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FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

 

Questions about our organization

 

Why are you not a foundation?

We are not a foundation but a for profit organization, because we believe in trade on basis of equality. We work side-by-side with our designers who live in the Acholi Quarter in Kampala. Together we apply our passions, talents and ideas to build on traditional skills with trend and colour information and new product suggestions. In the end we want to sell high quality jewellery that deserves to be on the market given their design, quality and vakmanschap. Of course, by giving the designers a plan to market and sell their products internationally they are able to earn an instant income, and we do use part of the profit to educate our designers and their children… Because we want to really empower people! However it is still all about fair trade and we want to show what kind of amazing jewellery is made in developing countries. Therefore we like to hear from you whenever we can improve or innovate our products and which items are you favourite ones.

 

Does part of the profit of the products support specific projects?

 

Yes, 22STARS believes that to really empower people there is more needed then just a fair price for their products. Therefor we committed ourselves to a long-term relationship with our designers that provide mutual benefits for our business and our designers. A part of the profit is used to educate our designers and their children. David Wafula, Aida Wafula and Moses Barasa are running the project in the Acholi Quarter in Kampala. They rent a room were they come together with the designers and offer them the following activities: Adult Literacy Program, Income Generating Activities, Social Support, and Music, Dance and Drama classes. Read more about our project here.

 

How much of the profit goes to the designers in Uganda?


This depends on how much work each designer had and how many products they made. A fair price ensures that the designers are adequately compensated for the time, labor and material resources invested in making each product. We discussed a fixed price for the necklaces, earrings and bracelets beforehand. The designers receive up to 50 percent in cash advances when an order is placed in order to buy all the materials, and payment in full when an order is shipped. Therefore the designers’ wages are not affected by product markdowns or discounts, because they have already received payment before the products arrived in the Netherlands.

Our ambassadors check that the money is equally distributed amongst our 11 designers and they also check that the work is equally allocated. Furthermore part of the profit goes to our 22STARS project to educate our designers and their children. Verder zitten er in de consumentenprijs ook vele andere kosten verwerkt, zoals BTW (21%), inkomstenbelasting (33 %), de marge voor winkeliers,de webshop, transport en verpakkingskosten en uiteraard een marge voor het bedrijf 22STARS om bijvoorbeeld marketing en communicatie activiteiten te kunnen doen en een nieuwe voorraad aan te schaffen.

Questions about the order

Do you give guaranty on the products?

 

Yes, for us a happy customer is the most important thing, since we want of course that you share the message of 22STARS! Therefore there is a three-month guaranty on all our products, for this the customer should keep the receipt as proof of purchase. In case three months has passed or you lost the receipt, you can still always contact us and we can see whether we can do something to solve the problem.

How long is the delivery time?

 

We try to handle all orders as quickly as possible. Usually the order will be within 2-5 working days in your home. It can happen that something is not in stock or that delivery times are delayed. In that case you will be informed by email or telephone.

Can I return my product?

 

Yes, you have the right to return your product to 22STARS within seven working days after delivery. Returns are accepted if the product packaging and the product are undamaged. The costs for returns are at your own expense. If you want to exchange a product or something went wrong with your order, please contact us via email: info@22stars.com or phone: 0031 613518990 as soon as possible. Then we can correct your order and/or let you know if the product that you want in exchange is in stock.

Please remember that our products are handcrafted from 100 percent recycled paper. They are not painted, but become the color of the paper used. In our beads you can see the finely textured paper coming through. Each item is therefore unique, so color shadings, order of beads, size, length and patterns can vary a bit from the picture shown.

Questions about the products

 

Are the products waterproof?

Yes! The small beads in between the paper beads are made from little glass pearls. All the paper beads are varnished in order to make them shiny, hard and waterproof. Thus you can shower and swim with them! The varnish that is used is Mukisa Blue Varnish, which is a product of Telesat International; it is non-toxic and environmental friendly.

What kind of varnish is used on the products?

The varnish that is used is Mukisa Blue Varnish, which is a product of Telesat International; it is non-toxic and environmental friendly.

From which material are the clasps and earring hooks made?


The hook from the earrings is silver sterling. Most of our necklaces and bracelets don’t have a clasp since they are made from stretchy elastic and if they have a clasp a simple silver one is used, which is indicated in the product description.

How long does it take to make one necklace?

 

Of course this depends on the model, but in general it takes about a week. The women have a design, then buy the right color paper, measure it, cut it and the roll it. Once the beads are rolled they need to be varnished a few times and hang a few days outside to dry. Once the beads are ready, they are strung into jewellery together with different colour glass beads to create beautiful designs.



 

22STARS is located at Kasteelplein 73 in Breda in the Netherlands. Email: info@22stars.com.
Telephone number: 0031 613 518 990. Chamber of Commerce number: 53,768,108. If you have a comment / complaint / suggestion/ feedback, please notify us of this and we will answer your mail as soon as possible. Thank you!