Research among displaced Acholi people has shown that a woman who makes a good living spreads that benefit to about 20 people around her – she feeds her children and sends them to school; she cares for her nieces, nephews and grandchildren; she helps her brothers, sisters and parents meet their financial needs. So each time we partner with a new woman, we know 20 lives are improved.

For the last 21 years Africa’s longest running war has ravaged the northern regions of Uganda, home to the Acholi people. Over 2 million people fled their homes to seek safety. Some made it as far as Uganda’s capital city, Kampala, where they could only find refuge in a hillside slum, now called Acholi Quarters.

Acholi Beads are made by these refugees living in the Acholi Quarters slum. As they struggle to rebuild their lives, the sale of Acholi Beads provides a vital income and helps share their story with the world.

Acholi Beads is a socially proactive business. As we grow we hope to hire more displaced people to make these beads, and to offer them training in how to best use their incomes.