Last month, I wrote a post about using fair trade beads in jewelry work to help support the concept of providing favorable working conditions for workers manufacturing these beads.  I was contacted by Mzuribeads, a nonprofit company that focuses on doing just that – providing a sustainable income for people in the Ugandan village, Ndejje.

Mzuribeads sent me a package of sample beads to look at, and while I really like the beads, I like the company’s mission even better.  Mzuribeads is working to create a sustainable business model for the women in Uganda who create the beads, and eventually having the business be operated solely by Ugandans.

The beads themselves are pretty neat.  In my sample pack, I received six beads made of bark cloth, recycled paper, horn, glass and banana leaf.  The textures are fun to experience and the paper and bark cloth beads are sturdier than I would have expected.  The colors of my sample beads are earthy and would lend themselves well to a variety of designs.

My favorite was the banana leaf bead.  I tend to work in smaller sizes, so this one is perfect, at about 23mm long.  I could definitely see using that in my own work with gemstones.

The prices are also quite reasonable, though if you are used to mass produced beads from China, these prices may be higher than you are used to paying.  I find that customers are willing to pay the higher price when you tell them about the ethical importance of the beads.

Overall, I think Mzuribeads are an excellent choice for those working in natural designs, and it is companies like these we need to be supporting if we wish to make a change in the way workers are treated. 

So go take a look at their website, and especially the part about their mission.  I think you’ll like what you see as much as I did, and hopefully you will give some of their unique, beautiful beads a try.