A Single Mom.
A Bundle of Jewelry.
A Leap of Faith.
Zuri Styles begins with a single mom in Uganda. She and her two small children lived in a garage with a dirt floor - more mud than dirt. The conditions were making her children sick, and providing even the most basic necessities seemed impossible.
One day, in 2010, while our founder was working in her office in Uganda, this lovely young woman approached her. Reaching into her bag, she revealed a bundle of charming handmade jewelry. With a hopeful look, she stared at the product in her hands and pleaded: "Can you please help me sell these to your colleagues and friends?
"This shows you how desperate I am. I have kids to feed, clothe, and provide for. I am looking for a way out."
— A young mother in Uganda, 2010
She was risking everything - trusting a near-stranger with her only source of income. When our founder asked why she would take such a risk, her answer was both heartbreaking and clarifying. She wasn't just selling jewelry. She was trying to escape something far more dangerous.
In Uganda, a woman trapped in poverty is a prime target for human traffickers. That desperate step of faith was her last hope to break free from the grip of exploitation. Our founder agreed to help - not yet fully understanding the depth of the danger her new friend was in. For several years, they partnered together. She made the jewelry; our founder sold her products and returned to her 100% of every sale.
A couple of years later, our founder's family had the opportunity to relocate to the United States. She continued selling the jewelry from Uganda, but God placed something deeper on her heart - a calling to help not just one woman, but many. After returning to Uganda, she brought home a beautiful collection of handmade products - and Zuri Styles was born.
The Reality We Are Fighting
49.6M
people trapped in modern slavery worldwide, including 12 million children
ILO & United Nations, 2024
61%
of all detected trafficking victims globally are women and girls
UNODC Global Report, 2024
$236B
in illegal profits generated by forced labor and trafficking every single year
ILO Global Estimates, 2024
1,068
trafficking incidents recorded in Uganda in 2024 — and the number is still rising
Uganda Anti-Human Trafficking Dept., 2025
79%
of identified trafficking victims in Uganda are children — a deeply alarming figure
Uganda Police HQ, December 2024
A Crisis That Keeps Evolving
The Threat Hasn't Gone Away —
It Has Gotten More Dangerous
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, human trafficking has continued to evolve in deeply troubling ways, placing vulnerable populations at even greater risk than before. Traffickers exploit poverty, displacement, addiction, and lack of family support — and they grow more sophisticated with every passing year.
A disturbing new pattern has been reported globally: concerns have intensified around illegal organ and body-part trafficking networks that specifically target individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, displacement, or addiction. In some documented cases, traffickers have allegedly used false medical claims — including fraudulent offers of COVID-19 testing or treatment — to manipulate victims into vulnerable situations where they may be drugged, exploited, or subjected to unauthorized medical procedures in which their organs are harvested without consent.
Within Uganda specifically, the picture is stark and urgent. According to the Uganda Anti-Human Trafficking Department, 93.4% of trafficking cases are domestic — happening inside the country's own borders, in neighborhoods and villages, often involving people the victims already know. Women in poverty — especially single mothers without a support network — remain the most vulnerable of all.
4,965
victims recorded in Uganda between July 2023 and December 2024
1,937
sex trafficking cases recorded in that same reporting period
+25%
global rise in detected trafficking victims since pre-pandemic levels (UNODC, 2024)
“provide for those who grieve in Zion, bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair…”
Isaiah 51:3
At Zuri Styles, we believe that God has called each one of us to reach the grieving. To comfort those who suffer hardship. To protect the defenseless — and equip them with the tools to overcome.
Our Mission
To Prevent Human Trafficking by
Empowering Women to Earn With Dignity
Our mission is to help restore and transform women in desperate situations — not through charity, but through partnership. We believe that when a woman earns with her own hands, she becomes harder to exploit.
01
Skills & Craft Training
We work side-by-side with at-risk women in Uganda, teaching them to craft beautiful, marketable products from locally sourced materials. Every skill learned is a layer of protection against exploitation.
02
Hope & Spiritual Nurture
Economic empowerment is only part of the story. We continually share the hope and joy found in Jesus Christ — nurturing the whole person, not just their livelihood.
03
Education for Young Women
In Uganda, the burden of the family falls disproportionately to women. We raise funds to send younger women to school — because an educated woman has a far better chance of providing for her family and avoiding traffickers.
Our Vision
A World Free of Human Trafficking
We are working toward something that once seemed impossible — but so did a single mother walking out of a muddy garage. Impossible things happen when people choose to act.
Our vision is to build a dedicated training center in Uganda — a safe, empowering space where vulnerable women can go to learn trade skills that will enable them to provide for their families and step beyond the reach of traffickers. This vision will be made possible through fundraising and the generous support of people like you, who want to make a lasting difference in the lives of these women and their children.
Our Impact
From a Muddy Garage
To a House She Built Herself
Not only do we train women in trade skills, but we also raise money to send younger women to school. In Uganda, most of the burden of the family falls to the women. Educating her gives her a better chance to provide for her family — and significantly reduces the risk of being targeted by traffickers.
Every purchase made through Zuri Styles goes directly back into funding these women, their training, and their futures. You are not just buying a beautiful piece — you are investing in a life.
"Her faith led her to take a big step, and God made a way when there seemed to be no way."
A story of transformation
Remember the friend with the jewelry? She has moved out of the muddy garage. She built a house. And today, she is training, inspiring, and equipping other vulnerable women in Uganda with the very same skills that changed her life forever.