There’s nothing better than a cool piece of jewelry, except for a cool piece of jewelry that means something. The Kwagala Project is an organization that empowers women that have been victims of human trafficking and the commercial sex trade. This program allows survivors from Uganda to be educated in design from a school called Free Thereafter. They learn the art of bead making, and are taught to design and create beautiful and colorful jewelry that is then sold for profit.
The mission of the Kwagala Project is “dedicated to rescuing, restoring, and empowering women and children who have been victimized by trafficking, gender-based violence and/or abject poverty.” They also provide counseling and therapy for the trauma that the women have experienced. They help them to become successful survivors and become self-sufficient by getting a good education and aftercare programs that teach skills, training and entrepreneurship and then help them with job placement. Whichever area of education is chosen, it is essentially designed to equip the women with the things that they’ll need in order to make the necessary choices to build their newly empowered futures in business.
The executive director of Kwagala Project is Kristen Hendricks, who according to Huffington Post says “Free Thereafter is teaching them something that’s viable in their community, but also that we can leverage on our side.” They are able to make a product that women will purchase and personally want to wear.
The thing that this company strives to keep in mind is making products that are wearable by as many women as possible. They didn’t want it to look like an ethnic product that may not fit into a woman’s everyday life, like things that are purchased when traveling to other countries that aren’t as wearable when you get home. They wanted the survivors to be able to make products that look similar to things that can be purchased in stores. The only difference is that this jewelry has a cool and interesting story behind every piece and also behind every designer.
Bead-making is an indigenous craft to Uganda, and it gives the survivors, both girls and women, a skill that cannot be taken from them. They are able to take this craft with them wherever they go. Many of these women and girls have been trafficked from a young age, so they were not able to be educated in any skills whatsoever. The jewelry designing and production gives them an income in addition to supporting the organization’s efforts to continuously educate survivors.
The jewelry includes several different styles of necklaces and bracelets. You can purchase long or short necklaces in black, teal, lime, purple and pink. The bracelets are either clasped or coiled. They come in the same colors. You can purchase fundraising kits to sell bracelets for your own cause, in turn helping Kwagala Project as well. The hair accessories include headbands, reversible headbands and clips in colorful patterns and prints.
There is no better way to find affordable and beautiful jewelry that helps such a great cause. These women are learning life and business skills that will help them achieve better lives, while customers can purchase wearable, creative and artistic jewelry.