In Africa, a papercraft path out of poverty

About 300 women are enrolled in the BeadForLife program. To qualify, a woman must be very poor, meaning that she either makes less than $2 a month, is living with AIDS, or is a refugee from northern Uganda. Fourteen tribes are represented in the group.

Wakefield ascribes most of their success to the bead parties and the way they engage Americans to help. "One thing Bead­ForLife has done," she says, "is make it easy for people to get involved. We say, 'Hey, come on, it's easy, have a party, wear beaded jewelry, and people relate to this and want to help.'" It's also a cultural experience, with DVDs, photos, stories, and the beads themselves being part of the party. A connection is made between purchaser and beader. "It's a revolutionary idea," Wakefield adds. "Our project has, at the very center of it, a human heart. We make real attempts to help people know each other on two continents."

The program also aims to lift women out of poverty by promoting home ownership and entrepreneurship. BeadFor­Life helps women start businesses, and after two years, they graduate from beadmaking into a small business of their own with limited support from the organization.

BeadForLife also provides training in personal finance, will preparation, and microfinance. They counsel women on ideas for small businesses, such as motorcycle repair, popcorn making, money lending, and healthcare services. The largest triumph thus far has been their partnership with Habitat for Humanity to create a new village for the beaders.

BeadForLife bought 18 acres near Mukono, a prime location on the outskirts of Kampala with access to roads and schools. So far, 37 houses have been completed and two wells dug. A garbage-recycling center and a soccer field have also been built. The goal is to erect 80 to 120 homes in the next two years. Beaders secure plots with an $800 downpayment.

One week before the opening ceremonies for the completion of the first 10 houses, Wakefield escorted a reporter through an almost-finished group of new homes. She was met on the dirt road overlooking the village by a half dozen beaders. They hugged her and smiled. Tears of gratitude welled in their eyes.

The women led Wakefield to their houses, touching the walls and dancing and singing with big smiles on their faces. "It is fantastic, just unbelievable," said Wakefield about the 37 new homes and families in the new village. "[The women] are ecstatic; their children are going to school. They have a clean water supply, the air is clean. They have been reborn."

Wakefield admits that they have not yet proven that their intended self-sustaining system works. The first group to join two years ago will graduate in January. However, she reports that 70 percent of the women have launched small businesses while still part of BeadForLife. "Next year, we will be evaluating where our success and challenges lie, and we feel really good about the progress made thus far.," she says.

And Mary? She was selected to be one of the first to create her house in the new village. She screamed with excitement when she found out she would be able to have her own home. "The village will be good and I will be the happiest there. I will have a small garden and start a tailor shop. No one will knock on my door for rent, and everyone will work together," she says ecstatically.

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