"My name is Eka Makoni, I was born in March 1973, in a family of five children. I got married in 1993 and had 2 children and boy and a girl. My husband passed away in 2000 and I am left to support my children alone with no help from relatives who have their own families to support under the same conditions we live under in Zimbabwe. We lost our home during the Zimbabwe "clean up" operation and were left homeless and unemployed. Mrs Bar offered me and my 2 sisters work making beaded bra straps and gave us a home. It is not easy to survive and our food prices go up daily and I want to send my children to school and the transport prices to get them there keep going up and without this job and support we cannot survive".

"My name is Porta Makumana,  I was born in Zimbabwe in 1984. My father passed away when my mother was 4 months pregnant. She managed to send me to school and I obtained O levels in six subjects. I have applied for training in nursing since 2000 been at home until Mrs Priest offered me the opportunity to be a bead lady. Now I can pay the fees to learn how to cook. I also hope and pray that people like our work with the beads as it will support us and we can earn a living from this wonderful project".

"My name is Cresencia Mulipo, I am a divorced mother of 3. I am finding it very difficult to make ends meet and look after my children of which 2 are in high school and I have so many things to pay for now it is exams. We were left homeless and desperate. I would like to give my sincere gratitude to Mrs Bar and Priest for employing me and accommodating me. But because of high inflation and cost of school fees, food and clothes and accommodation I am struggling to make ends meet. I hope people like the beads enough to buy then as it really does change our lives".

"My name is Mabel, I work for Mrs Bar and Mrs Priest as a bead lady. I started working for her in 2004. I am married with one child, a daughter who is 4 years old. My husband has to live and work in South Africa because there are no jobs in Zimbabwe. We see him 4 times a year. Having this job is wonderful. In July 2005 we lost our houses in which we were living we lost them in an operation that hit our country and we were made homeless in 1 day. This as you can imagine was devastating and stressful. I shared one room with my 2 sisters, aunts, cousins until after a month of sorrow Mrs Bar came to our rescue and offered us a job and accommodation, this was so kind when we in a very difficult situation. I hope you like the beads".