International Development - Développement International

Women’s Skills Development Organization (WSDO) is a non-profit Fair Trade organization that has been working since 1975 to empower women who face difficult and significant social and economic hardships—being differently abled, abused, widowed, divorced, single, orphaned or of marginalized castes.
WSDO now employs more than 600 women and adapt its working conditions for the capacities and needs of its employees. Most of them work as weavers from their homes on the schedule they want, while others work at the branch offices or the head office for some tasks that can’t be done elsewhere. The organization also provides free training related to the work itself but also various life skills and human rights formations.
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WSDO provides more than jobs to women of the region. They also have a lot of social programs including life skills, health and women rights formations. They also support child’s education by giving out grants and loans for school.
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Laxmi Gurung, 28 years old, has been weaving with WSDO for the past three years. She works in the shed right next to her home so she can take care of her child without having to go work at the branch office.
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More than the founder of WSDO, Ramkali has been working as its executive director since the beginning. She said she should retire at her age but she is still very much active in her role and does not see herself leaving any time soon. She constantly has and implements new ideas to further grow the organization.
Posing in front of the board with all the names of the ladies working in the organization, she says it all started with 3 ladies and now there are more than 600. At the beginning, she had to look for them to work at WSDO and today, there is a waiting list and ladies coming every day asking for a job.
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New WSDO employees are learning to weave at the head office in Pokhara. After their training is complete, they will be able to work from their homes.
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WSDO provides inclusive opportunities for women that face lots of difficulties finding jobs or ways to earn income and provide for themselves or their families. They are also supported outside of work; being helped to find adapted lodging for the visually impaired near the office.
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Phul Kumari has been working with WSDO for the past 6 years as a braid maker. She lives with her husband in a community which helps blind people like them, and she works from her home most of the time. This job allows her to support her family as well as take care of Prasun, her son who is sighted.
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Most of the women weaving from home live in rural areas with disadvantaged community housing far from the branch office. It would take them a long time traveling everyday. Instead, working from home saves them a lot of time, money and energy.
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Santu Tamang story is an ode to resilience and a perfect example of the supports WSDO can provide to inspiring women. She has been working with the organization as a weaver for the past twenty years, making one of the women with the most seniority in the organization.
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Raj Kumari is 36 years old and has been working in the dyeing department of WSDO for 7 years. She comes from a rural community and married a man from a different caste which is something unusual and difficult in Nepal but is a sign that things are changing.
Before working with WSDO, she used to be a farmer. The dyeing process is the most physically demanding part of the crafting process and Raj Kumari is happy to be able to do this very important job at the beginning of the fabrication process.
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Raj Kumari and her husband took a loan with WSDO co-operative to build their first house. In 5 months of construction, it will be ready for the whole family to live in. She is very proud to show all the progress going on and how beautiful it will soon be.
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20190822 IntlDevel Afghanistan CECI Europe Grece Greece Refugee crisis Refugees Syria crisis migrant nepal uniterra
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