1. Is "Pearls for Girls" (P4G) part of "Help Lesotho"?

P4G works in collaboration with Help Lesotho (HL) to offer leadership development opportunities for girls and young women in Lesotho and in developed countries.  Information on P4G can be found on HL’s site (www.helplesotho.ca) under “Projects”.  Then scroll down to the third heading which introduces you to the Leadership Development initiatives of Help Lesotho.  There is a link there to further information on “Pearls for Girls”.

2. Is P4G a registered charity?  Is there a Board of Directors?

“Pearls for Girls” is not a registered charity and does not have a formal Board of Directors.  It is a leadership and fundraising initiative that collaborates with “Help Lesotho”, which is a registered charity and does have a Board of Directors.

A Board Member of “Help Lesotho’s Board of Directors works closely with P4G along with other individuals who act as advisors. The staff of “Help Lesotho” and talk and meet with me on a regular basis.  If Pearls for Girls” becomes a registered charity or not-for-profit organization, sometime in the future, an Advisory Board will be created. 

“Pearls for Girls” is registered in Ontario as a sole ownership business. As the idea for P4G was developing I worked with a woman in the United States who helped me get started and with a friend of hers created the wonderful “Pearls for Girls” logo.  We spent many hours looking at options for structures and what it took to become a not-for-profit organization.  After much discussioin, we decided that we needed to see if the idea really had “legs” before investing the money and time into creating a charity or not-for-profit organization.  So to get started, I used my own money to purchase the pearls and other materials required to make the bracelets, paid for a web address and hosting for a web site, and have been working approximately two days and sometimes three days a week developing “Pearls for Girls”, networking and building awareness, reaching out to potential volunteers, meeting with interested young women, helping girls get started with their first Pearl Bees, filling orders, and promoting the goals of Pearls for Girls.

3. Where do the pearls come from?

The pearls are all freshwater cultured pearls and come from China.  I go to China, once or twice each year, to work on environment projects and when I am in Beijing I visit Ken, a jeweler from whom I have been buying pearl jewelry for the past six years.  He has a small shop in the well known Hongqiao Market.  I trust him and know that his pearls are of good quality. People from the Embassies in Beijing and the airlines often come to his shop for pearls.  In Canada, jewelers have assessed the pearls that Ken sends for “Pearls for Girls” and they have confirmed their quality.

4. What is the goal of “Pearls for Girls”?

One goal is for girls in developed countries to acquire leadership experience as “citizens of the world”.  They learn about their values as a leader, what it is like to live in another part of the world and struggle, and they learn that they can do something to help.  Through “Pearl Bees” girls, and sometimes boys, make the signature pearl bracelets and then create events where they can sell them to raise money.  These funds will go to support leadership development programs for the orphaned and vulnerable girls and young women in Lesotho.

Girls and young women in both developing and developed countries now have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, collaborate with others, and make a contribution to the future health of their community and their country.

5. How can I get involved with Pearls for Girls?

If an individual or a group wants to have a “Pearl Bee” to make pearl bracelets, learn about the lives of the girls of rural Lesotho and raise funds to help them grow as leaders who can also make a difference, they can write to pearl@pearls4girls.org to register their interest.   Organizing a Pearl Bee is fun and can take place at a school, community centre, or at home.  It is best to have a group of interested participants who are willing to give three or more hours to work together making the bracelets.  One person needs to take the lead for organizing the “Bee”.  The same girl or a group of girls can created the opportunities for selling the bracelets.

The pearls, spacers, and other supplies can be sourced through pear@pearls4girls.org.  There is a cost for the pearls and materials so it is best that a teacher, parent, or community leader is involved with the “Pearl Bees” and the sales events.

6. Can the funds raised through P4G be used to support local needs?

If P4G groups have a leadership education initiative that benefits teenage girls who are in need, then the money raised from the sale of the bracelets could also be put to work both locally and globally.  If you have a proposal for a local initiative, please contact pearl@pearls4girls.org.