Our artisans-in-training are so grateful for employment, they named our organization meaning "work" in their native tongue.
A " kola,"
Some of our Artisans-in-Training with Lead Designer, Sarah Contrucci, and Akola Founder and President, Brittany Merrill Underwood 2 AkolaProject.org
Lookbook Photoshoot Location: Uganda Photographer: Ashley Turner, www.ashley-turner.com
accessories to empowerment Akola Project's sustainable model empowers women to transform the physical and spiritual livelihoods of their families and communities through vocational training and income-generating opportunities.
Building vocational centers in rural villages in Eastern and Northern Uganda to offer women new opportunities.
Under-educated women receive training in jewelry making, loom weaving and block printing.
Through their savings groups, women are taught to invest in business initiatives to generate a sustainable income for years to come.
Employment enables the women to provide for their families' basic needs and future business endeavors. Through monthly income generated by the Project, mothers are able to afford school fees for their children.
The Project provides financial education courses and facilitates village savings and loans associations for all Akola groups.
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Ethiopian Metal C O L L E C T I O N S
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Omukisa Earrings, Brass $42.00 (Pictured small; also available in large) Sheba Necklace $108.00 Abacus Necklace, $142.00 Addis, Eggshell/Nickel $74.00 Addis, Eggshell/Brass $74.00
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Pinstripe Clutch, Khaki $74.00 Omukisa Earrings, Brass $42.00 (Pictured small; also available in large) Abacus Necklace, Eggshell/Gold $142.00 Harmony Necklace, Eggshell/Brass $172.00 AkolaProject.org 7
Addis, Onyx/Nickel $74.00
Antique Necklace, Onyx $250.00 Omukisa Earrings, Nickel $42.00 (Pictured small; also available in large)
Miyatek Earrings, Nickel, $42.00
(Pictured small; also available in large)
Halo Necklace, Nickel $125.00 Herringbone Clutch, Onyx, Small $74.00 (Also available in large)
Ethiopian Charm Clutch $98.00 Tether Necklace , Nickel $88.00 Amito Earrings, Nickel $32.00
Harmony Necklace, Nickel $164.00 Addis, Eggshell/Nickel $74.00
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Harmony Necklace, Nickel $164.00 Halo Necklace, Nickel $125.00 Addis, Onyx/Nickel $74.00
Silvers AkolaProject.org 9
Harmony Necklace, Eggshell/Brass $172.00 Harmony Necklace, Onyx/Brass $172.00 Harmony Necklace, Turquoise/Nickel $172.00
Omukisa Earrings, Brass $48.00 (Pictured large; also available in small) Harmony Necklace, Brass $164.00 Halo Necklace, Brass $125.00 Addis, Eggshell/Brass $74.00
Gold metals 10 AkolaProject.org
Tether Necklace, Brass $88.00
Halo Necklace, Brass $125.00
Addis, Eggshell/Brass $74.00
Addis, Onyx/Brass $74.00
Addis, Turquoise/Brass $74.00
Addis, Purple/Brass $74.00
Addis, Indigo/Brass $74.00
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Harmony Necklace, Nickel $164.00 Addis, Onyx/Nickel $74.00
Tether Necklace, Nickel $88.00
Halo Necklace, Nickel $125.00
Addis, Eggshell/Nickel $74.00
Addis, Turquoise/Nickel $74.00
Addis, Onyx/Nickel $74.00
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Addis, Purple/Nickel $74.00
Addis, Indigo/Nickel $74.00
Silvermetals AkolaProject.org 13
Harmony Necklace, Brass $164.00 Harmony Necklace, Nickel $164.00
Harmony Necklace, Brass $164.00 Sheba Necklace, Brass $108.00 Halo Necklace, Brass $125.00
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Addis, White/Brass $74.00 Tether Necklace, Brass $88.00 Halo Necklace, Brass $125.00
Harmony Necklace, Brass $164.00
Amito Earrings, Brass $32.00
Sheba Necklace, Brass $108.00
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Antique Necklace, Teal $250.00
Harmony Necklace, Turquoise/Nickel $172.00 Addis, Turquoise/Nickel $74.00
Tether Necklace, Nickel $88.00
Amito Earrings, Nickel $32.00
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Harmony, Necklace Turquoise/Nickel $172.00 Tether Necklace, Nickel $88.00
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Akola development projects the vision
Akola Project is a non-profit social business that offers women new opportunities through vocational training, education programs, employment opportunities, savings and loans associations and support groups to empower and develop confident and motivated women with the capacity to transform their communities.
