We were in the midst of a heavy monsoon season when Pimma Lhomi, a woman who had fled her home village in the Himalayas to seek religious freedom in Kathmandu, walked into the Lotus Sky store with a sample beaded crochet bracelet.

She had a vision: The other refugee women in her small Lhomi community needed economic independence from their husbands, brothers, fathers. Not only because increasing the household income would improve the quality of life for all, but also because girls were last on the totem pole when it came to education; because mothers wanted to invest money differently than did their husbands.

Pimma proposed that she would train more women in her community on the beadwork crochet craft she and her female relatives already knew. Lotus Sky would create brand new designs that spoke to a global aesthetic and would appeal to customers outside of Nepal.

She would then record the designs and measurements to ensure that the women in her community were creating beadwork pieces that represented high standards, consistency, and pattern perfection.

This was a radical departure from the simple patterns using traditional color schemes that the Lhomi women were already making to complement their churpa dresses. Pimma was proposing the launch of a social enterprise project with a clear goal to economically empower women and a clear avenue of how to do so. And she saw cultural collaboration- the fusion of traditional with a global perspective- as the best path forward.

Fast forward 8 years: Pimma is a mother of two. She owns her own land and house – along with several large gardens and livestock. She is not only fully economically independent, but puts both of her children through Montessori school and is a core donor at her church.

Perhaps most impressively, Pimma leads a team of over 50 women who all earn “investable wages” through the program she helped found.

Pimma Lhomi is a Lotus Sky Social Entrepreneur. And to her and the incredible team of women she mentors, Lotus Sky bracelets are more than just pretty arm candy. They are bracelets with purpose, they are bracelets that represent hope, they are tiny little circles of beads and thread that have transformed the lives of women in a refugee community in Nepal.

One bracelet at a time, we welcome you to join the movement!

Thank you to our loyal Lotus Sky fans for taking the time to read Pimma's story and understand her journey of a social entrepreneur making a difference for her Lhomi community.

As a sweet treat for your care and consideration, here are the instructions for this "underground" Giveaway and the chance to win 3 bracelets of your choice from the website! : )

• Your code phrase is "Pimma is making a difference"

• To enter the Giveaway simply comment the code phrase into the post on Instagram here: https://bit.ly/3bbAD76

• Then, tag two friends who love social entrepreneurship and women making it happen!

• You are entered!

• The winner will be announced on Sunday, May 10!

**This Giveaway is running in conjunction with our 4th Sisterhood Strong Giveaway - so if you haven't yet tagged a "wristie" on Instagram #mylotussky make sure to hop on the platform and do that before May 10!** : )