One Bead Bracelets Supporting Children’s Education

The sale of these popular glass beads, made in Kenya, have been supporting children’s education from the beginning.

The company’s founder took a trip to Africa while she was in college, and worked at a recycled glass studio in Kenya. The studio’s owner asked her to help create a fundraiser to support a local school in need of a fence along with a number of other facilities. They started making glass beads for her to sell in order to raise money for the school and things took off from there.

All of the jewelry sold by One Bead, features a single glass bead that can be worn as a necklace or bracelet, and sometimes comes with an accompanying charm. The beads are hand-made and imperfect, which means each one is unique. But why “one bead?”

Other than acting as a striking minimalist fashion piece, the choice to have one bead per bracelet is part of the company’s mission statement, “To prove that one student, just like one bead, can be a catalyst for change.” With the purchase of just one bead, anyone can help support leadership building programs and scholarships to support elementary education.

The beads are made “half thick and half thin to symbolize having a lot versus having a little,” a subtle reminder for privilege and a spirit of giving. Since One Bead bracelets support their glass studio and children’s education, it’s a truly feel-good purchase.