Uncovering the BITS

Those of you who at least sort of know me, know that I am all about the BITS. I could preach the good word about the BITS all day long, and then some. They are my main motivation behind this blog, as well as the inspiration to other aspirations. So, needless to say, I am quite excited about putting together this little ditty on 31 BITS.

The BITS are multifaceted and multicolored. They are made from 100% recycled paper by women in Northern Uganda. The end product is beautiful; a colorful, light-weight, and (might I add) quite fashionable piece of jewelry. Oh, hey!

 

(My photos do not even compare to the crazy-beautiful ones on their website by Trever Hoehne, so check those out if you get a chance. You won't regret it.)

As with other products I've mentioned in this blog, the BITS have depth. If it were just about the beautiful jewelry, that would be enough. But, as it turns out, there is more to it than that. The company was kicked off by a young girl in her twenties who, while on a trip to Uganda, met a group of women. At that time, these women were making paper beads but they lacked a market in which to sell them. With the help of a few friends and a little time, the BITS was born.

They began by selecting a small group of women to make the jewelry in Uganda, which eventually would be sold on the international market. Not only did this provide a steady source of income for these women, it also began their journey of rising above poverty, and becoming educated and empowered through various programs like financial training, English lessons, community groups, and vocational training. Today, there are 115 women being empowered through 31 BITS.

So many people are moved by this story. How could you not be?! It's a program that people support, and it's a product that people love. It doesn't get any better than that. On top of everything, they are having HUGE success. Ferreal. Their location list is growing to a length that I refuse to take the time to count right now, but just believe me when I say: it's big. And it's growing like crazy.

So go get some BITS. Make your soul smile. Change someone's life. And call it a day.