Nasana Bajracharya

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Published On: February 1, 2018 01:00 PM NPT By: Nasana Bajracharya

ENCOURANGING WOMEN TO TAKE CHARGE

ENCOURANGING WOMEN TO TAKE CHARGE

KATHMANDU, Feb 1:Haushala Creatives is an initiative of two sisters — Haushala Thapa and Samanata Thapa to empower women. The initiative was inspired by Bishnu Maya Bomjam, a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer but didn’t give up on life and wanted to work for her livelihood. Haushala was already working for under-privileged children through her organization Children & Youth First (CYF) when she met Bishnu Maya. Upon hearing her story, Haushala was inspired to do something for women like her, who had the skills but not the platform or the opportunity to work.

Bishnu Maya already knew how to knit woolen flowers, gloves and hats. She got training with 20 other women, which Haushala had arranged, and learned to polish her skills there. In the training, they learned how to knit, how to use machines and then started producing knitted items like infinity mufflers for commercial purpose. On October 2013, Haushala Creatives started as a platform for women to work and earn by making simple hand-knitted wears from a small room at Jhamsikhel. Bishnu Maya won the battle against cancer, but passed away in 2015. However, the initiative that started with her continued its journey and has been making a difference in other women's lives.

Now, a total of seven full-time and 18 part-time workers are involved with Haushala Creatives. The women come from different districts, mostly Kathmandu, Kavrepalanchok and Lalitpur, and work together all year long for summer and winter collections. For winter, they make woolen mufflers, hats, socks and for summer, they make dhaka bags, laptop/iPad bags and clutches which were designed by two designers from Paris during a workshop. Women here have flexible working timings and can even work from their homes. A few of them look after knitting and cutting, others look after finishing the items. So, a single item is a product of efforts from different women.

At office, they work, encourage and share each other’s smiles and pains. "I love to just talk to them and hear their stories. It's completely different to what I have seen or been through and it motivates me to do something for them, to make their lives easier," said Samanata sharing about the importance of working at and for Haushala Creatives. For Haushala, working here gives her the freedom to be who she is, "When you work as a social worker people expect you to behave or dress-up in a certain way. But here I get the freedom to wear whatever I want and avoid being judged for it. I do not feel the need to fit into any stereotype and dedicate my time for my children and didis (sisters) who work with me."

Pummy Tamang, a 49-year-old, who has been involved with the team since the beginning said the feelings were mutual. She shared how working at Haushala changed her life and that it held a very special place in her heart. "Both Haushala and Samanata have looked after me, given me the confidence and put a smile on my face. I know about their struggles, even before they started getting appreciated, seen them work hard to make Haushala Creatives what it is now and with utmost care all the women here."

Haushala Creatives is also based in US (coordinated by Amanda Brown) and Hong Kong where their products are much appreciated. "People abroad can see the effort that goes into making the products. Our dhaka products have more market there. They realize the products are being produced ethically and know how to respect the designs and the stories. We want to make Haushala Creatives a global brand and increase consciousness within Nepal about the importance of intellectual property; how to develop own designs as well as respect and appreciate others," shared Haushala.

Apart from women working for the brand, Haushala Creatives has also been a space for other women entrepreneurs and offices to work together. They started the co-working space to help flourish women's ideas, water their creativity and make them independent. They have a fully-furnished co-working space, where anyone can work in a secured environment, even late at nights.

Much like their mascot, a woman dressed in green dhaka cape, they want women to be their own hero. To encourage and empower women (entrepreneurs) they annually organize Speakers' Series, where five women are invited to share and celebrate their stories of unconventional success.

Haushala Creatives’ motive is to alleviate women from their poor economical and emotional state so that they can be independent. A major part of their profit goes to children’s education in CYF, incentives for women working with them and their training. They want to extend the initiative to rural areas and have plans to train women in their already built hubs at Kaleshwor(Lalitpur) and Dhunkharka(Kavre) in near future.



encouranging, women, charge,

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