Friends in Need

Rafiki sales are a great way to show love and support others miles away.

Bracelets+like+these+show+the+Me+to+We+concept+that+rafikis+are+all+about.

Mr Shay

Bracelets like these show the Me to We concept that rafiki’s are all about.

Ava Langpap, Photojournalist

Travis Ranch’s WE Club is doing its annual Rafiki fundraiser. The purpose of selling these colorful, handmade pieces of jewelry is to empower women in Kenya and to aid them in earning money to send their children to school. The term “rafiki”, in swahili means, “friend”, or, a person who gives assistance.The $5 or $10 spent goes to your WE VILLAGES fundraising project.

“I’m almost never without a rafiki around my wrist. It looks cool, reminds me to live my life with a sense of gratitude, and is a symbol of the power we all have in our wallets,” said the WE Club founder, Craig Kielburger,

The rafiki’s true motive reaches much deeper that just looking fashionable(even if they are). Every moment one spends looking down at their wrist, they are reminded that we can make a difference, and it doesn’t take much to do this, and meanwhile, change someone’s life for the better.

 

“I’m almost never without a rafiki around my wrist. It looks cool, reminds me to live my life with a sense of gratitude, and is a symbol of the power we all have in our wallets”

– We Club founder, Craig Kielburger

When you buy a Rafiki bracelet ME to WE provides a life-changing gift, like school supplies or medicine, for an individual in development communities. Each chain has a “Track Your Impact“ code. The person who receives a Rafiki—or any of our ME to WE products—enters that code online, and can see the specific benefit, such as clean water, their gift gives back, as well as the country, and village where that impact will be made. The online information also provides a sense of the individual (a woman or child) who will benefit from the act. Today, more than 1,400 women craft necklaces, earrings and other jewelry at daily gatherings in public spaces, or each other’s homes. The beaded chains are a needed reminder of the solidarity among women and girls around the world. They represent a lifetime of opportunity for people in Kenya.