{"id":6109,"date":"2013-07-23T15:59:54","date_gmt":"2013-07-23T19:59:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/abitcoquettish.wordpress.com\/?p=6109"},"modified":"2015-08-22T21:23:12","modified_gmt":"2015-08-23T01:23:12","slug":"the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/","title":{"rendered":"The Akola Project"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Aside from the social, cultural, and historical aspects that justify the insubordinate amount of time I spend writing about\/indulging in\/spending on fashion, I firmly believe that fashion is one of few things that possess the ability to do good for and by the masses. It&#8217;s not to say fashion isn&#8217;t superficial, because it always will be to a varying degree; fashion just so happens to be a commonality shared by every being \u00a0on this planet. We all need clothing. We all seek beauty (to a varying degree). We all look for social acceptance (again, to a varying degree), and in a world where we&#8217;ve adapted to relying upon first impressions for survival&#8217;s sake, fashion has become everything.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It&#8217;s not easy to rally up a big enough group to stand for or contribute to a good cause. At the risk of sounding pessimistic, people just don&#8217;t have the time or energy to dedicate so much of themselves. The world is becoming increasingly smaller, but we&#8217;re drifting apart from the humanity of it all; apathy and selfishness is to blame, but there&#8217;s also a natural (and understandable) suspicion of just how altruistic a cause really is these days. Unless something directly affects us and the ones we love, the 21st century mindset is built upon the question of whether we can benefit from something: the ideal is giving something and getting something\u2014preferably something more\u2014in return. We all want things, period, and that&#8217;s where fashion comes into play. Giving back by buying something is almost too convenient. We get a physical, material, instant gratification (plus the perk of doing good by the world) versus just this one, intangible (but certainly more spiritually and morally satisfying) feeling that comes with giving. If it takes fashion to get people interested and make the public aware, then it&#8217;s worth all the money in the world. Let consumerism feed our drive to give back, then!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But that&#8217;s just my two cents.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Thus said, I couldn&#8217;t <em>not<\/em> write about\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"www.Akolaproject.org\" target=\"_blank\">The Akola Project<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, a non-profit initiative of the\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theuapo.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ugandan American Partnership Organization<\/a><\/span> (UAPO). At the risk of sounding PR pitch-y, it truly is the epitome of fashion for a cause; The Akola Project is dedicated to uplifting Ugandan women and their communities by creating local partnerships and providing village women with vocational training and income-generating opportunities. Two hundred women are trained to learn how to create marketable, fashionable designs and a variety of handmade crafts (including jewelry making, loom weaving, and sewing), after which the sales equip the women with a monthly income to provide food, medical care, and education for their families. Any additional income is invested into creating small businesses.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The goal behind The Akola Project is simple:\u00a0<strong>create, transform, and empower<\/strong>. These women don&#8217;t just become artisans in their own right: they become financially literate.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">With this non-profit enterprise, the UAPO has has completed a vocational training center in northern Uganda, and is in the process of building a second one in eastern Uganda. The Akola Project has also helped fund a number of current projects on <strong>health and sanitation<\/strong>; <strong>malaria and HIV prevention<\/strong>; <strong>small business training<\/strong>;\u00a0<strong>sustainable agriculture<\/strong>;\u00a0<strong>tribal reconciliation<\/strong>; and\u00a0<strong>village savings and loans<\/strong>. Revenue from the project directly supports the <strong>building and sustaining of vocational training centers<\/strong> and <strong>clean water wells<\/strong>; over 20 wells have been drilled by the UAPO to provide over 40,000 people with clean water.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">It&#8217;s a spend-worthy cause all on its own, but what distinguishes The Akola Project\u2014and more importantly, makes it so successful\u2014are the designs created by these incredible Ugandan women. Not only are the pieces beautiful, but are also a reflection of the local culture.\u00a0Necklace designs are made from<strong> recycled magazines<\/strong> (another plus!); paper beads are hand-rolled by the women, meaning each piece is unique.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I was kindly gifted the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/akolaproject.org\/shop\/jewelry\/necklace\/ethiopian-forestgreen-drape-necklace-323.html\" target=\"_blank\">Ethiopian Drape Necklace in Seafoam<\/a><\/strong>, a truly stunning piece (and work of art!) featuring five strands of handcrafted paper beads and a hand-picked, Ethiopian Coptic pendant.\u00a0It&#8217;s definitely a statement piece. The five strands and large pendant, while bohemian, are unapologetically dramatic. I can see it paired with a strapless maxi dress in either black or a stark white, or better yet, at the beach with the tiniest, Brazilian bikini. I love the seafoam green, it looks beautiful against bronzed skin.