As part of the connection to the making of these beads, women in a rural village in Kenya, informally have transfered the concept from one place to another. The transfer has been to other women in the village who have other businesses and also to homes, to schools through children and peers.
We visited some of the women who are running this business and had an opportunity to visit two homes that are making loose beads to sell to the 'core group of that village in Kenya'. Some of the key changes we heard in the homes as a result of this bead making have been..
1) Children when they come back from school, they work hard to roll enough beads so that they can make money to be self-reliant to purchase their own books.
2) Child headed households, making choices and learning on what is a priority on spending the money after they sell the beads. Three small beads are sold at ksh.1 Young families that are involved in this loose beads making are finding ways to secure their future and influencing other neighbours to be more proactive in eradicating poverty. As they sit together each evening to make the beads, they are able to talk about the day, and other reflections which never happened before.
3) As these women get together, they talk to each other on how to take care of children, references on where to get medication if one of them is sick; they visit each other, they strengthen each other by being 'present together'. They are educating their children and contributing to their families.
4) Young people are finding confidence in themselves that they can also do it.
5) Other women who have other businesses, instead of gossiping or lingering around waiting for customers, have indulged themselves too in making the beads to supplement their income. The relationships in the villages and community are being strengthened as people talk together.
6) Husbands of some of the women are determined to find the raw materias in the city; and support their wives who are making and selling these Dorcus beads products. The change in the homes is profound and shows how a family stands together when 'change' is evident.
