Old Sharon, Young Sharon, and Lynn didn’t disappoint as the latest branch of our Paper Bead Jewelry Project. We gave them 25 pounds of magazines and in the short time that we were here, Team No Sleep (aka Team No Sleep Only Jesus) turned all 25 pounds into necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.

We bought every bracelet, necklace, earring, and bauble that we could and these girls are so excited to get to go to school! I’m not at all embarrassed to tell you that I was a total First Day of School Mom and I asked them to send me photos of their first day of school.

It is so darn hard to be a girl in Uganda and earn enough money for school fees. In many places here, girls and women are still thought of as second class citizens. This is why we love the Art Factory Gulu Girls and the mothers in the Bungatira Beaders who are using old magazines to pay school fees to send all of their children to school.

When you buy and wear their jewelry, Team No Sleep hopes you’ll feel their love and gratitude for being an important part of making that happen.