Over the next few weeks, look out for information on this blog that will tell you what progress we are making with our revised plan for BEAD. The plan includes steps such as “adopting” HIV/AIDS Positive Mother-baby pairs from the Agomanya township. We will support the care of these families through the sale of beads and finished bead products made in Agomanya. Our long term intention has been and will continue to be to have the township own the project down the line, and there seems to be no better way to do it, than if the system we develop directly benefits some of their own people.

We will also update you on the results of discussions we are having with some hot talented Ghanaian accessory producers who will be using Agomanya beads to make bags, earrings and other accessories. This will be up for sale to you in bright beautiful colours, so that you can support our efforts. The proceeds from all sales of these products will go directly to supporting our adopted mother-baby pair. Therefore, the more beads (and bead products) you buy, the more lives we can support!

We hope you subscribe to our blog so you can be kept up to date on what we are doing. Our next blog entry will detail the objectives and plan for BEAD (both short term and long term) so that you can follow our growth with us. We think these next 3-6 months will be an exciting time to be part of our BEAD Threads and we look forward to hearing from you on ways we can improve this project further.

Cheerio!!

Sabina and Otema,
Project Directors.

After jostling through the feeder road that leads to the market, I arrive at Auntie Lizzy’s stall and after a quick exchange of greetings she asks one of her sons –  who was threading beads at the adjoining stall –  to take me to see her husband. Her son’s name is Prince and he had completed his junior secondary education which culminated in a final Basic Education Certificate Examination just weeks ago. We make the journey to their family home where the factory is stationed talking about his family and where he wanted to attend secondary school. I discover that his father, Mr. Israel Kumah, is president of the United Bead Sellers Association of Krobo.

At their home, I find Mr. Kumah waiting for me and ready with questions about R.E.A.C.H and what type of partnership we hoped to form with the association. I explain the project’s aim of working with bead-makers in the Agomanya to generate  funds through the sale of beads for health initiatives targeting the spread of HIV in the area. Afterwards we go to his back-yard where a shed provides room for his bead factory. There, he explains the bead-making process.

Agomanya, part of the group of towns that make up Krobo, is known for its powder and glass beads. Mr. Kumah focuses on producing shiny glass beads that reflect different shades of light in the sunlight. Using used bottles and louvre blades as raw material, the glass is broken into tiny bits and poured into clay molds – grouped by color. The molds are placed carefully in ovens and baked at very high temperatures. At very high temperatures, the molten glass turn red irrespective of their original color. At this point, they’re taken out, poked and left to cool. Afterwards, they’re washed, dried and wiped clean with oil for shine.