All jewelry is handmade by Zulu women in an income generation project in South Africa. The pieces are modern versions of traditional Zulu and Xhosa jewelry. Tanda Zulu pays the women in Zulu Beadwork well above "street prices" for their work in an effort to truly uplift them and their families.

Approximately 1 in 3 South African adults are unemployed. The Zulu Beadwork Project helps to empower women by providing them with jobs and paying them a very fair wage. The women make the jewelry in their homes, allowing them to care for children as they work. Employment is a vital tool in the prevention of HIV/AIDS because it disuades women from engaging in risky behavior for money and empowers them as individuals.

21.5% South African adults and 38.8% Swazi adults are HIV positive, leaving millions of orphans. 1 in 3 South African children could be orphaned by 2015.

There is very little official support for these orphans- most rely on the charity of neighbors or small organizations. 3 in 4 South African children already live in poverty, so although many families are willing to take in orphans, few have the financial resources to do so.