Woman to Watch 2010

Beaded Hope is a wonderful non-profit organization that provides education and employment to the women of Mamelodi, South Africa.  Started by  Jennifer Davis, Beaded Hope continues to grow and help more South African women to provide food, vitamins, medicine, and clothing for their families. Many of these families have been impacted by the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS.   Not only is the beaded jewelry hand crafted and unique, but knowing that each purchase helps these women provide basic necessities for their families makes every purchase worthwhile.

You can read more about Beaded Hope on Associated Content.

For our Women to Watch page, I wanted to learn a little bit more about Jennifer and Beaded Hope.  Here's our Q&A:

What is your favorite South African dish?

• Great question, especially since I love to cook! My all time favorite South African dish is called Melk Tert which is a custard-like tart with a hint of cinnamon that is served any time that you have tea. I love that it isn’t just for dessert. If you are having tea then you have an opportunity to have a piece of Melk Tert to go with it. However I have to say that Melk Tert is reserved for the people who can afford it in South Africa and, typically, the ladies that we hire at Beaded Hope have never had even a slice. Click here for the Melk Tert recipe and more.
  

How many times a year do you return to South Africa?

• Minimally I travel to South Africa once a year but the business is growing at a rate now that I am considering going twice a year.

What has been the biggest obstacle for you with staring the Beaded Hope and how did you overcome these? Biggest joy with Beaded Hope?

• The answer to both of these questions is the same: building relationships. The biggest obstacle in developing the business of Beaded Hope has been building the relationships with the ladies in South Africa. “Little” things get in the way, such as: being on 2 different continents, a 6 hour time difference, language barriers, and totally different cultures. It has taken slow, patient effort to overcome these obstacles. But I can honestly say that the relationships between the women in the US and the women in South Africa is now one of mutual friendship, love and respect and this is my greatest joy.

How much time do you spend working on Beaded Hope?  Is it now your full time job?

• Despite the fact that I don’t earn a salary from Beaded Hope I consider it my full-time job. I spend as much time as necessary to keep the business moving forward and growing so that we can continue to bless the ladies in South Africa. At Christmas time, when our sales rise, I can easily work more than 40 hours a week. But during the summer, when sales are a bit slower, I get to slow down and enjoy hanging out with my kids.

How many kids do you have? 

• I have 2 boys, Connor who is 11 and Cole who is 8. My husband Mark and I have been married for nearly 14 years. We live in West Chester, Ohio. 

What is your educational background?

• Don’t laugh when you read this…I received my undergrad degree from Indiana University in Quantitative Business Analysis. That is just a big, fancy way of saying that I majored in business with a concentration in computer sciences. I received my Masters degree from Xavier.

Do you have any unique interests/hobbies that your friends may not even know about?

• Honestly, I think everyone knows all about my hobbies and interests. I am an amateur cook, interior designer, and jewelry designer. I voraciously read anything associated with South Africa and anything else that piques my interest. If there is an adventure to be had then I am typically first in line to sign up. My favorite thing to do is travel and I dream of one day being able to just take off on all kinds of adventures. I love hiking outdoors and go on an annual trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota with my oldest son and several extended family members every summer.

In your spare time (not associated with Beaded Hope), Jennifer can be found………

• enjoying a nice glass of red wine and a book.

If you had visitors coming to Cincinnati what are the top 5 places you’d tell them to visit?

1. The National Underground Railroad Museum is a must.
2. Shanghai Mama’s Thai restaurant in downtown Cincinnati, it’s my husband’s absolute favorite restaurant (I happen to like it too).
3. Jungle Jim’s because I love trying new ingredients, foods and wines and you’re sure to find something new at Jungle Jim’s.
4. Rowe Woods Nature Center in Milford is one of my favorite places in Cincinnati to hike, the trails are so beautiful.
5. Go to a Reds game. My boys live and breathe baseball so a Reds baseball game would be a required stop.

What 5 things would you recommend someone do if they are visiting South Africa?

1. The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg is a must.
2. No trip to South Africa is complete without a safari at Kruger National Game Park.
3. For authentic local shopping for beadwork and artifacts you have to go to the open air market at the Pretoria Zoo (now my secret is out).
4.  If you can’t actually spend some time in a township in South Africa then I would suggest a tour of Soweto. Learning even a little bit about the lives of people in the townships is very moving.
5. Normally I don’t suggest something “touristy” but I have to say that getting your picture taken with a lion at the Lion Park South Africa just outside of the Pilanesberg Game Park is way cool.

What suggestions do you have for newbies visiting South Africa?

• My approach to travel is to do what the locals do and this would be my advice to anyone traveling to South Africa for the first time. There is so much more to see and do than what is contained in the travel brochures. Get off the beaten path, meet the local people, eat what they eat and just step into an entirely different culture. It’s a wonderful way to experience South Africa. Click here for some travel tips to South Africa.

What do you love most about Cincinnati?

• I love the sense of community that we’ve been able to develop in Cincinnati. My husband and I both grew up outside of Cincinnati and it’s really important to us to develop a community where we live. Cincinnati has been a great (and easy!) place to do this.

What do you love most about Mamelodi?

• This is a tough question because, despite all the challenges in Mamelodi, there is so much to love. If I had to pick only one thing I would say: joy. The level of pure joy that people in Mamelodi have is very humbling. They are a group of people that has been hit hard by poverty, disease and suffering and yet they continually teach me what it means to be joyful.

Beaded Hope
The Child Wellness Center
P.O. Box 54770
Cincinnati, Ohio 45254
Ph: (513) 943-1900
Fax: (513) 943-1904
http://www.beadedhope.com
www.facebook.com/beadedhope
www.twitter.com/beadedhope