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1400 empowered
100%
We proudly provide more than an income by putting of net sales revenue and donations toward community development initiatives throughout Uganda:
Drilled 23 clean water wells
Constructed two vocational training centers in Eastern & Northern Uganda
Built an orphanage home for 180 street children
Provide holistic development for our artisans-in-training through various programs such as: malaria prevention, family budgeting courses, and subsidized water filters
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Miyatek Earrings, Nickel $48.00 (Pictured large; also available in small) Antique Necklace, Caramel $250.00 Harmony Necklace, Brass $164.00 20 AkolaProject.org
Stripe Clutch, Taupe $62.00
Antique Necklace, Caramel $250.00
Stripe Clutch, Chestnut, Small $74.00
Antique Necklace, Royal $250.00
Stripe Clutch, Teal, Small $74.00
Antique Necklace, Teal $250.00
Antique Necklace, Onyx $250.00 AkolaProject.org 21
Herringbone Clutch, Brick, Large $84.00
Herringbone Clutch, Onyx, Large $84.00
Herringbone Clutch, Brick, Small $74.00
Herringbone Clutch, Onyx, Small $74.00
Stripe Clutch, Taupe $62.00
Stripe Clutch, Mint $74.00
Lotus Stripe Clutch $78.00 22 AkolaProject.org
Pinstripe Clutch, Khaki $74.00
Inside Palm Mat Clutches
Pinstripe Clutch, Black $74.00
Clutches
Herringbone Clutch, Brick, Large $84.00 Pinstripe Clutch, Khaki $74.00 Addis, White/Brass $74.00 Addis, White/Nickel $74.00 AkolaProject.org 23
Harmony Necklace, Eggshell/Brass $172.00 Addis, Black Onyx/Brass $74.00
Clutches continued
Tether Necklace, Nickel $88.00
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Natural Clutch $84.00
Ethiopian Charm Clutch, Small $98.00
Natural Clutch $84.00
Stripe Clutch, Teal, Small $74.00
Stripe Clutch, Teal, Large $84.00
Stripe Clutch, Chestnut, Large $84.00
Stripe Clutch, Chestnut, Small $74.00
Inside Soft Pouch Clutches
Stripe Pouch, Mint $96.00
Herringbone Stripe Pouch, Brick $96.00
Unfolded View of Soft Pouch Clutches AkolaProject.org 25
behind the designs
Paper beads are the material that inspired the original Akola Project collections. Akola Project women's groups in Ugandan villages sell us their hand-rolled, varnished paper beads in specified solid colors for fair wages and our assembly teams incorporate the complementary materials to construct our jewelry designs.
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Some of our designs incorporate paper beads made from recycled magazine and newspaper pages and posters. These colorful beads are each one-of-a-kind, and we strand them together in complementary tones to create bold, eclectic bracelets and necklaces.
We source a variety of metal beads, charms, and Coptic cross pendants from markets in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Base metals of these materials are often made from melted bullet casings, which are then plated with nickel or brass for a polished finish. Ethiopian village artisans hand cast these metal accents, a tradition that has been passed down for centuries and through generations. Coptic cross pendant motifs represent ancient churches, kings and cities from around the country, which portray Ethiopia's rich history, along with its faith traditions and artisanal skills.
our materials
We prioritize the use of quality, indigenous materials to create unique and marketable products. Ugandan artisans offer many beautiful and creative materials, and others are found surrounding countries, such as Kenya and Ethiopia. We use materials sourced mostly from Eastern Africa, although certain design elements are imported elsewhere.
