Paper to Pearls

[4] Paper to Pearls was founded by Barbara Moller, after she worked in northern Uganda as a government and civil coalition trainer on a US State Department grant in the fall of 2005.

Barbara was invited to the camps by a participant of the training program and introduced to women who had started creating the paper bead jewelry as an income stream.

[5] With no previous experience in retail or micro-enterprise, Barbara decided to launch Paper to Pearls in order to give the women access to broader, developed markets.

The intent was to create both income opportunities and to re-integrate the girls into society, overcoming the community’s belief that they and their babies are ‘dirty’ because of their association with the rebels.

Each bead is rolled by hand from strips of recycled paper, secured with glue, and then lacquered with a non-toxic varnish for shine and durability.