A gift that gives back: THE AKAWELLE NECKLACE to support THE STRONGHEART FELLOWSHIP in Liberia
"The World Breaks Us All, And After, Some Are Stronger In The Broken Places..." Ernest Hemingway
Lovetta Conto is living proof of the truth in Ernest Hemingway's words. This 17 year-old jewelry designer and Strongheart fellow was born in Liberia, West Africa in the midst of a raging civil war. Her father and her were forced to flee their village when she was just a baby and were on the run for 3 years before arriving at the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana. This camp became "home" to Lovetta, along with 47,000 refugees, until she met Cori Stern, the founder of the Strongheart Fellowship, at age 12. The Strongheart Fellowship has been our friend Cori's personal dream - to identify and bring together the "brightest, most resilient young people displaced or orphaned by conflict, who have survived and thrived - despite enormous odds" and provide them with a place to heal, learn and cultivate their individual compassion and power so they can ultimately change their worlds and the world at large. Cori is one of the most inspiring change-makers we know and her vision of creating a Strongheart House is now a reality.
Located in a tiny fishing village in Robertsport, Liberia, the former 10,000 square foot, war ravaged hotel has been transformed and is now home to Lovetta and the other Strongheart fellows. Here they are given the tools, sanctuary, and encouragement to grow into "innovative problem-solvers and leaders that can affect significant social change."
Lovetta, was chosen as the first Strongheart fellow and as part of her fellowship she had to create a project that would help her and the world in some way. She realized it was her dream to become a designer and created the Akawelle Necklace with the help of her mentor, jewelry designer Melinda Raney of Melinda Maria. Lovetta's necklaces are made from the actual shells of bullets fired in Liberia. Even though the war ended in 2003, thousands of casings are still scattered all over Liberia. Lovetta says she, "chose the word "life" to be inscribed into the leaf to remind myself that new life can begin after hardship. It's even possible for new life to arise from something as terrible as war." "Aka" means "also known as" and "welle" means "love." All the proceeds from Lovetta's Akawelle necklace go to the Strongheart House where the money helps Lovetta and the other Strongheart fellows put their dreams into action. Strongheart will be Lovetta's home until she leaves for college...
Please watch this video and listen to Lovetta tell her story: My True Fairy Tale. 
Strongheart is always looking for good volunteers to go to Liberia to teach and work with the kids....The house is also located on the beach with the best surf in West Africa. Why not make your next trip a volunteer vacation?
To purchase your own Akawelle necklace and to learn more about Lovetta and Strongheart, please take a moment to go to the following websites:
