6929 JFK Blvd. 23NLR, AR  72116(501) 835-8659

Wirt's Jewelers along with Sarah’s Hope™ Jewelry share a special place in our hearts for women and the struggle that many of them face when trying to overcome the crippling effects of poverty. There are women all over the world who are driven, talented and determined, who just need some help getting their dreams off the ground.

Each of the Sarah’s Hope™ Jewelry line of jewelry is dedicated and named after a woman entrepreneur in the developing world who's striving to overcome poverty through small business ownership. As a means to contribute, Sarah’s Hope™ Jewelry was begun to fund small business micro loans that start at $50. MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) distributes these loans that are designed to give women living in impoverished situations a fair chance at supporting themselves and their families.

With the purchase, you have added to the funds that will be sent all over the world to assure the success of these entrepreneurs. We hope you will enjoy and share, not only the beautiful jewelry on this page, but also the stories behind them.

A single mother of two, Angela designs and sews clothing to sell in her local market. Yet when demand took off, Angela struggled to keep up; she did not have enough money to buy fabric in bulk. After a solid business plan presentation, she was approved for a loan of $1200, which allowed her to purchase fabric at wholesale prices and produce greater profits.

"It would have been very difficult for me to grow my business without this loan." — Angela

A graduate of ASSETS, a small business training program Sarah's Hope Jewelry supports, Beverly built a successful bridal store from the ground up. A survivor of lifelong domestic abuse, she is forming a support group for abused women as part of her healing process.

"My business helped my self-esteem," Beverly told us. "I want to show women that you can do something with yourself and give them incentive to fight."

Every morning at 5:00, Elia Rose makes corn tortillas on a wood stove for people in her neighborhood. Initially, she only had enough funds to buy small quantities of flour at retail prices. With a $250 loan, she can now buy flour in bulk, greatly increasing her profits to $2/day: the average daily wage in Nicaragua. We asked, what is your dream? She replied without hesitation, "For my children to go to school."

"I can now pay to send my children to school and buy medicine for them." – Elia Rose

When Eneyda started her business in 2001, she capitalized on her community's need for children's clothing. Experiencing such high demand, she realized a loan would allow her to purchase more fabric in bulk. Today, her family business takes a shipment of children's garments to market weekly. With increased profits, she has repaired her home's roof and plans to get a second loan to purchase a new sewing machine.

"I am very proud of my business and excited about my future." –Eneyda

Etayehu is a political refugee from Ethiopia and feels blessed to live in the USA. Needing to support herself and her young sons, she combined business skills learned from a local small business development program with culinary skills learned as a child. She now sells organic Ethiopian cuisine through her catering company and local farmers' markets.

"If you believe in something strong enough, don't give up. Hard work will get you there. Be open to the possibilities." – Etayehu

In 1999, this widowed mother of 12 was struggling to survive. Starting with a $100 loan to sow 1 acre of beans, Eusebia has since been approved for 6 additional loans and now owns 100 acres, 56 head of cattle, a cheese business, and even a hog farm. All because of a small loan, that when planted and tended, became a harvest that sustains her family and inspires her community.

At age 17, Jannat fled the Dominican Republic in search of a better life in the U.S. She graduated from, and then taught at, cosmetology school - all the while working on her goal of opening her own salon. The ASSETS small business training program taught Jannat how to open and run her own salon; she now employs 4 people and mentors employees who also have dreams of business ownership.

Karen attended beauty school and then opened her shop in 2002 in the front room of her family's home, but she could not earn enough to buy needed equipment and supplies. She got a boost when she received her first loan of $210. Karen now wants to start a beauty school to give young women the opportunity to reach their own goals.

Kircia and her three daughters moved from the Dominican Republic to the USA in 1999. Aiming for self sufficiency, she started selling clothing and accessories from her home.

Needing some additional skills for her business, she graduated from a local Spanish small business training and development program. Kircia then used her business skills to open a boutique with her daughters where they sell clothing, accessories and more.

"The business development program not only helped me in my business plan, they helped me to improve my life." – Kircia

When she was just 6, LaShanna's parents were tragically murdered. She made it through high school, but then got caught up in street life. Hitting rock bottom, LaShanna vowed that her life would never be the same: she would become the support system for others that she never had. LaShanna earned her master's in Social Work and hopes to publish a motivational magazine to help reach and inspire others on a large scale.

Lize, a widow with five children who owns a small fishing business in Mozambique, fell ill for three months. When she returned to work, she found that many of her fishing nets were ruined.

Through a microloan program, Lize was able to rebuild her business, allowing her to support the 16 members of her extended family and to build a concrete house.

Her success also helps sustain other self-employed women in her community who buy Lize's fish to sell at local markets.

Marisol, from Puerto Rico, and her children were abandoned by her husband, leaving them bankrupt. To save their home, Marisol, a natural entrepreneur, began a day care center. With help from a local small business development program, she completed business training and received her Child Development Certificate.

"The small business development classes I took answered all my questions. Now I know the steps I have to follow to succeed in my business." – Marisol

Miriam's dream of starting a farm in her homeland of Tanzania was born of hard experience. Her nephew was one of the few students selected to attend a state-run boarding school in Kilimanjaro — until it was forced to close because of food shortages.

