● ● ● beads Programma's

1. Sponsorship for girls There are different reasons why girls in Kenya do not attend school or leave school prematurely. The most important are: Lack of money Circumcision >> lengthy healing process; complications Forced marriage Parents >> one or both lost Girls get fewer chances than boys in Kenya. This is especially true for the traditional tribes such as the Maassai and Samburu. Girls often have to do strenuous jobs around the the house such as building huts, collecting wood and water, watching the children and cattle. They are often circumcised at a young age and are married off during their teens often to (much) older men. There is rarely money for school and if there is any then boys will have priority. Beads NL sponsors these girls helping them receive an education from primary school through to university preferably on a 1 TO 1 basis so that the sponsors and girls can get to know one another, be in contact and can send donations and gifts. Sponsorship donations are used COMPLETELY for the girls' education. This includes school uniforms, food and accommodation during the semester, etc Once the girls attend school their knowledge and independence increases while the risk of forced marriage decreases meaning that they will not have to bear children at a very young age. Later on they can then find their own partner and raise a family. Beads NL chooses good schools in collaboration with the Regional Manager of Education. He often knows the girls personally because he often helps them out after traumatic experiences. Often this is after the girls have run away from home to avoid circumcision or a forced marriage. This often means that the girls loose the support of their parents leaving them with no other form of support. Girls that are sponsored during primary school are sent to a private school. YOU CAN SPONSOR A GIRL FOR EURO 25 PER MONTH. YOU CAN BECOME A DONOR FOR AS LITTLE AS EURO 2.50 PER MONTH OR EURO 25 PER YEAR.	Dupoto Women Group during a workshop
2. Women's groups HANDICRAFT WITH BEADSBeads NL helps women set up small scale business affiliations to assist them with selling their products via the internet, etc.Beads NL offers micro credits for material investments and pays the women a fair price for their products. With this money the women can take care of themselves as well as save some which can then consequently be used for the study of their daughter, micro credits and for emergencies. Beads NL works together with 2 different women's Dupoto Women Group (Maassai) This group was set up in 1993 and has been working together with Beads USA since 1998. The women of the Isinya/Amboseli region in Southern Kenya make beautiful items from beads and have designed various products specifically for the western market. These products include dog collars, place mats, etc. The women are regularly offered workshops to improve their crafting abilities. Nashami Women Group (Samburu) This group was established in January 2006 makes traditional Samburu jewelry and only works together with Beads NL. The women of the Samburu region wear different types of jewelry from the Maassai. They also produce modern, easy to wear jewelry. The money collected by selling these products will be used to set up a study fund.	Demonstrating the use of a condom, HIV/AIDS Workshop
3. Education (program in development) HIV/AIDS Circumcision Women's Rights There is a lot of work to be done educating women about these topics. In January Dionne gathered information in the North of Kenya about the HIV/Aids and female circumcision. IN order to get this information she visited doctors, hospitals, etc. Aids spreads quickly in this region and consequently the number of orphans is high. At the moment the educational campaigns are focused on Aids prevention and circumcision. The ceremony held when circumcising girls and boys uses the same - non sterile - knife for several children which facilitates the spread of Aids. Circumcising boys in a hospital would provide a solution for this but there are inadequate funds for this and tradition does not allow it (yet). Girls are often also circumcised and there is a lot of work to be done to change this tradition. The primary aim is therefore to stop the spread of Aids. During the wet season, when these ceremonies take place, sterile knives, disinfectants and gloves are distributed and information about risks given. Luckily the Samburu are beginning to heed the advice given and change is slowly becoming a possibility. Dionne Deij was invited by the Aids-coordinator/campaign leader to attend and assist in one of the upcoming educational campaigns. Besides this Dionne also talks to members of the Samburu and Maassai tribes about female circumcision. She has been able to see a slow change in people's opinions during the eight years that she has been visiting Kenya but understands that it is a very complicated matter. The tradition of female circumcision, despite the pain and complications, is a deeply rooted tradition. It is often a choice of acceptance within the group or isolation. Furthermore, it is difficult for a woman that has not been circumcised to get married. In tight-knit communities such as the Samburu and Maassai circumcision therefore almost seems inevitable. Circumcision is terrible but isolation even more so. The girls that run away to avoid circumcision need to have an awful lot of courage to do so and therefore deserve a sponsor!	Wendy Ellsworth, workshops bead handicraft

1. Sponsorship for girls

There are different reasons why girls in Kenya do not attend school or leave school prematurely.

