Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live ??
Do you plan on joining the women empowerment program ? Here is a preview of a typical day with us !
Only 8 kilometers away of the polluted and congested center of Kathmandu, in the middle of tiered fields, colorful houses appear. The peaceful village of Kavresthali wakes up with the rooster’s calling and the cows mooing.
While the villagers have been working since the sunrise, the volunteers wake up in their host family home. After having a sweet tea and breakfast, they walk to the village to meet at the VIN office.
The different teams started their day in autonomy. Fenna and Emily gave an English class to three women. Without any strict program, they simply draw objects and animals on the white board, write easy sentences and ask questions to the group. The women were happy to come for the comradery , the laughing and chatting, and everyone enjoys it. During the afternoon, Fenna and Emily went to another house to give five women a math class. Helping these women to express themself will in the future, teach them to build cognitive thinking skills .
« Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.»
In the meantime, Om, the Program Officer for Women Empowerment, leads a discussion group. Fifteen women talk about many subjects such as abortion, marriage, discrimination, divorce, and other topics.
In another part of the village, Vanessa and Isaline interview Kavresthali women about their experiences in the WEP, with the help of two young local volunteers, Sampada and Rangeeta who translate the interview, and write about the discrepancies of the WEP and how to improve it.
Vanessa and Isaline are not the only ones to collaborate on the productivity of the WEP : Wendy and Sunil work with two groups of women who make bags, and help them develop their business. They consult with the women to understand how to manage their businesses, and what they could do to be more efficient, independent, and motivated.
Empowerment is different for everybody, that’s why this program is so complex. Making bags or cultivating farms, will empower some women, while being a happy house wife will empower others.
With more than fifteen volunteers working on the program, and many different projects like making bags, creating liquid soap, sewing stuffed animals or improving farming technics, it is difficult to see significant results. But the dedication of volunteers is making things change and even small steps are big victories.
The village of Kavresthali is a wealthy village compared to the rest of the country, and most of the people are Bhramins (the highest cast in Nepal). Calmer and less polluted than Kathmandu, you will stay in your host family’s house which is equipped, with toilets, hot shower, a bedroom, and wifi. Kavresthali women have a comfotable living, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need your help. Some houses have been destroyed by the earthquake in 2015, and the patriarchal society remains. The women empowerment program aims to make the mothers, sisters, grandmothers and daughters of the village independent, confident and motivated.
Mahé Cayuela
Member of