# School-Supportive Jewelry SOMO Reinvests Profits Toward Education Fees in Uganda By Andrew Robertson | Published 2012-04-16 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/somo References: [getmilkshake](http://www.getmilkshake.com/beads_of_change) & [somobeads](https://www.somobeads.com/) SOMO is a company dedicated towards generating funds for children's school fees in Gulu, Uganda. The Acholi women are incredibly talented artisans and create a variety of [beads and necklaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pretty-weird) out of upcycled paper products which SOMO then purchases on a consistent basis and then markets them to a Western audience. The profits from the sales are reinvested into the education of rising generations in Africa and beyond. With school fees around $150 a year per child, mother's without security are unable to provide the money to allow their children to have an education. The social business provides Acholi women with a consistent and dependable wage while also ensuring that profits continue to [fund school fees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aldi-backtoschool-fund). As their website confirms, SOMO is "incorporating fashion and function with passion and purpose." **Contact Information** SOMO [website](https://www.somobeads.com/) SOMO on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/somobeads) SOMO on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/#!/SocialSOMO) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.4/10 - Popularity: 52% | Activity: 41% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 10% men, 90% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Social Business:** SOMO's model of generating funds for children's school fees through the sale of jewelry highlights the potential of social business to address educational barriers. - **Upcycled Fashion:** SOMO's use of upcycled paper products to create beads and necklaces showcases the trend of sustainable fashion and upcycling materials. - **Purpose-driven Marketing:** SOMO's marketing strategy of targeting a Western audience with a focus on the purpose and social impact of their products exemplifies the trend of purpose-driven marketing. ### Where This Applies - **Fashion:** SOMO's jewelry business operates within the fashion industry, with a unique focus on sustainability and social impact. - **Education:** SOMO's innovative approach to generating funds for school fees highlights opportunities for disruptive innovation within the education industry. - **Artisan Crafts:** SOMO's collaboration with Acholi women artisans showcases the potential for disruptive innovation within the artisan crafts industry by incorporating sustainable materials and social impact. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Regionally Handcrafted Jewelry Lines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/handcrafted-jewelrys.md) - [Sustainably Handcrafted Bag Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-tote-of-hope.md) - [Social Good Chocolate Products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kabalagala-clusters.md) - [Purpose-Driven Winery Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bottles-for-better.md) - [Handmade Ghanaian Rugs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/little-proba.md) - [Affordable Uniform Exchanges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oxfam-1.md) - [Culturally Rooted Schools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/african-flow-school.md) - [At-Risk Youth-Targeted Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pacific-links-foundation.md) - [Charitable Jewelry Launches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/anne-sportun-x-the-love-club.md)