Bead for LifeThe Impact on Ugandan Communities

Seonag Doherty, Mackenna Bowles, & Kelci Reyes-Brannon

Background Uganda is a small African

country (size of Oregon)

Endowed with abundant natural resources, thought to have ability to feed all of Africa if not for political and economic challenges

Corruption Perception Index of 2.4 (transparency int’l)

Among world’s poorest nations and has high population growth rates

Ugandan Economy

Health & Equality

Fair TradeEmpowering workers to receive fair

price & profit for their goods

Bead for Life

Beading Process

Motivation To gain a broader understanding of fair trade

and its effects on Ugandan Artisans through research on a particular organization

To observe the effects free trade can have on women’s rights and empowering women

To determine if Bead for Life directly improves the quality of life for the communities it serves

To better understand how the dissemination of goods but more importantly ideas effect women in Beads for Life communities

Observe and analyze how one specific fair trade organization effects these women in Ugandan communities

Literature Review Beads for Life

World Fair Trade Organization

Dutch Association of Worldshops

International Fair Trade Association

Women’s Health

UNICEF

“Artisans and Fair Trade: Crafting Development” by Litrell and Dickson

Theoretical Background

Factor Endowment Theory

The Heckscher-Ohlin model is based on the theory of comparative advantage

Predicts trade patterns based on the region’s factor endowments

Countries will export products that use their abundant factors of production and import products that use the countries’ scarce factors

Uganda has abundant cheap labor. Exports cash crops and labor intensive goods (such as the Bead for Life jewelry)

Comparative Advantage

Inter-Industry Trade

Analysis 99% of members said life has improved

since they joined BeadforLife

Income of the respondents went from $30-$50 a month before joining BeadforLife, to an average of $227 a month in 2007

Over 90% of members report that their diet, health and housing situations have improved during their membership in BeadforLife

77% of the children who live with the beaders are enrolled in school.Beadforlife evaluation summary

2005

Analysis

Awata Margaret

Analysis These statistics represent a very very small

portion of the overall population Allows for policy upkeep

Artisan work is extremely different from agricultural work Prices Individual

Conclusions Does fair trade contribute to the welfare of the Ugandan

communities involved in Bead for Life?

Does Bead for Life empower the women involved in the program?

How does the money from Bead for Life benefit the Ugandan communities involved? 

Do the organizations create new opportunities for the artisans to develop skills outside of their traditional craft?

How does Bead for Life affect the overall living standard for the artisans?