We’ve officially opened a women’s center in our rural Nepali village!
Women are the backbone of society. When women are healthy, educated, and empowered, their whole family, and in turn community, will be positively impacted.
ECC Nepal is working in a remote and rural village of western Nepal where most women and families are living on less than $1 a day. Men leave for remittance work, which is sporadic and unreliable, leaving women at home with their whole families to provide for and no income for basic needs.
We are working to change that by opening the Women’s creative center in one rural Nepali village. Our goal is to raise the standard of living for women, children, and the community.
Our doors officially opened at the end of April! We have over 45 members from the local community.
Our women’s center has 3 goals:
- Provide income generation opportunities
- Provide practical education classes
- Provide literacy and technology classes
After asking the women to vote, they decided on sewing classes as their first income generation project.
Since we opened the center more than 30 women have enrolled in sewing classes. We have a sewing instructor who will teach 3 sessions a day for 6 months while women learn the basics of sewing. After that, they will be able to use machines on a rotating basis to do tailoring work for income. In addition, we will contract them to make all of our school uniforms for our partner schools.
Next, we are starting weekly practical education classes. We will invite local and outside experts in all different areas to come and speak to the women about pressing issues. Our first speaker was a health worker. After discussing pressing issues with health in the village, we’ve decided to purchase water filters for each family so they have access to clean drinking water.
Next for income generation, we will begin the production of powdered spices in our women’s center. Women can bring in their excess spices to produce powder, then package it for sale.
Soon, we will begin literacy, math, and computer classes for all interested women.
Our women’s center will let us truly change lives of women, families, and the community as a whole.
If you want to join us in making a difference for women, check our our Women 4 Women program
