Our Team
Our Journey
Beads of Awareness began in 2009 with two young entrepreneurs and a big dream. After spending the summer volunteering in Gulu. Thomas returned to Canada deeply moved by the Ugandan people and culture. He proposed an idea to Laura and, with much excitement and positive support from family and friends, the social enterprise started to bloom.
From the outset, our motivation has been to raise money for grassroots development projects in Uganda and to support and promote Ugandan artisans by creating jobs and selling their products. We also hope to raise awareness about the people of Uganda and their struggles recovering from the devastation of a civil war, hence where our name Beads of Awareness came from.
Each year we have seen our operations and impact expand. A project that began with two individuals has grown to include a large and vibrant community.
Our Values
COOPERATION
![We believe in working with the people of Uganda, especially when it comes to the development projects we support. Ugandans have amazing potential and ambitious dreams—all that lacks are the necessary resources to achieve them. Our goal is to encourage empowerment and independence.](http://beadsofawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Values-1-200.png)
EQUITY
![We are extremely
concerned with the wellbeing of the artisans. We pay a fair wage for our products so our artisans, most of whom are women, can feed their families, send their children to
school and promote growth in their communities.](http://beadsofawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Values-2.png)
SUSTAINABILITY
![We are committed to
minimizing our environmental impact through our products, promotional tools and packaging. The beads we use are made of re-used paper making them ecofriendly and all promotional
materials are printed on 100% recycled paper.](http://beadsofawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Values-3-200.png)
QUALITY
![We are dedicated to providing our customers with unique, quality products. We have tested
our products for durability, strength and resistance and we are confident that they will last.](http://beadsofawareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Values-4-300-e1494491027591.png)