As Valentine’s Day approaches, the idea of sending love from afar is catching on, and the Boston University World Affairs Forum is looking to send affection all the way to Africa. The group is selling beaded necklaces made by Ugandan women in the George Sherman Union to raise funds and awareness about the women’s plight.
“From BU to Uganda with Love” is part of Voices for Global Change’s Paper to Pearls program, BUWAF President Marlene Riquelme said. Paper to Pearls gives women in northern Uganda refugee camps the opportunity to make money by turning paper into necklace beads.
“When I got an email about Paper to Pearls last semester it sounded like a great idea and I liked that 85 percent of the profits go right back to the women who make the necklaces,” Riquelme said. “The women use the money to pay for nourishing food, medicine, school supplies and their micro-business.”
BUWAF attempts to bring international news and crises to campus in ways that connect with people on a personal level, and Paper to Pearls was one opportunity to do that, Riquelme said. Awareness of the Ugandan struggle is minimal at BU, she said.
“The Ugandan struggle needs to be publicized more, because a lot of countries in Africa are in war or recovering from war and most people hear about Darfur, but not Uganda,” Riquelme said. “Uganda is one of many places people can make an impact and if they know what’s going on I really believe they have the hearts to help.”
The Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army, a rebel group led by Joseph Kony to establish a theocratic state in the country, has forced millions of civilians to flee for safety in refugee camps in northern Uganda over the past 21 years — making for the longest ongoing African war, according to the VFGC website.
VFGC President Barbara Moller said the refugee camps in northern Uganda are currently home to approximately 1.4 million people, and 84 percent of the women in the camps lack educational opportunities. As a result, they use the money they earn from bead-making to pay for their children’s education.
“School fees, which include uniforms and textbooks, are a big thing in Africa,” Moller said. “You also need to pay for secondary education in Uganda, so the women being able to pay for their children’s additional education is important.”
College of General Studies sophomore Kelyn Rodriguez, a necklace vendor, said BU Resolve Uganda and the CGS Student Government are also selling the necklaces, which range from $10 to $20 and have sold well in the first two days of this week. Rodriguez said she thinks students should actively bring Ugandan issues to the U.S. government’s attention.
“The conflict in Uganda is important, because the turmoil it is causing is going to have a domino effect in other African countries,” Rodriguez said. “It would be great if students wrote to their representatives and senators.”