ChildVoice International’s Strands of Hope beads are hand-made by women who work at the ChildVoice Centre in Lukodi, Uganda. They begin by rolling long strips of paper around a needle and securing with glue. The beads are then varnished and dried three times, and strung together to create beautiful necklaces.

The child mothers who come to the Lukodi Centre have survived the trauma of being kidnapped by rebel armies, forced to be child soldiers and sex slaves, and suffered tremendous brutality. At the Lukodi Centre, these child mothers find safety and receive counseling, nutrition, education, and medical care for themselves and their children.

The bead project provides the women a fair trade wage for the first time since the rebel war began over 20 years ago. Net proceeds from the bead sales offset operating expenses of the Lukodi Centre.