Weaving for Life

Rob Thomas Photography May 20, 2017 Leave a Comment

I am a strong advocate for encouraging learning and development. This can materialise in many forms. What is of particular interest to me is connecting and sharing ideas and practises across all boundaries: gender, economic, social, economic. etc.

Tara Timilshina demonstrating weaving skills

On a recent visit to Nepal I was researching such ideas for enhancing and expanding a Global Leadership Programme (for 16-25 years of age) based on the one I created through the Magic Bus Centre for Learning & Development. This is where I came across the wonderful ‘Chetana – Women’s Skill Development Project’ established by Tara Timilshina over 9 years ago, in Pokhara.

Their mission is:

To share skills and employment with the most underprivileged women of Nepal
To help them become self sufficient
Preserve traditional skills, art and design of Nepali handicraft
Provide the finest handmade products using high quality raw materials

Currently, ‘Chetana’ has trained more than 200 women, and is aiming to expand to provide training for women in the more remote areas of Nepal where access to education is very limited. The training is enhanced by enabling the participants to access ‘Microcredits’ to support them starting their own business.

Why is this important? The following statistics are provided by ‘Chetana’:

27% literacy rate of women of Nepal
1 in 4 girls are involved in child labour
25% between the age of 15-19 are married (I dread to think of the percentage under 15!)
This is particularly horrific! 160,000 Nepalese women are held in brothels – some as young as 11 years old!!!
Also horrifying is that Nepali women carry the weight of their caste on who they can marry, and the pressure of their dowry to get married

So, if you find yourself in Pokhara, go and visit Tara and the women of ‘Chetana’. Help them by purchasing their products. You are at the direct source of the products! You see where the money you spend goes.

Their finance process is simple: Materials + Overheads + Fair Wages (and training) for the workers + 5% profit. That is the breakdown of the price of the goods you buy from them.

As their leaflet states:

“Be the change you want to see in the world

Your support contributes towards the empowerment of women

Creating sustainable livelihoods

Educate women and girls

Empower them to contribute to their country

As an intellectual force

Everyone will benefit”