Sew Nepal
Jill Leggett and Sue Young were part of a ‘Days for Girls’ group in Perth, coordinating the making of sanitary kits for women and girls. They had planned to go to Nepal and teach people how to sew the kits, but their opportunity didn’t eventuate. With connections within the Wilderness School community, Jill and Sue developed their relationship with Wilderness in Nepal.
With funds raised in Perth, and collaborating with Ang Sherpa of Keep Walking Nepal they purchased 4 sewing machines and other items to give to the people of Junbesi. Jill and Sue visited Junbesi during a Kushudebu Public Health Mission Clinic run by WIN in 2017 and taught some of the villagers how to make the kits and have been back since to expand the reach.
Jill and Sue have continued to work with WIN, aiming to expand the ‘Sew Nepal’ operations into the Bhadaure region. With this in mind, in 2019 WIN Directors met with the Panchadham Agriculture Development Co-operative Society, the majority of whom are women. The women were very interested in the concept and in learning how to make the sanitary kits, not just to help students to stay in school when they have their periods, but also for the women in the village. Their personal experiences confirmed the need for environmentally sound, clean control of menstrual periods, and they were very enthusiastic about the reusable nature of the sanitary kits. The Co-op also sees a niche for a small local business, making and selling the kits at local markets.
Training and launch of “Sew Nepal” in Bhadaure. March 2021
With funding of up to $7,500 from WIN, a one-week training program was organised by Ang Sherpa, the WIN Representative in Nepal. Forty-four women aged 19 – 55 years attended the training, conducted by trainers from Pokhara and Junbesi, and included instruction on operating the sewing machines, making the reusable sanitary kits and sessions on menstrual health.
At the end of the program, the 7 sewing machines and a considerable bundle of materials were donated to the community. The women had learnt new skills, providing support for girls to complete their education, and gained valuable experience in using the sewing machines for a variety of opportunities.
Read the project report
Wilderness School Girl Up committee and students involved in Duke of Edinburgh Service activities have committed to being involved in this project.
HELP US KEEP OUR COMMITMENT TO THE SEW NEPAL PROGRAM
Wilderness in Nepal has committed to supporting Sew Nepal by:
Providing all girls at Bahadure School from Year 5 with a reusable sanitary kit
Teaching Co-op member to sew the reusable sanitary kits for women of Bhadaure
Assisting the Co-op in setting up a cottage industry to sell the sanitary kits at markets in Pokhara
Continuing to train people in the Junbesi community and supply materials on bi-annual medical clinics