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About Ann Elston
Ann Elston "A journey of a thousand miles The first step on her journey was the receipt of this pendant as a gift from husband Larry upon his return from a trip to Niger. |
First Pendant ... First Step
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Ann conceived this website to accomplish what thousands upon thousands of miles of travel could not - let you acquire exquisite Koumama jewelry from the comfort of your home!
Larry, with camera always at the ready, took many of the shots throughout the website. He first visited Niger in 1997.
Ann's journey of thousands of miles continued when she reciprocated later that year with a trip to Niger. She was instantly captivated by the Tuareg culture, especially their wonderful sense of family and community, as well as the beauty of the Sahara. She felt so much at home there that she bought land for a home on that trip and completed construction in 2003. Shown here in their home in Agadez, Ann now spends two to three months a year in Niger and Larry joins her for a few weeks. They are official residents of the country.
Ann and Larry host Elhadji during his annual visits to the States. Since his first trip, they have logged thousands of miles organizing shows and events, participating in art festivals and street fairs to promote the Koumama jewelry with 100% of proceeds going to the family.
A nonstop blur of activity - hosting shopping parties, displaying at local shows and traveling cross country saw sales increase twenty fold since 2001. However, Ann realized that no amount of travel, hosting shows or street fairs would accomplish her goal of sharing the Koumamas' work with the world.