Lovetta was born just before her home country of Liberia exploded into conflict, another chapter in what became years of war.

Forced to leave her mother behind and flee her native Liberia due to civil war, Lovetta lived with her father as a refugee in Guinea andCote d'Ivoire, before settling in Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana to await the end of the war. At times, financial difficulties forced her father to leave the camp to look for work and Lovetta stayed with various families, seldom in one place very long in the sprawling refugee camp of 47,000.

Despite the instability in her life, Lovetta quickly became a leader among her peers. She worked with a team of American volunteers to build a school for unaccompanied minors and distinguished herself by doggedly advocating for special education for sight-impaired children, motivated by concern for her young friend who was without educational opportunities due to his vision impairment.

During this time, she was spotted by Cori Stern, founder of The Strongheart Fellowship and subsequently met by other members of the Strongheart team. Based on Lovetta’s demonstrated inner resilience and exceptional leadership aptitude, she was chosen as the first-ever Strongheart Fellow.

Lovetta created her Akawelle necklace in 2007 as a project for her Strongheart Fellowship, which requires that Fellows tap into their personal authenticity and inner drive to create an entrepreneurial project to benefit themselves and their home country.

Lovetta used spent metal bullet casings left behind from the Liberian Civil War to create exquisite necklaces. Each necklace features a leaf pendant inscribed with the word “LIFE” along with a metal bead that is the actual bottom of a bullet. The leaf is to symbolize new life and in Lovetta’s words “to show that even after something as terrible as war, new life can begin.” She says in Africa, everywhere you turn you are told “It ain’t gonna happen.” This jewelry is proof to her that, “Life goes on. Good can come.”

During the course of her Fellowship, Lovetta has traveled to the U.S. and has had the experience of meeting other young people from places as diverse as Nepal, Tibet, Sudan, and inner-city Los Angeles. In addition to Akawelle, Lovetta has future plans for another project born of her love of fashion and design: a teen magazine for African young people.

Lovetta has been featured on television, appeared in newspaper articles, and been highlighted on radio. In October 2007, Lovetta was an honored speaker at the Texas Governor's Women's Conference where her speech received a standing ovation.

BULLETS ON THE STREETS OF LIBERIA DURING THE WAR

With the election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Lovetta's home country of Liberia, the first female President in Africa, Lovetta is anxious to help rebuild the country. Her incredible drive to help others comes from, as she puts it, "All of the people who have helped me. I want to help others the way so many have helped me." The profits from the jewelry are going to support Lovetta's future and to support Strongheart House.

TO PURCHASE THE AKAWELLE "LIFE NECKLACES" CLICK HERE