{"product_id":"yawa-the-earth-born-on-thursday-waist-beads","title":"YAWA THE EARTH: BORN ON THURSDAY WAIST BEADS","description":"\u003ch3\u003eI Thought Being Strong Meant Carrying Everything\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen we had just bought our new home, my partner was working around seventy hours a week. After work, he would go straight to the new house to renovate it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, I was at home trying to hold everything else together.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI was pregnant and suffering from preeclampsia. I had a one-year-old toddler who needed me, a daughter preparing for her final primary school test and an entire household to manage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the same time, my aunt needed me to arrange transport to an event. My mother-in-law wanted to know whether I would be present at Christmas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd somehow I kept responding as if these were perfectly reasonable questions to ask a woman whose body was already waving several red flags.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThankfully, I had taken leave from work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLooking back, I realise I could simply have called in sick.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut that is what so many women do. We continue. We organise. We solve. We carry. And because we are still standing, everybody assumes we are fine. That is what I thought about while creating Yawa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMeet the Thursday Woman\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin Ewe-speaking communities, \u003cstrong\u003eYawa\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of the traditional names given to a girl born on Thursday.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCommon male Thursday names include \u003cstrong\u003eYao\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eYawo\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this collection, I paired the Ewe name Yawa with the traditional Akan symbolism connected to Thursday: \u003cstrong\u003ethe earth\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe personality reading on this page is my creative interpretation of that Thursday symbolism. The Thursday woman is often the ground beneath everybody else’s feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe creates safety. She remembers what needs to be done. She keeps the family, work and daily chaos moving while somebody asks whether she has also remembered to buy wrapping paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeople trust her because she is strong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut sometimes they rely on that strength so much that they forget to ask whether she is okay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eEven the Earth Needs Rest\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe earth carries homes, cities, forests and oceans. But she also moves through seasons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is a time to grow and a time to become quiet. There is a time to carry and a time to put something down. Yawa reminds you that being dependable does not mean being endlessly available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStrength is not seeing how much you can carry before your body forces you to stop. Strength can also sound like:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“I cannot do that today.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“I need help.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“This is not mine to organise.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy Mint Green?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMint green represents rest, renewal, balance and a fresh beginning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI chose this softer shade of green because Yawa’s strength is not hard or aggressive. Her strength is calm, rooted and alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe reminds you to come back to your own body before rushing to solve the next problem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour body is not an inconvenience standing between you and your responsibilities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour body is your home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMade for Thursday Women\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYawa was created exclusively for women born on a Thursday.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe belongs to the woman everybody trusts to handle it, but who is learning that she does not have to handle everything alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou do not have to be Ghanaian to wear Yawa. You only need to respect the Ghanaian traditions behind her and possess the correct Thursday credentials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsider her your official Thursday Women’s Club membership card.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are no responsibilities attached to this membership. You already have enough.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHer Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYawa is a traditional tie-on waist bead handmade with glass beads on cotton string. She has no clasp and no elastic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce tied, she remains around your waist while you sleep, shower, work and live your life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs your body changes, Yawa may sit higher, lower, tighter or looser. She helps you notice your body without immediately judging or trying to change it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEwe name:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yawa\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDay of birth:\u003c\/strong\u003e Thursday\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAkan collection symbolism:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Earth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mint green\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStyle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Traditional tie-on waist bead\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/strong\u003e Glass beads on cotton string\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClosure:\u003c\/strong\u003e No clasp and no elastic\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLengt:\u003c\/strong\u003e 130cm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmall variations in colour and bead placement make every waist bead unique.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eYou Are Allowed to Put It Down\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou were not born to become the ground everybody walks across. You were born to be rooted in yourself. Yawa is imported from Ghana in small batches. Once she is gone, she will not return until the next shipment arrives. Tie her around your waist and let her remind you:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYou can be strong without carrying everything.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdd Yawa to your cart today! \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handmade Bysanaah","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54507666047315,"sku":null,"price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0386\/0129\/3963\/files\/waistbeads-mint-goud-overzicht-1-shopify.jpg?v=1786018392","url":"https:\/\/www.bysanaah.com\/products\/yawa-the-earth-born-on-thursday-waist-beads","provider":"Handmade Bysanaah","version":"1.0","type":"link"}