Style That Gives Back: Acacia Healing Hearts Bracelets

Acacia Creations are a fantastic example of Style That Gives Back. Their vibrantly colored bracelets featured in this next post are not just made from recycled materials – their proceeds directly benefit the artisans and their families. All artists are paid a monthly

salary in addition to a percentage of what they make, allowing all Acacia employees to earn five times the Kenyan national average. The Healing Hearts Collection focuses specifically on child healthcare – the sale of 10 bracelets can provide treatment for a child with malaria and the sale of 20 can cover all childhood immunizations.

Acacia, located in Nairobi, Kenya, has been making their jewelry creations since 2007. They follow Fair Trade practices

and focus on giving directly to families and communities. For each piece of jewelry sold, 15-35% is given back to Kenyan Communities. We’re happy to carry their Healing Hearts Bracelet Collection at our campus bookstores.

These bracelets are the perfect complement to any summer outfit. When paired with an outfit of neutral colors, the bright beads won’t just have you looking good…you’ll feel good too!

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Style that Gives Back: Aluminum and Brass Hollow Earrings by Global Handmade Hope

We’ve returned with another installment of our Style that Gives Back series! We are very excited to spotlight the amazing Fair Trade items available in our campus bookstores and to share the Fair Trade mission with our readers. This week we’re taking a closer look at Aluminum and Brass Hollow Earrings by Global Handmade Hope.

These gorgeous dangling earrings come to us all the way from Kenya, where both male and female artisans are taught work skills through this income generation project. These earrings are beautiful, but where they come from is even more inspiring. The Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya is one of the biggest in the world. The government owns the land – ten percent of the residents own shacks while the rest are tenants with no rights. Extreme poverty permeates throughout most

of the area and often prevents access to clean water, facilities, and electricity. The pounded aluminum and brass earrings provide a source of income for many of the people who reside here. Through this project, the group has been able to relocate to a much safer place along the outer edge of the slum where working conditions have improved immensely.

The trendy patterns and dangling design are upstaged only by the inspiring story behind them. Whether you opt for brass or aluminum, these earrings will catch the eyes – and hearts – of all who see them.

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