Empowering African Women through Design ~ Raven + Lily: Ethiopian Women Artisans turn Bullets to Beads

Check out this amazing and inspirational video of Ethiopian women Artisans turning  Bullets into Beads. Featuring amazing pictures from Esther Havens Photography, this video shows the story of how the Raven + Lily jewelry is made in Ethiopia.

Get a glimpse into how every Raven + Lily jewelry piece is made as well as the lives of the women who make them.

From bullets to beads, every piece of jewelry serves as a powerful reminder of the difficult environments these women come from. It’s also a reflection of how, just as these bullet casings can be transformed into something beautiful, the lives of these women can also be made brighter.

 

 What was once used for harm can now bring hope and life.

After the beads are carefully shaped by hand, they are strung and dipped into a lime solution that brings out the shine of the brass and copper.

The beads are then washed, scrubbed, and hung to dry.. and shine 🙂

Once the beads are polished, the over 125 women in our partnerships gather to fulfill our orders, working based on their skills and training. Many of them have been ostracized by their communities because of the stigma associated with AIDS.

But with their new jobs, they are now so confident and proud of their work. Many of them even have savings accounts, which has become a tangible result of empowerment.

What was once meant for harm now brings hope and life to these women– the ultimate example of up-cycling for good.

Check out this Blog: http://blog.ravenandlily.com/post/34296522841/we-left-our-hearts-in-ethiopia-ambassador-trip-part

And the Designs of Raven + Lily: http://www.ravenandlily.com/