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6113\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/the-akola-project-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg?fit=2176%2C2883&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2176,2883\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 4S&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1374318015&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;64&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.05&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"the akola project 3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg?fit=773%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6113 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg?resize=840%2C1113\" alt=\"the akola project 1\" width=\"840\" height=\"1113\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg?w=2176&amp;ssl=1 2176w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg?resize=226%2C300&amp;ssl=1 226w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg?resize=773%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 773w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg?w=1680&amp;ssl=1 1680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-43.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"6114\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/the-akola-project-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-43.jpg?fit=2364%2C3081&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2364,3081\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 4S&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1374318032&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;4.28&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;80&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.05&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"the akola project 4\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-43.jpg?fit=786%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-6114 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-43.jpg?resize=840%2C1095\" alt=\"the akola project 2\" width=\"840\" height=\"1095\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-43.jpg?w=2364&amp;ssl=1 2364w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-43.jpg?resize=230%2C300&amp;ssl=1 230w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-43.jpg?resize=786%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 786w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-43.jpg?w=1680&amp;ssl=1 1680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 840px) 100vw, 840px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Long story short: The Akola Project is a cause worth wearing (and spending for).<\/strong> It&#8217;s a beautiful gift to give\u2014spread awareness, and share the love. I&#8217;ll be buying the collar necklaces for my girlfriends (I&#8217;m eyeing the <a href=\"http:\/\/akolaproject.org\/ethiopian-turquoise-collar-necklace.html\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">turquoise one<\/span><\/a> for myself) and the <a href=\"http:\/\/akolaproject.org\/ethiopian-tan-rosary-necklace.html\" target=\"_blank\">Ethiopian rosaries<\/a> for the men in my life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">. \u00a0 . \u00a0 .<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Shop today! Use the promo code &#8220;NEWLOOK&#8221; for 30% off and tell them I sent you!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><em>For more information, visit <a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.akolaproject.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.akolaproject.com<\/a>. (And to get my <a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;ved=0CC0QFjAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bellabeachwear.com%2F&amp;ei=qvXtUZrINtPK4AOouoCgCQ&amp;usg=AFQjCNHfmY72Z4C0p5n6b0nJc7srS_e14w&amp;sig2=JHtxGj3MFgqNTTXbmPoJ_Q&amp;bvm=bv.49478099,d.dmg\" target=\"_blank\">Brazilian bikini bottom<\/a>, shop Bella Beachwear!)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">xx<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em><span style=\"color: #888888;\">* The necklace was kindly gifted c\/o The Akola Project; in no way has that affected my review or opinion of the product.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Aside from the social, cultural, and historical aspects that justify the insubordinate amount of time I spend writing about\/indulging in\/spending on fashion, I firmly believe that fashion is one of few things that possess the ability to do good for and by the masses. It&#8217;s not to say fashion isn&#8217;t superficial, because it always will be to a varying degree; fashion just so happens to be a commonality shared by every being \u00a0on this planet. We all need clothing. We all seek beauty (to a varying degree). We all look for social acceptance (again, to a varying degree), and in a world where we&#8217;ve adapted to relying upon first impressions for survival&#8217;s sake, fashion has become everything. It&#8217;s not easy to rally up a big enough group to stand for or contribute to a good cause. At the risk of sounding pessimistic, people just don&#8217;t have the time or energy to dedicate so much of themselves. The world is becoming increasingly smaller, but we&#8217;re drifting apart from the humanity of it all; apathy and selfishness is to blame, but there&#8217;s also a natural (and understandable) suspicion of just how altruistic a cause really is these days. Unless something directly affects&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,27,9],"tags":[55,343,845],"class_list":{"0":"post-6109","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-current-affairs","7":"category-philosophy","8":"category-style","9":"tag-accessories","10":"tag-jewelry","11":"tag-spon","12":"entry","13":"has-post-thumbnail"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Akola Project \u2022 A Bit Coquettish<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Akola Project, a non-profit initiative of the Ugandan American Partnership Organization (UAPO). At the risk of sounding PR pitch-y, it truly is ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Akola Project \u2022 A Bit Coquettish\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Akola Project, a non-profit initiative of the Ugandan American Partnership Organization (UAPO). At the risk of sounding PR pitch-y, it truly is ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Soft Sensibilities\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-07-23T19:59:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-08-23T01:23:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kimberly\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@kimberlypearl_\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@abitcoquettish\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kimberly\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kimberly\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ef09d377bd0d3340790b390abd130e67\"},\"headline\":\"The Akola Project\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-07-23T19:59:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-08-23T01:23:12+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":848,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/07\\\/the-akola-project-33.