacean)

Niccole Osborn

Joe

Caroline Reyes

Melanie Vriend

*photo courtesy of http://www.mzungumemoirs.org/uncategorized/farewell-uganda/

Etsy Sellers are AWESOME, Part II

Hello Everyone,

As I started to deplete my supplies from the first donation I received from generous Etsy sells, I reached out to new ones to see if they could help out on the project. AGAIN they came through with tons of beads and findings that you are wearing on your beautiful bracelets! You can check out their stores by clicking on the store name and support these women who donated to the bracelet project. Its so amazing how willing people are to help if you just ask. I even met a fellow Anthropology major :) Thank you ladies!!!

Gypsy Bead Peddler 

gem cut rondelles are a light fire opal color

Flame Kissed Art Glass

small gold plastic flowers

Lucky Spot Shop

czech glass beads

Wandering Star Beads

Czech Fire Polish 3-Cut Sapphire Picasso Beads

THE LAST WEEK!

Hey Everyone,

It's the last week of the project and I am working on finishing up orders for bracelets! It's not too late to order. I just need to have all the money by this Thursday so please message me if you would like to order and I will give you my home address to mail in a check. I keep saying how fast the summer has gone by but truly I cant believe I have working on this project for the past 11 weeks. Thank you to everyone who has ordered or donated and made this project a success, its more than I could have hoped for! Your money is going toward helping these ladies of Jinja educate their children, purchase homes, and gain strength and self esteem through creating sustainable income for their families :)



The Jinga beader group hich has 80 members is located in Jinja Uganda;
which is on the northern shore of Lake Victoria and is known as the source of the Nile River

THANK YOU to those who ordered this past week:

Anne Fetherolf
Brian Holm
Archana Dittakavi
Roz Kuehn
Shannon Sales
Malikha
Shell Ramos

Week 10 update--only 2 weeks left!

Hey Everyone,

I'm back from a very relaxing and much needed family vacation in Oahu! We had the best time --checked out a luau, went swimming with the sharks, tanned at the beach, and did some serious shopping! I'm back now and focused on the LAST 2 WEEKS OF THE PROJECT! The latest news is that we have raised $1500 for Outreach Uganda!!! 

I'm doing a big push for last minute orders since school is starting soon. I will be taking orders until Thursday Aug 23rd in order to have them all sent out by Sunday, August 26th and then that's it! Soooo if you have waited this whole summer to order, this is your chance :) Please help me spread the word by telling your family and friends! Please send me a photo wearing your bracelet and I will add it to my blog, thanks!

my mom modeling bracelets in Hawaii :)

Big THANK YOU to those who have supported the project in the last couple of weeks :)

Shirley Tibbs
Dana Duvak
Grace Rochlitz
Joe Kilmer
Larissa Singhoff
Kim Schmel

Week 8 Update and Vacation Annoucement

Hey Everyone,

The project is coming to a close I cant believe the summer has flown by. We got some major supporters this past week from the gals at Dermalogica!! Mia Holm really helped out in collecting orders and raising awareness about the project to her co-workers so thank you :) My family and I are heading to Oahu, Hawaii today for our FIRST ever family vacation and I just cant wait to soak up the sun and pina coladas while spending some QT with my man and my fam. Once I return there will only be 2 weeks in the project so please let me know if you want t place that final order you have been lagging on!

Ana Dragovic

Sara Crane

Roanne Shidaki

Erika Lawrence

Zanoli Van Daalen

Sheyla Martinez

Monita Chan Sok

Rachel Agpaoa

Narlet De Guzman

Catina Gonzales

Nina Taw

Kim Schmehl

Grace Rochlitz