BKG Story

Monday, February 9, 2015

More.. http://bridgetoafrica.org/2015/02/08/yes-sir-yes-sir-three-bags-full/

Powered by: BKGjewelry

Hereith walks out her front gate with a new hairdo of complex woven braids wearing a classy outfit with matching patent leather ballet shoes and purse. She climbs into the safari vehicle. I notice a new set of bling on her. She has searched the donated jewellery bags for matching necklace, earrings and bracelet. A black ensemble today. She is generating leads for her jewellery sales.
We are off to visit the projects. It is a field day on the dusty and rough back roads of the Sango district. Hereith feels she is dressed perfectly for the day.
In contract, we Canadians wear outfits more inline with a camping trip complete with way too many pockets over a lot of khaki and muted tones. We like to blend in with the goats (why?).
Prior to our departure from Canada, Herieth sent a text to wish us a safe journey and remind us not to forget the jewellery! Before we arrived, she was getting phone calls asking about the arrival of the fashionable new items from Canada.
The large ziplock bags of used bracelets, earrings and necklaces made up over 125 pounds of our luggage limit, not soon forgotten for its weight alone. Three suitcases meticulously weighted and packed to ensure we maximized our limits in each. Noaka, the Air Canada rep at YVR could not find anywhere on the computer screen where we would have to pay for the two extra checked bags so off they went for free. She didn’t look very hard. Yeah, Noaka! Checked through to Kilimanjaro International.
On our first day in Tanzania, Herieth arrived at the house in Moshi…she said it was to greet us yet those three suitcases were loaded pretty quickly into her car. She needed to get home and start the sorting. The phone calls from customers were intensifying.
For the next several weeks, the used costume jewelry will be presented to discerning buyers in private ‘trunk’ sales all across the city. Hereith finding new favourites each day. She matches them to her wardrobe then sells the set to anyone who compliments her on the bling. Moshi’s own jewellery model.
It is estimated that the jewelry will bring in anywhere from 500,000 to 900,000 Tsh. That is some serious cash for recycled jewels…$350 to $600 for the project.

Keep it coming everyone, if you or anyone you know has some used costume jewellery we will gladly take it for the project. Merle Norman Cosmetics and Day Spa on 11th or 5^th Dimension Hair on Dogwood Street in Campbell River will take it in for me. If you are out of town, save it up as I pass by your house. We have another year to fill those bags!