Just over three years ago, the collaborative effort of the not-for-profit Voices for Global Change and a small group of women from a Ugandan IDP camp brought about Paper to Pearls, a micro-enterprise initiative that has transformed the lives of hundreds of women and their communities. The women beaders of Paper to Pearls handcraft beautiful, 100% green recycled paper bead jewelry. The income from the sale of these eco-chic necklaces, earrings, and bracelets has enabled the women to provide food and medicine for their families as well as schooling for their children.
It was our great delight when the Triennale Design Museum of Milan, Italy requested to display Paper to Pearls necklaces alongside the work of over 60 globally renowned jewelry artists as part of their Paper Jewellery exhibit.
Our beaders’ transformation of a very humble medium into a fashion statement epitomizes the thematic concepts of the show- the spirit of sustainability and the inherent value possible in everyday items.
The women of Uganda craft beautiful necklaces out of recycled paper as a creative and industrious response to the limitations of a post-conflict country. In our own environment, where access to desired resources is relatively easy and plentiful, our Ugandan beaders are a constant inspiration to incorporate ingenuity and resourcefulness into our daily lives. As the themes from the Milan exhibit and the stories of our women so perfectly capture, it is important to continually find resourceful, sustainable ways to turn an ordinary material into an extraordinary product.
Article by Hilary Hamlin
