We introduced Beads for Learning less than a year ago. At that time, there were a total of 4 teachers in the remote bush where we reside. At that time the ratio of student to teachers was 80:1, with a wide range of ages in each classroom.  Today we are thrilled to announce that because of your support of the Beads for Learning Bracelets, we have been able to employ another 5 teachers.  This brings the total to 9 and classroom sizes have been cut in half.

World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5th. We know how important teachers are for the future of our children in Kenya and hope that you will continue to share our program and show your appreciation to all teachers by thanking them for their service.

Click here Beads for Learning to learn more.

Humanity is a quality that connects us.  We show it in times of tragedy and crisis, like the events of  September 11, 2001, when our friends in America suffered a great loss.   We show it when we’re  invited to create change for a brighter future like our mission in Kenya.   We show it in our facebook posts when we share simple thoughts of reflection on a local event.  We are a world community that despite our cultural differences and interesting uniqueness share a common bond, our humanity in time of crisis and need.  And it is during those times, that the bridge of humanity  connects and inspires us to take action.

My husband Philip says there is a lesson to be learned everyday that can be shared with others.  Here are a few of my favorite stories that share a lesson:

How to Thank Kenya for 9/11 Cows

Sometimes a cow can say more than an e-mail.

Fourteen cows were given to the people of the United States this week by members of a Masai tribe who live in a remote village near Kenya’s border with Tanzania. The tribe sent the cows — the most precious gift they can give — to help America recover from the terrorist attacks nearly nine months ago.

It was one of the most unusual and belated gestures of sympathy related to the attacks. Read more…

It is in the Sharing that Joy Dwells

Many people ask me what it is that makes the Maasai so happy, when, as perceived by westerners, they have nothing. My answer is that it’s something that our ancestors knew. Read more…

Do you have an inspiring story to share?

Each season, the Pantone Color Institute, the world-renowned authority on color, forecasts color trends that provide the key color palette for each season’s fashions. “Taking cues from the great masters, sepia tones of old Hollywood, Chinese opera, city scapes and countryside, designers are paying close attention to texture, contrast and color for fall 2011 – pairing menswear with feminine twists, warm prints with cool metals, incorporating both old and new influences, and creating an intriguing balance between colors.”

You are so lucky if you bought some of the Summer Color Trend Collectionbecause the summer’s colors offer a continuity - the pinky-red tone (Honeysuckle as Color of the Year), as well as the golden yellow, orange, lavender and silver cloud – and are still perfect to mix with these new fall shades.

The Fall Color Trend Collection mixes delightfully with  some strands from the Summer Trend Collection, so have fun mixing & matching. You can’t go wrong.