Paper to Pearls Project

Paper to Pearls, an Initiative of Voices for Global Change, works with widows in 8 refugee camps in the Gulu region of Northern Uganda, and 3 more cooperatives in the town of Gulu. These women have lost their husbands due to disease or conflict in the area. Most of them are responsible for multiple children, either their own or relatives, 9 to 10 children per home is common.

Paper to Pearls helps these women make beads out of paper, and then helps them to sell their beads locally and around the world. The income generated from the sale of their beads and necklaces helps to pay for food, medicine and schooling for their children. Because of this project, one of the beaders, who is HIV positive, has been able to consistently buy her antiretroviral medication she requires. Another has actually been able to buy a small plot of land, and hopes to one day be able to build a home on it.

Wings of Refuge buys the beads from these women to help support this project, and these amazing women.