In 2008, Michelle Boice was in Uganda leading relief teams when she met a group of women making handmade jewelry from recycled paper to support their families. Displaced by Kony and the internal civil war in Uganda, many of these women are also HIV/AIDS affected.

Prior to bead making, these women were breaking rocks manually at about $1.50 a day.  Michelle created a fair trade based social justice cooperative Beads of Hope Africa, to give the women fair trade income by getting these womens’ bead products to the global market. As a former teacher, Michelle was also concerned about a long term solution to poverty. She knew education is a part of this solution. Working through established giving partners in Uganda, we give scholarships to youth who would otherwise end up in poverty. (Learn more about us here)