1. Shova Magar ( Bracelets Producers )
Empowering women to live in dignity
Shova Magar , age 29 comes from far eastern hilly region of Bhojpur district. She married with a construction worker and now living in expensive city like Kathmandu with six year old son and husband. Typically the labor work like constructing house in the village is negligible so they often are forced to migrate in the city for better earning, better education for children and save some to send back to village to support their parents back in village.
Shova came into contact with Sanju Shahi of Third World Craft Nepal some eight months ago while in search for work. Sanju hired her as house maid and started working for her helping in cooking, cleaning and washing. Typically women in city has no opportunity if they lack education and skill. Working as house helper is the last choice. But soon after Sanju taught Shova to make bracelets and within a month of teaching she became good artisan. Now shova does only one day in a week as house helper and most of the time making bracelets from her home while she can take care of her child and husband.
Shova is now able to make 16 to 20 pcs bracelets a day and earns around $ 3 to $ 4 dollar a day. She is happy in getting more paid from making bracelets than working as house-helper. More ever she feels proud now as she got some skill and confidence. She hopes one day to become entrepreneurs and teach other women and organize her how workshop. She is free to sell any places and on the price set by herself or work for any company.
Third World Craft’s business model has shifted its focused from workshop based production to home based production where producers work from their own house keeping work life balance. This is typical scenario that many current producers of Third World Craft have similar story. Third World Craft help women in transition and equip them with marketable skill so they can decide their own course and free to do business with whom they wish. Our producers changes frequently as we encourage them to learn multi skill and use it where they get maximum benefit. So same producers some time work on bead bracelets, some time on other seasonal high paid jobs.
Shova Magar
2. . Phool Maya Tamang
Phool Maya Tamang also comes from Kavre district but she currently lives in Banepha that is about 30 km east of Kathmandu. For her living is city is expensive and hard since her husband is currently working abroad in middle east. So she has 1 son, 2 daughter to look after. She rented room in Banepa which is relatively cheaper than Kathmandu. She heard about Third World Craft from her village friends and contacted last year. She learnt skill of making bracelets and decided to form a group of 8 women in her neighborhood. So now she visits Third World Craft every week to get order and raw material supply and then bring back finish products. She is managing other 8 women so she take care of distribution of raw material and bring back finish products. She is paid for additional service work. She is very happy to join Third World Craft since she can take care of their children while cash free time and also being able to provide job of other needy women. Phoolmaya hardly can read and write so but she has confident one day she become entrepreneur to grow her business with help from Third World Craft. She is happy for what she is earning .
Phool Maya Tamang