BUYING BOOKS ONE RUPEE AT A TIME

Click on the photo to read the full blog

TOTALING UP THE BILL SO FAR...

FILLING UP THE BOXES

There is no Barnes and Noble in Kathmandu.  Well, actually there is, but it's a tiny hole-in-the-wall ramshackle shoulder-wide shop that used the name for whatever reason. Finding books for our new library in Astam has been a bit of a challenge. Children's books are usually not that well represented in the small books shops here in Nepal, but there are two I've frequented in trying to stock our HANDS libraries. One is the well-known "Pilgrims"-which never disappoints in its selections of children's books, mostly in English. Finding books in Nepali, hard as it is to believe, is a little more difficult. Even more surprising to me is what one hundred dollars in books looks like. It's not as high a stack as I'd like to see-even though books over here are considerably less than in the States.

I always bring a suitcase of books with me from donations made in the USA. But that 50 lbs. of books is only the start. The prohibitive cost of shipping to the "top of the world" means it's better to shop locally once in Nepal-for everyone-inlcuding the shopkeeper who is all smiles when I show up.

The bottom line is, we are able to bring books up to some very remote areas of Nepal and that in itself makes book-buying a very real and satisfying way to bring the world to their village.

Give These Girls A Hand!

Introducing the Lotus Sky Women's Collective!!

Pema is full of hope and courage about the recently formed women's collective in Kathmandu

As I struggled to keep up with Kelsang Lodue, my faithful helper while in Nepal, a young woman jumped out in front of me to push a leaflet in my hand. "Do you want to help refugees who are trying to start a women's cooperative?" She couldn't have spoken words more dear to my ears. Did I? What was I doing here if not trying to support and help women who were struggling in this difficult and impoverished country to better their lives in a sustainable and positive way? My hesitation in forward movement was all she needed to launch into a quick speech about the Lotus Sky Women's Cooperative: "Where Global Fusion Meets Buddhist Street Chic."!

Joining HANDS with Pema-all they need is a little help from their friends

I was all ears. Her name was Pema and she was one of about 7 or 8 women who are making beaded jewelry, to try and employee Tibetan Refugee Women. Although I had about 7 or 8 of my own things to finish on my "to do" list before my Nepali lesson at 6 p.m., I was curious and excited to see yet another ambitious group of Tibetans who were trying their best to create a way to support themselves. Pema took my arm and escorted me into a side alley with several small shops. There was a large painted sign over a broad doorway displaying a colorful array of necklaces, bracelets and mallas (Buddhist prayer beads). She excitedly told me about the stones and beads used, the women who make
their own designs, and the goal of trying to get tourists to step off the very worn outer stuppa pathway to take a look inside the alley shop. This was going to be their biggest hurdle-the tourists in this area stick to the cobbled walkway that goes around the great stuppa with the choice real estate hosting the busy souvenir and Tibetan art shops that line it. Anyone who has a shop off this path struggles to be seen-as my friend Dilip knows, who runs a fine paper shop off the path but has little business because of his "down a small alley" location.
Pema was full of energy and excitement at the beginnings of this prospective business. I had to actually tell her to calm herself and take a breath as her words tumbled out to express how important, exciting and wonderful this enterprise was for all the women involved. I agreed with everything, and loved her energy and passion. I had some suggestions for their group-getting on the internet (they actually do have a web site: lotus sky.org), creating a flyer that could be pinned up at guest houses in the area, and maybe even trying to give talks at local meetings about what they were trying to do. All was taken in with great seriousness and gratitude. I then bought four of the pretty coral and turquoise Tibetan style bracelets, and wished her luck.
If anyone reading this wants me to buy anything for you from the Lotus Sky Women's Cooperative, I will gladly do so and mail it to you when I get home. The bracelets, which you can see on my right arm in the above picture, were 350 rupees-or about $4, each. They are the stretch "one size fits all" style.
I promised to do my best to spread the word-and hope to interest the Humankind Store in SLO in their products as well. It doesn't get more Fair-Trade then this-a group of ambitious and hard-working Tibetan refugees who had the courage to gather what money they could to rent the space-and then organize their collective talents to create "global fusion and Buddhist street chic"-Go Girl Power!!

A Tale of a Dream and a Sewing Machine

 Click on the photo to read the entire story

A new student and her children at the sewing cooperative started by Durga Manali and supported by HANDS in Nepal

  When you first come to Nepal, it can be an overwhelming experience-but nothing stays in your memory more than the poor that fill the streets and sidewalks, doing whatever they can to make it from day to day. Adults trying to peck out a living, scrounging in whatever way they can, is difficult enough to be witness too, but the children forced to live with so little really tugs at the tightest heart strings. 

  Trying to help street children is what brought Danny to Nepal in the first place, and that is when he  meet an amazing woman,  Durga Manali. She began an orphanage for street children many years ago, and has worked since to support upwards of 50 children, spending tireless days soliciting what help and support she can to keep that many fed, clothed and educated.

  Durga has always wanted to extend a hand to women and their children and how to educate them in helping their families stay afloat. Enter the sewing cooperative idea. As I had discovered myself several years ago in Nepal, giving a woman a sewing machine means she can create her own business and therefore come up with a way to support herself and her children. The ultimate benefit is her children then can go to school-this being a land where children often work in poorer families than enjoy the luxury of getting an education. 

  I have been buying sewing machines and giving them to women who needed them-usually found through Nepali friends and through Durga as well, but now Durga was asking me to join her in taking this idea to a new level. Just as the old saying goes, "You can give a man a fish, but teach him to fish and you've given him a livelihood.." or something like that, you can replace man for woman, fish with sewing machine-and well, you get the idea.

                                         We have 5 machines right now for the sewing school

  This trip Durga had a surprise for me. In the past we've talked about buying enough sewing machines and renting a space to have sewing classes. A woman takes a class and then gets the machine. Even better, Durga says, a woman takes the class and gets a micro-loan that she then pays back to earn the keep of her machine-and thus she is motivated to develop her business. 

  Durga has found a place to set up the sewing cooperative-and a sewing teacher as well. The teacher is getting a wage, the rental of the space is about $100 a month. We have supplied two of the machines and will be buying two more from donations. I am very excited and happy to see this dream of mine and Durga's come to fruition. I will have more information in future blogs-there will be more women coming later this week while I am here. But this is exciting news-I have dreamed of this school for sometime and just couldn't put it together with the small funds we have. Now,  with Durga's resources and experience and contacts, we are making it real. As they say in Nepal, Om namaha shivaya! It is happening!

Jan and Durga in the "new" sewing cooperative room-we are looking for more funds to help buy more sewing machines and to pay for the teacher's wage plus rent of the room. Volunteers are also needed, your sewing skills can help women get a start at how to stitch up salable goods at our sewing cooperative! Please leave a comment or contact me at:

jansprage2@gmail.com

NAMASTE!!