would you consider this?

Almost two years ago, I had the privilege of meeting some beautiful people in a slum of Kenya called Kibera. People in the slum live in absolutely devastating circumstances with little opportunity to recover. One of the solutions to this problem is microfinancing, offering small loans to those who live in the slum to start a business and thus create enough income to move out of poverty, or at least fulfill some needs that were not previously fulfilled. One of those businesses is jewelry making. We have been taking orders from the jewelry makers (technically working with the man who started the bank and microfinancing business, Michael Nyangi, for about 1.5 years now.
*Click on Michael's name for a video that amnesty international made about life in the slum and what Michael is doing to change it

Please consider purchasing very reasonably priced jewelry to help change lives. All proceeds go back into the jewelry makers' business or goes home with them to their families as income.

This order will be placed by October 1st and will be received in time for Christmas gifts. I know it seems early but ordering now ensures that they will be here in time.

Please take the time to look through this online catalog.

You can then download and complete this order form and email it or any questions to KiberaJewelryInfo@gmail.com. Checks are payable to ANAW-USA.

Any of those of you who have already purchased the jewelry and would like to speak about its quality or process, please leave your comments!

I want to remember this...

I bought a travel, ceramic Starbucks mug three days ago. Its pretty weird but mugs have this ability to significantly brighten my mornings. For the last two days, I’ve been making my coffee and putting it in my new mug, feeling happy that I get to enjoy my coffee in a ceramic cup on my way to work before the day starts to turn to chaos. And let me tell you, something making me happy before 8:00 a.m. is colossal as, it is, without question, the most difficult part of my day, and likely the most difficult part of the day for anyone around me :)

As I was coming home around lunch time yesterday, my mug slipped right out of my hand onto the cemented driveway. Two days, TWO days, that’s all it took for my mug of happiness to slip from my grasp and shatter. I was upset. Actually, almost felt like crying that I spent my limited spending money on this mug and it lasted two days. Kevin cleaned up the mug for me. I went back to work.

When I came home in the evening, I looked to the counter and there it was. A brand new mug, three days newer than my old one, waiting for me with a Starbucks gift card saying that I was my husband’s favorite.

Yup, tears welled up in my little baby eyes. I love being someone's favorite. Particularly, I love being his favorite.