"31 BITS" FERRIMOND NECKLACE AND BRACELET

USING FASHION AND DESIGN TO EMPOWER WOMEN TO RISE ABOVE POVERTY

Necklace and bracelet connecting multiple strands of beads with bone accents. Photos courtesy of "31 Bits".

Beads are handmade in Uganda from 100% recycled paper. Please note that since these pieces are all handmade, color variations may exist.

About the company: Kallie Dovel, traveled to Uganda in the summer of 2007, getting a first- hand look at life in Northern Uganda. While she was there, she met women making paper beads but who lacked a plan to market and sell them. After spending time in their homes and hearing their stories, Kallie knew there had to be a way to give opportunities to her new friends. She brought a box of jewelry back to the U.S., and spent the next year finishing her degree and dreaming up the concept of a development organization. She brought a few friends on board and her ideas quickly evolved into 31 Bits. The girls traveled back to Uganda in August 2008, and selected six women to begin buying jewelry from on a monthly basis. Since then, we have grown to 99 women; each with a unique story of suffering that has been overcome with joy and liberation.