Bella Wish: be the change ~ wrap up africa

limited edition ~be the change~ pendant available in my etsy shop

Somewhere around Christmastime last year I received an email from Letha Sandison. Letha is the founder of Wrap Up Africa, a foundation whose mission it is to provide support and hope for those struggling with cancer in East Africa. Letha's email was sent out to a group of us and outlined a grassroots effort she is spearheading called Chemo for Christmas which you can read more about here.

After reading Letha's email I was deeply moved by her words and wondered what I could do to help. Unfortunately, money is such a struggle for us right now and as much as I wanted to donate to such a worthwhile cause I was saddened that I wouldn't be able to donate anything significant monetary wise - although I do fully understand that every little bit counts when it comes to fundraising goals.

In the weeks that followed, Letha and I exchanged a few emails in which I was inspired by her passion and the weight of what she is setting out to accomplish and I realized that perhaps my contribution could be to support her cause and continue the grassroots vibe for her here.

The best way to help Letha's extraordinary organization is by making a direct donation to Wrap Up Africa here. The tailoring program on the Wrap Up Africa website provides jobs for the cancer patients of Uganda and helps them earn wages to pay for medical expenses, travel, food, etc., and is another wonderful way to help Wrap Up Africa directly. I love all of the skirts available and I also have my eye on these pajama bottoms. Other ways to help are listed here on their website.

After talking with Letha, I was inspired to see if I could help by designing a necklace especially for the Wrap Up Africa: Christmas for Chemo fundraiser.

Today I am excited to finally announce that if you would like to purchase a be the change necklace to benefit Wrap Up Africa, you may do so by visiting my Etsy shop - they are listed under Awareness. I will have them available through March 31st.

I chose the words be the change (a phrase I use regularly on Bella Wish necklaces) to represent Letha who truly is the change she wishes to see in the world. She reminds me that we can all be the change we wish to see whether it's saving lives in Africa or simply being kind to one another.

I chose to stamp the words be the change on a disc in the shape of a circle to symbolize one world bound by endless connection. In the middle of each pendant is a .925 silver artisan crafted embraced heart charm chosen as a reminder of how our hearts are at the center of every decision we make.

I chose lower case letters as a way to represent that words don't need to be shouted at us to be powerful or heard. Each letter represents a single entity (each one of us) that is certainly able to stand alone but when linked with other letters, work together to create a message that is both meaningful and empowering.

You choose if you wish to have your pendant on a 16" 1.1mm sterling cable chain or 1.5mm sterling ball chain.

20% of the purchase of each of these necklaces are being sent directly to Wrap Up Africa. With your help we can help provide care and hope.

I was so excited to hear the excitement radiated back to me from Letha when she saw these necklaces and the realization of how we can all help each other and I am hoping together that we can all create some momentum for her cause.

I truly believe that small changes can create big changes when we all work together.