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Accessories\",\"Jewelry\",\"Spon\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Current Affairs\",\"Philosophy\",\"Style\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Akola Project \u2022 A Bit Coquettish\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/07\\\/the-akola-project-33.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-07-23T19:59:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-08-23T01:23:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ef09d377bd0d3340790b390abd130e67\"},\"description\":\"The Akola Project, a non-profit initiative of the Ugandan American Partnership Organization (UAPO). At the risk of sounding PR pitch-y, it truly is ...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/07\\\/the-akola-project-33.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2013\\\/07\\\/the-akola-project-33.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Akola Project\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Soft Sensibilities\",\"description\":\"Now sensible, but a bit coquettish once upon a time.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/ef09d377bd0d3340790b390abd130e67\",\"name\":\"Kimberly\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db317d4a45392722f82c57bbcaae97354cd9bdceb15c977613641b4643aa321a?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db317d4a45392722f82c57bbcaae97354cd9bdceb15c977613641b4643aa321a?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db317d4a45392722f82c57bbcaae97354cd9bdceb15c977613641b4643aa321a?s=96&d=blank&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kimberly\"},\"description\":\"writer + brand strategist\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\",\"https:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/kimberlypearl_\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/kimberlypearl_\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kimberlypearl.co\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/kimberlypearl-92gmail-com\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Akola Project \u2022 A Bit Coquettish","description":"The Akola Project, a non-profit initiative of the Ugandan American Partnership Organization (UAPO). At the risk of sounding PR pitch-y, it truly is ...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Akola Project \u2022 A Bit Coquettish","og_description":"The Akola Project, a non-profit initiative of the Ugandan American Partnership Organization (UAPO). At the risk of sounding PR pitch-y, it truly is ...","og_url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/","og_site_name":"Soft Sensibilities","article_published_time":"2013-07-23T19:59:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-08-23T01:23:12+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Kimberly","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@kimberlypearl_","twitter_site":"@abitcoquettish","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kimberly","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/"},"author":{"name":"Kimberly","@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef09d377bd0d3340790b390abd130e67"},"headline":"The Akola Project","datePublished":"2013-07-23T19:59:54+00:00","dateModified":"2015-08-23T01:23:12+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/"},"wordCount":848,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg","keywords":["Accessories","Jewelry","Spon"],"articleSection":["Current Affairs","Philosophy","Style"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/","url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/","name":"The Akola Project \u2022 A Bit Coquettish","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg","datePublished":"2013-07-23T19:59:54+00:00","dateModified":"2015-08-23T01:23:12+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef09d377bd0d3340790b390abd130e67"},"description":"The Akola Project, a non-profit initiative of the Ugandan American Partnership Organization (UAPO). At the risk of sounding PR pitch-y, it truly is ...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/the-akola-project-33.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-akola-project-fashion-for-a-cause\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Akola Project"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/","name":"Soft Sensibilities","description":"Now sensible, but a bit coquettish once upon a time.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ef09d377bd0d3340790b390abd130e67","name":"Kimberly","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db317d4a45392722f82c57bbcaae97354cd9bdceb15c977613641b4643aa321a?s=96&d=blank&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db317d4a45392722f82c57bbcaae97354cd9bdceb15c977613641b4643aa321a?s=96&d=blank&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db317d4a45392722f82c57bbcaae97354cd9bdceb15c977613641b4643aa321a?s=96&d=blank&r=g","caption":"Kimberly"},"description":"writer + brand strategist","sameAs":["http:\/\/kimberlypearl.co","https:\/\/instagram.com\/kimberlypearl_","https:\/\/x.com\/kimberlypearl_"],"url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/author\/kimberlypearl-92gmail-com\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6xDPX-1Ax","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10,"url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/the-girl-behind-the-blog\/","url_meta":{"origin":6109,"position":0},"title":"The Girl Behind the Blog","author":"Kimberly","date":"4 August 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I suppose introductions are necessary. I used to blog at La Couturier under the guise of anonymity, and am finally (!) ready to shed the pen name. Since I pride myself in being a lady\u00a0and would rather not be rude, I shall abide by the rules of etiquette and properly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Etc.