Threads of Hope

Photo courtesy of Lisa Ash 

As the manager of a fitness studio I am lucky enough to meet all sorts of interesting people.  One of those people is Lisa Ash.  She is a Yoga instructor but so much more!  She spent a good portion of the last year in Zambia, working with the HealthEd Connect Organization.  One of the many facets of this corporation is to help provide purposeful activity for women in the small communities where Lisa spent time.  Every human likes to have a purpose, and having a creative outlet can be so rewarding.  From what Lisa shared with me I learned that the day-to-day activities of many adult women in Zambia consist of cooking, cleaning and caring for their families.  Rewarding?  Yes.  But women in any country, any setting, will tell you that, while household and family duties are rewarding, it is nice to have something to do that is just for yourself.
A few weeks ago Lisa shared some really beautiful bracelets and necklaces with me.  They are made with thread and Zambi Bwafano paper beads.  Women in Zambia make these rolled paper beads, weave them into bracelets or add beads to create a necklace.  Then the jewelry is sold in the United States to help raise money for various projects in Chipulusku, Kasompe, and other Zambian communities.  The most recent project was raising money for a "cook shack", or school kitchen, for the Chipulusku school.  For more information on Lisa's time in Zambia and the Threads of Hope project click here.

Paper bead necklace and bracelets made in Zambia

My bracelet!

Yellow and gray?  Okay, I'll take it :)

Ezra rocking his bracelet.  I gave it to him the day of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies so it was a really cool tie-in when the country of Zambia walked into the arena.  Learning experiences are everywhere!