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- Beatrice is a widow, is HIV positive and has a goitre, which makes her neck swell up and painful. In a few months she will be operated on to have it removed. Beatrice emphasizes that being HIV positive does not mean that it is the end. She tells us how thankful she is that she gets free medical treatment and also good psychological counselling, which makes her stronger. Beatrice has been making paper beads since a few years and earns a little bit money by selling them. The problem in Uganda however is, that there are only a handful of customers who buy them at the tourist market. In order to pay her rent, food, school fees and save some money she needs to sell more jewellery. Beatrice is very happy that she can start selling more jewellery through 22STARS
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- Beatrice is a widow, is HIV positive and has a goitre, which makes her neck swell up and painful. In a few months she will be operated on to have it removed. Beatrice emphasizes that being HIV positive does not mean that it is the end. She tells us how thankful she is that she gets free medical treatment and also good psychological counselling, which makes her stronger. Beatrice has been making paper beads since a few years and earns a little bit money by selling them. The problem in Uganda however is, that there are only a handful of customers who buy them at the tourist market. In order to pay her rent, food, school fees and save some money she needs to sell more jewellery. Beatrice is very happy that she can start selling more jewellery through 22STARS
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- Beatrice is a very strong, 44 year old mother of four children with two grandsons. She believes that in believing in God life will be okay and never loses her faith. Like many other women from the Acholi quarter she was displaced by the war in Northern Uganda. The conflict and post conflict situation made her living circumstances very hard, but Beatrice says she has to push on and will never give up on life. Beatrice is a widow, is HIV positive and has a goitre, which makes her neck swell up and painful. In a few months she will be operated on to have it removed. Beatrice emphasizes that being HIV positive does not mean that it is the end. She tells us how thankful she is that she gets free medical treatment and also good psychological counselling, which makes her stronger. Beatrice has been making paper beads since a few years and earns a little bit money by selling them. The problem in Uganda however is, that there are only a handful of customers who buy them at the tourist market. In order to pay her rent, food, school fees and save some money she needs to sell more jewellery. Beatrice is very happy that she can start selling more jewellery through 22STARS.
Our dedicated team of designers are made up by eleven strong women. They support and help each other forming an incredible source of creativity, energy and positive power producing these wonderful pieces of
All our designers live in or close by the Acholi Quarter in Kampala. They have had to overcome many challenges in their lives and are truly inspiring for anyone wanting to realize a dream.
Susan Laker
Our team leader Susan is a passionate person with an incredible sense of humour. She helps the other ladies with the cutting, rolling and vanishing of the beads. She then checks every item to see if it matches her high standards.
Beatrice Anane
Beatrice is a mother of four children and has two grandsons. She is 44 years old with a very strong personality. She believes that with God life will be okay and never loses her faith. Like many other women from the Acholi quarter she was displaced by the war in Northern Uganda. The conflict and post conflict situation have made her living circumstances hard, but Beatrice says she has to push on and will never give up on life.
Mary Onduru
Mary is one of our best designers because of her amazing ideas. She is a very caring woman who not only takes care of her own five children (22, 19, 17, 13 and 11 years old) but also raises three other ones. Mary is a single mom, because her first husband died and divorced her second husband.
Since her parents were internally displaced from North to East Uganda, she never attended school and only speaks Swahili and Lugbara.
Stella Lanyero
Stella is an outgoing 25-year old who has three boys: Emanuel (8), Lawrence (5) and Joel (2). Stella is very grateful that her prayers got answered and that she got the chance to work for 22STARS. She soon will be able to send her children to school and give them a better future. She says that if you don’t hope you will not find what is behind your hopes.
Ayaa Proscovia
Ayaa is a beautiful young woman with a very gentle spirit. She wants to share her story with us, even though it is very difficult, because it helps her to deal with the past and she wants to show other women that no matter how disabled you are and how hard your life has been, there is always a way up. Sadly enough her story is the story many African women share.
Pastor Nagawa Masitula
Pastor Masitula’s strength is truly inspiring. Despite the hardship of giving birth to 13 children of whom only seven survived, she works very hard and has a big smile and heart. Making beautiful jewellery is one of the skills she uses to make herself and others happy. The other skill is singing and dancing in churches, hospitals and at home.
Aida Wafula
Aida Wafula is 38 years old and the beautiful wife of 22STARS ambassador Pastor David Wafula. She is a teacher by profession and has four children: Esther, Vicky, Samantha and Ethan. She loves working with children, women and young people, especially girls. Aida loves helping people and encouraging them.
Scovia Naiguga
Scovia was born in the Jinja district. She lost her parents when she was only 18 years old. She moved to the family of our 22STARS ambassador David Wafula, because she is Aida’s cousin. She is very grateful that they provide her with food and shelter. However, since she has no education, she is totally dependent on them and cannot find a job. Scovia hopes to earn some money soon with the making of paper jewellery, and to learn some skills so she can get a job and finally become independent.
Grace Achan
Grace is a healthy young widow who has six children in the ages of 19, 16, 13, 11, 8, and 2. Her story is typical for many women growing up during the conflict in northern Uganda. In 1990 she had to flee from the war in Gulu to Kampala with her uncle. But life in Kampala turned out to be very tough so they had to return to Gulu. When the war became worse in 1999, they relocated again to Kampala, this time for good.
Atim Scolvia
Atim is a hairdresser in the Acholi Quarter and loves to have colourful strains in her own hair and to make matching jewellery. She is full of energy and crazy creations. Atim dreams of saving some money with the jewellery she sells to buy a bigger hairdryer and improve her business.
She lives with her two children aged 9 and 4 and her mother, who has three more children in the age of 17, 15 and 10.
Beatrice Achayo
Beatrice was born in the Dokolo district in Northern Uganda. At 15 she gave birth to her first child. Three years ago, after, together with her husband, she had three children, she was abandoned by her parents in law. They were misguided in thinking she was suffering from Aids when she started feeling sick. Her husband started ignoring her and she had to leave.