&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Etc.","link":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/category\/life\/etc\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4567,"url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/cr-fashion-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":6109,"position":1},"title":"CR Fashion Book","author":"Kimberly","date":"9 November 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't like using the word genius when it comes to fashion; it seems both trite and undeserving. Shallow, even. But\u00a0CR Fashion Book? Genius. And beautiful. I love a good magazine over coffee once whenever the subscription rolls in, but it's not often I'm completely entranced or blown away. Blame\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Inspiration&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Inspiration","link":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/category\/inspiration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/cr-fashion-book-issue-1-rebirth3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/cr-fashion-book-issue-1-rebirth3.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/cr-fashion-book-issue-1-rebirth3.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/cr-fashion-book-issue-1-rebirth3.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10657,"url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/best-dressed-victorias-secret-fashion-show-2015-after-party\/","url_meta":{"origin":6109,"position":2},"title":"Best Dressed: Victoria&#8217;s Secret Fashion Show 2015 After-Party","author":"Kimberly","date":"11 November 2015","format":false,"excerpt":". \u00a0 . \u00a0 . xx {images via}","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Current Affairs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Current Affairs","link":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/category\/philosophy\/current-affairs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"victorias secret 2015 fashion show gigi hadid backstage pink carpet","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/victorias-secret-2015-fashion-show-gigi-hadid-backstage-pink-carpet.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/victorias-secret-2015-fashion-show-gigi-hadid-backstage-pink-carpet.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/victorias-secret-2015-fashion-show-gigi-hadid-backstage-pink-carpet.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/victorias-secret-2015-fashion-show-gigi-hadid-backstage-pink-carpet.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13205,"url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/tom-ford-spring-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":6109,"position":3},"title":"Tom Ford Spring 2019","author":"Kimberly","date":"12 September 2018","format":false,"excerpt":".\u00a0 \u00a0.\u00a0 \u00a0. xx {images via}","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advice&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advice","link":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/category\/philosophy\/advice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"tom ford runway fashion week spring 2019 1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/tom-ford-runway-fashion-week-spring-2019-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/tom-ford-runway-fashion-week-spring-2019-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/tom-ford-runway-fashion-week-spring-2019-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/tom-ford-runway-fashion-week-spring-2019-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/tom-ford-runway-fashion-week-spring-2019-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/tom-ford-runway-fashion-week-spring-2019-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":81,"url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/fashion-thesis\/","url_meta":{"origin":6109,"position":4},"title":"Fashion: To Infinity (But Not Beyond)","author":"Kimberly","date":"12 September 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Existence and progression is\u00a0cyclical\u00a0(or so theorists and philosophers have proclaimed within the past century or so). If life itself\u00a0should be depicted as something tangible and two-dimensional for our brains to process, it would resemble a circle. Perfectly round, perfectly shaped, perfectly\u00a0perfect\u00a0as the inky black line never ceases in its cyclical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Philosophy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Philosophy","link":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/category\/philosophy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"paris fashion week fall 2008 runway infinity","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/paris-fashion-week-fall-2008-runway-infinity.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/paris-fashion-week-fall-2008-runway-infinity.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/paris-fashion-week-fall-2008-runway-infinity.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/paris-fashion-week-fall-2008-runway-infinity.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1587,"url":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/fashion-is-not-a-betrayal-of-femininity-or-feminism\/","url_meta":{"origin":6109,"position":5},"title":"Fashion is Not a Betrayal of Femininity or Feminism","author":"Kimberly","date":"28 October 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I make claims that I don't\u2014and can't\u2014love fashion. To some extent it's true, but for sake's sake, it's irrelevant. Endorsing and indulging in fashion and beauty is not\u00a0a betrayal of feminism. Those things have been an integral part of our culture. Our history. Why are we taught to be so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Advice&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Advice","link":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/category\/philosophy\/advice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/if-loving-fashion-is-a-crime-we-plead-guilty3.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6109"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9398,"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6109\/revisions\/9398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kimberlypearl.co\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}