Last Christmas, my sweet little cousin Lucie gave me a brightly colored, beaded bracelet with matching earrings.The earrings were hanging on a jewelry tree, and the entire gift was captivating. No wrapping necessary, just Lucie’s smiling face holding a tree adorned with this unique beaded jewelry. It was so beautiful, so organic and very special. I would soon realize that the pieces of jewelry had so much more meaning to them than met my eyes. My Aunt’s purchase of the jewelry, on behalf of little Lucie, gave back in more ways than one. A portion of the profits went to a charming non-profit called BULA. I’d also eventually meet its founder, Melissa Fricke, an inspiring young woman whom I now call my friend.

BULA (Better Understanding Life in Africa) secures brighter futures for African children living in poverty. Melissa and her organization build educational facilities and improve materials and training, with the ultimate goal of creating more opportunities for the children. Since its inception, BULA has successfully completed the construction of St. Kizito Primary School in Uganda, and it continues to support the school with structural and material needs. The BULA team is already well underway with its next project, a school located just a few kilometers away from the first project. The plans are currently being developed by Tom Harrison and a team of students at London Metropolitan University.

BULA has been Melissa’s baby from the get-go, and the young gal’s accomplished quite a lot for her age. She just turned 26! Melissa conceived the idea while she was working as a volunteer in an orphanage in Uganda shortly after college graduation. One day, Melissa walked past what seemed to be an abandoned building held together with scraps of wood and a leaky roof. The dirt floors turned muddy when it rained and there was no running water, electricity, windows or doors. Melissa later found out that it was the local school.

Ugandan schools aren’t rebuilt in a day, though, and Melissa, along with her supportive family and friends, have worked tirelessly over the past few years to raise enough money to fund these projects and bring her idea to fruition. I’m not talking about gala and black-tie fundraisers in Manhattan, by the way. I’m talking about really cool grassroots, community-focused fund-raising in Melissa’s hometown of Bayport-Blue Point, Long Island. BULA’s past fundraisers include backyard cocktail parties, 5K benefit runs at the Blue Point Brewery, cookbook sales, yard sales and even dodgeball tournaments.

When you speak with Melissa, she’s quick to attribute BULA’s success to her loyal and loving supporters. Her graciousness and her warmth are disarming, and when you meet her, you know that she’s the sort of person you want to befriend and help.Now, just like Lucie, you can help BULA continue to better the lives of impoverished children in Uganda and give a meaningful gift to a loved one. BULA has teamed up with Ki Kati, a fair-trade, recycled- bag and paper-bead jewelry company made by industrious Ugandan women. With every purchase on BULA’s site, 30 percent of sales go right back to BULA.

(source: www.eco-chic.com)