Miriam, currently living in the U.S., realizes her nephew and her country have limited futures without education. With scholarship assistance from Sarah's Hope, she enrolled in a business program and created a plan for her farm. Her goal: return to Tanzania and grow crops that mature quickly to supply the school and keep its doors open.

"You not only helped me, you have impacted me to make a difference to my nation. You will never know how many people you may reach by helping one person." – Miriam

Nepton lives in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Like many women in her country, she lives a traditional life, not working outside the home, yet she desires to contribute to the family’s income.

To do this she decided to apply for a loan to raise chickens, selling the eggs to local shopkeepers.

Her business has grown so large that she now uses her neighbor's yard, as well as her own!

Your purchase will fund Microloans.

A single mother of three, Nina's dream was to open a community center for single parents. Then, she lost her job and her house caught on fire. Determined to rise again, Nina took the business skills gained from ASSETS and opened a consignment store. To pay it forward, this successful businesswoman now funds scholarships to ASSETS to help other women reach for their dreams.

Students of ASSETS, Toledo, OH, call their director, Olivia, "Mom." Fitting for this woman who nurtures dreams. An impressive 92% of graduates from her program have gone into – and stayed in – business. Olivia treats her students like family as well, "I always say I’m the proud mother of 1000 people," she explained. "To tell them ‘You can do it!’ and watch them soar – it makes my heart sing."

In the bustling seaport city of Dar es el Salaam, Queen operates her own clothing business and employs two people. Her loan enabled her to buy more fabric at wholesale prices. Within only a few months, she was already seeing an increase in profits. The extra money helps pay for schooling for Queen's two children and an orphan who now shares their home.

"My income allows me to provide an education for my children." – Queen

Life looked bleak after Razia's husband died. There was no life insurance to support herself and two children. She used her savings to buy two sewing machines, but couldn't sustain a profit. With a $100 loan, Razia now buys material at bulk prices. Her income has allowed her to educate her children, repair her house, and open a savings account.

"My business is doing so well, I hired five women to help me." – Razia

*Due to cultural preference this photo is a representation.

From grant writing, to managing Quickbooks, to writing the program’s newsletter, Sharon has worked “behind the scenes” helping to facilitate the work of ASSETS Norristown, PA, of which her husband served as Director.

"ASSETS is about empowerment – helping people with a dream to create their own financial stability,"she said." We not only give students the tools to succeed in business, but we believe in them." – Sharon

A survivor of domestic violence, Schirlyn fled with her children to a dangerous neighborhood, the only place she could afford to live. With the help of a local small business development training program, she started her non-profit business. Schirlyn now works with inner-city children to teach life skills.

"The training program helped me develop my business and gave me the encouragement and hope I needed to make it a reality." – Schirlyn

Tameeka Homeless and a teen mother of two, Tameeka felt trapped. Until, at age 20, she bought a ticket for the first train out of the station. "I cried the whole time, waiting for that train to come. But I took all I had and never looked back," she said.

Accepting any job she could find to provide a home for her kids, Tameeka decided to start a cleaning business because, "Cleaning made me feel better: every time you get a fresh start."

A business development program helped Tameeka create a plan which offers future employees childcare benefits usually not found in minimum wage jobs — to help give others a fresh start.

As a single mother of nine, Yolanda worked hard her entire life to provide for her kids, taking two jobs and night shifts to pay the bills. After an injury caused her to lose her job, this now-grandmother decided to open a daycare. Thanks to the skills Yolanda learned from ASSETS, her business is thriving. "There are a lot of young people who have to struggle to get ahead in life,"she explained. "I see myself in them...and I want to help them grow."

Zineta immigrated to the U.S. from the former Yugoslavia. Soon, she was left homeless with the responsibility of caring for her children. After taking a small business training course she learned the necessary skills to successfully apply for a loan and open a restaurant. Zineta hopes to start a Yugoslavian cafe to honor her roots.

"My advice to women is: Don't look back. Take the next step. Keep going!" – Zineta

Sarah’s Hope™ Jewelry is hand-crafted from the highest quality .925 sterling silver which then is rhodium plated. Rhodium, a member of the platinum metal family, resists tarnishing so the brilliant shine of your silver jewelry can be enjoyed without constant polishing! When applied to our silver, rhodium produces a radiant white color, is highly reflective and resists scratching. Rhodium is why our jewelry has the look of platinum for the price of silver. We believe our jewelry is worth the investment of rhodium plating! Click here for PRODUCT CARE.

Most pieces found in the Sarah's Hope™ Jewelry line are set with E’Sperene™. Our created stone, E'Sperene™, combines quartz crystals with metal oxides resulting in formations of exceptionally vibrant and dynamic colors. You will notice subtle to dramatic shifts in colors as the E'Sperene™ reflects light. It's part of its intriguing beauty! Slight variations in silversmith work or in the stone composition and color are intrinsic to the handmade process and reflect the one-of-a-kind artisanship of our jewelry.
Our Jewelry has been custom designed by Sarah and the members of the Sarah’s Hope™ Jewelry team. Sarah has traveled to visit with microloan recipients, many after whom the jewelry is named. It is their stories that have inspired the designs within our line.

Because these are originals, the designs we share with you are proprietary and exclusive to Sarah’s Hope™ Jewelry.