At the end of 2018, we received your donations to start off a sewing workshop in Budhathum. The women of the village wanted to receive this training. Sobila Dahal, President of the Budhathum Women’s Association, stepped-up to lead this workshop. Sobila spent 11 years in India where she worked as a dressmaker. Back in Nepal, she is happy to share her knowledge with the women of the village.

The visit to Nepal in April 2019 enabled the acquisition of 2 sewing machines and other materials needed for making clothes. As soon as they were ready, Sobila and the machines kept running. The workshop started to operate in May 2019.

• Sobila easily set up 2 groups for a 5-month training course
• 6 people from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. / 5 days a week
• 6 people from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. / 5 days a week

This workshop enabled mothers and “big sisters” to make clothes for the children of the village, and Alaya Foundation was able to remunerate Sobila Dahal.

All together, we created so much enthusiasm for this activity that Sobila, via Budhathum Welfare Society, sent us a request at the end of 2019 to renew this experience for 5 months in 2020. Moreover, Sobila and the seamstresses have the project to create a cooperative! How do we maintain such momentum?