The most important are:

Lack of money
Circumcision >> lengthy healing process; complications
Forced marriage
Parents >> one or both lost

Girls get fewer chances than boys in Kenya. This is especially true for the traditional tribes such as the Maassai and Samburu. Girls often have to do strenuous jobs around the the house such as building huts, collecting wood and water, watching the children and cattle. They are often circumcised at a young age and are married off during their teens often to (much) older men.

There is rarely money for school and if there is any then boys will have priority. Beads NL sponsors these girls helping them receive an education from primary school through to university preferably on a 1 TO 1 basis so that the sponsors and girls can get to know one another, be in contact and can send donations and gifts. Sponsorship donations are used COMPLETELY for the girls' education. This includes school uniforms, food and accommodation during the semester, etc

Once the girls attend school their knowledge and independence increases while the risk of forced marriage decreases meaning that they will not have to bear children at a very young age. Later on they can then find their own partner and raise a family.

Beads NL chooses good schools in collaboration with the Regional Manager of Education. He often knows the girls personally because he often helps them out after traumatic experiences. Often this is after the girls have run away from home to avoid circumcision or a forced marriage. This often means that the girls loose the support of their parents leaving them with no other form of support. Girls that are sponsored during primary school are sent to a private school.

YOU CAN SPONSOR A GIRL FOR EURO 25 PER MONTH.

YOU CAN BECOME A DONOR FOR AS LITTLE AS EURO 2.50 PER MONTH OR EURO 25 PER YEAR.

Dupoto Women Group during a workshop

2. Women's groups

HANDICRAFT WITH BEADSBeads NL helps women set up small scale business affiliations to assist them with selling their products via the internet, etc.Beads NL offers micro credits for material investments and pays the women a fair price for their products. With this money the women can take care of themselves as well as save some which can then consequently be used for the study of their daughter, micro credits and for emergencies. Beads NL works together with 2 different women's

Dupoto Women Group (Maassai)

This group was set up in 1993 and has been working together with Beads USA since 1998. The women of the Isinya/Amboseli region in Southern Kenya make beautiful items from beads and have designed various products specifically for the western market. These products include dog collars, place mats, etc. The women are regularly offered workshops to improve their crafting abilities.

Nashami Women Group (Samburu)

This group was established in January 2006 makes traditional Samburu jewelry and only works together with Beads NL. The women of the Samburu region wear different types of jewelry from the Maassai. They also produce modern, easy to wear jewelry. The money collected by selling these products will be used to set up a study fund.

Demonstrating the use of a condom, HIV/AIDS Workshop

3. Education (program in development)

HIV/AIDS
Circumcision
Women's Rights

There is a lot of work to be done educating women about these topics. In January Dionne gathered information in the North of Kenya about the HIV/Aids and female circumcision. IN order to get this information she visited doctors, hospitals, etc. Aids spreads quickly in this region and consequently the number of orphans is high.

At the moment the educational campaigns are focused on Aids prevention and circumcision. The ceremony held when circumcising girls and boys uses the same - non sterile - knife for several children which facilitates the spread of Aids. Circumcising boys in a hospital would provide a solution for this but there are inadequate funds for this and tradition does not allow it (yet). Girls are often also circumcised and there is a lot of work to be done to change this tradition. The primary aim is therefore to stop the spread of Aids. During the wet season, when these ceremonies take place, sterile knives, disinfectants and gloves are distributed and information about risks given. Luckily the Samburu are beginning to heed the advice given and change is slowly becoming a possibility. Dionne Deij was invited by the Aids-coordinator/campaign leader to attend and assist in one of the upcoming educational campaigns.

Besides this Dionne also talks to members of the Samburu and Maassai tribes about female circumcision. She has been able to see a slow change in people's opinions during the eight years that she has been visiting Kenya but understands that it is a very complicated matter. The tradition of female circumcision, despite the pain and complications, is a deeply rooted tradition. It is often a choice of acceptance within the group or isolation. Furthermore, it is difficult for a woman that has not been circumcised to get married. In tight-knit communities such as the Samburu and Maassai circumcision therefore almost seems inevitable. Circumcision is terrible but isolation even more so. The girls that run away to avoid circumcision need to have an awful lot of courage to do so and therefore deserve a sponsor!

Wendy Ellsworth, workshops bead handicraft