In honor of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, members of the UF chapter of the international nonprofit group One will sell BeadforLife jewelry on the Plaza of the Americas from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m Wednesday.
The jewelry, made from recycled magazines by the women of Uganda, will range from $5 to $30 depending on the style.
All profits from the sales of the necklaces, bracelets, earrings, jewelry bags and more will be sent directly to the women and children of Uganda. While some of the money will be directed toward education and shelter, a portion of that money will be put toward health care and HIV testing for children.
Since April, members have collected more than 500 signatures on the petition to increase funding for those diseases so that no child would be born with AIDS by 2015, according to Domonique Worship, UF chapter president.
Noelle Sullivan, an instructor for the Human Sexuality and Culture course at UF who has traveled to Africa, said that although global funding is important in the fight against AIDS, the real challenge is making the monetary donations effective.
“We have this idea that we want to fix everything,” Sullivan said. “And it’s a lofty goal, but a good one.”
While she acknowledges that there is still much more work to be done, Sullivan believes that more education can change the way people perceive the disease.