Members of the Akola Project's Konye Keni Women's Group in Pajule, Northern Uganda, weave together strips of dried palm leaves then connect them to create a mat material for use as the lining and structural material in our clutch designs. This complex process is done by hand and involves weaving with up to 16 palm leaf strips at one time. The Konye Keni women receive fair wages for their palm mat products, which they make at the Akola Project's vocational center in Northern Uganda, an area that has survived 25 years of civil war and conflict, now seeking to reestablish a viable economy.
Raffia grass is an easily accessible, organic material sold in local Ugandan markets. This long, dried grass is used in a variety of traditional Ugandan products because of its propensity for dying and weaving. Our weavers split the raffia to make it thinner and softer, then they combine it with cotton yarns to create a special texture and look for the exterior fabric of our clutch collection designs.
Our weavers in Jinja, Uganda, create patterned textiles for our fashion and home goods collections, using looms handmade by weaving trainer Kaduli Martin, and a rainbow variety of cotton yarns imported from Rwanda and Kenya. This is a meticulous process, so each piece is high-quality and very detailed. One Akola woman weaves approximately 1.5 yards of fabric in a day, which is enough to make about three clutch bags.
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Paper Bead
C O L L E C T I O N S
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Solid Color Bead $92.00 Recycled Bead $98.00
Demi
Solid Color Bead $32.00 Recycled Bead $32.00
Solid Color Bead $76.00 Recycled Bead $80.00 30 AkolaProject.org
Solid Color Bead $82.00 Recycled Bead $82.00
Moss
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Collar Necklace, Moss $76.00 Harmony Necklace, Brass $164.00
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Demi Necklace, Caramel Recycled $82.00
Drape Necklace, Moss $92.00
Coptic Necklace, Caramel Recycled $32.00
Collar Necklace, Caramel $76.00
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Cobalt Recycled Coptic Necklace $32.00 Collar Necklace $80.00
Drape Necklace $98.00 Demi Necklace $82.00
Eggshell Recycled Coptic Necklace $32.00 Collar Necklace $80.00
Drape Necklace $98.00 Demi Necklace $82.00
Caramel Recycled Coptic Necklace $32.00 Collar Necklace $80.00
Drape Necklace $98.00 Demi Necklace $82.00
Collar Necklace, Recycled Cobalt $80.00
Recycled AkolaProject.org 35
Blue Tone
Demi Necklace, Teal $82.00
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Stripe Clutch, Mint $62.00
Coptic Necklace, Eggshell $32.00
Drape Necklace, Cobalt Recycled $98.00
Lotus Stripe Clutch $78.00
Drape Necklace, Teal $92.00
Demi Necklace, Mint $82.00
Collar Necklace, Cobalt $76.00
Collar Necklace, Caramel Recycled $80.00
Coptic Necklace, Eggshell Recycled $32.00
Stripe Clutch, Teal, Large $84.00
Drape Necklace, Jade $92.00
Stripe Clutch, Teal, Small $74.00 AkolaProject.org 37
Earrings Omukisa, Brass $32.00 (Pictured small, also available in large) Addis, Turquoise/Brass $74.00 Halo Necklace, Brass $125.00 38 AkolaProject.org
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akola project has New ways for you to get involved
You can now join our team of empowering women by hosting a trunk show! We make it fun and easy - you invite your friends & family, we send you a box full of goodies to share our story & jewelry.
"Hosting a trunk show is such a fun way to introduce my friends & family to the mission of Akola! The stories of the artisans-in-training are so inspiring, and the gorgeous jewelry sells itself!" -Lydia Peterson
akolaproject.org/hostatrunkshow