Amias members and community politicians sending Nichole Smaglick home with a few more bracelets and prayers for success.

African jewelry project makes official unveiling at National Geographic

November 2004 - The new African jewelry and handbag project, Amias, recently had its official unveiling at the National Geographic national headquarters in Washington DC. For the first time, both public and private audiences had opportunities to purchase a full line of exquisite handmade accessories, from Lion's Eye rings to intricately beaded Eternity shawls.

Nichole Smaglick, president and founder of Another Land, an East African cultural and wildlife safari company, co-launched the project with a traditional tribe in central Tanzania known as the Barabaig. Amias, which means "beautiful" in the tribe's language, aims at empowering rural African women and spurring grassroots community development.

Barabaig women specially designed the Amias handbags, bracelets, and scarves to reflect their spiritual values and represent different clan colors of their tribe. Proceeds from all Amias sales significantly benefit African villagers. In six short weeks, the jewelry line has already employed 50 people who had been destitute after two years of drought in the region. Now Smaglick can't wait to return to Tanzania and expand Amias further.

"The unveiling was a raging success!" said Smaglick, adding that Amias has sold out of many products. "To see the look of empowerment on these women's faces is just wonderful. They are taking leadership roles in their villages. It's beautiful."

The unveiling coincided with the release and book signing of Faces of Africa by renowned National Geographic photographers, Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher. Smaglick led the longtime photography team on an expedition in the Barabaig lands last year. After included some of the images from expedition in their book, Beckwith and Fisher inspired the entrepreneur to pursue her dreams of launching a jewelry project and making a documentary film about the Barabaig. This past summer, Smaglick realized both of those dreams, co-producing a documentary about the tribe for the National Geographic Channel and forming Amias.

The Barabaig are a proud pastoral people who have resisted modernization even as their lands and culture are threatened.

To see the results of the project, please visit our jewelry section.