The American way of doing business isn’t the best way, and I don’t know if there is a right way, but it’s all I know. My biggest lesson, in helping these fabulous Nepali women to be empowered to start and maintain a small business, was to get out of my own way!
To figure out how much it cost to make a product, consider the time it takes to make it, sell it to a shop owner at wholesale, to be turned around so it can be sold at retail prices, seems pretty clear to me. Insert a buyer, add the Nepali game of negotiating the price down, realizing that actual record keeping is simple guesswork, and then try to figure out who is actually making money? That’s where my American logic gets thrown out the wayside and burned with the rest of the trash in Nepal! The solution? Sit back, enjoy a cup of tea and delicious biscuits with the person next to you, talk about the beautiful day, and think about the business tomorrow, after the cooking, the cleaning, the preparing of the breakfasts, the lunches, the kids and husband, the market, and when the harvest in the field is done! Tomorrow is another day!
Welcome to Nepal!
Yes, getting out of my American way has served me well, but it took me a few weeks to do it. Part of VIN’s philosophy is to experience the culture, and I thought it was more for the enjoyment of our experience. But VIN had it right, one truly needs to understand Nepali ways in order to help them. My desire to motivate and empower a group of woman turned back at me. Amidst their hectic schedules, there’s a group of 6 women who have found the determination to gather together, to make bags, purses, pouches, anything that will carry something, in between harvest and lunch preparation. The motivation is mostly social, as they haven’t quite seen the benefit of having a small business with profit, but the idea of making something that someone else would think is simply beautiful, keeps them excited. They call themselves Happy Women Kavresthali, and indeed they are!
When I met these delightful women, one concern they had was coming up with new ideas for bags, and not having the funds to buy new materials. Understanding the upside of minimizing one’s carbon footprint, recycled, vintage, and/or used clothes (whichever term one chooses to use!) was introduced to the women. VIN was asked to spread the word to their circle of friends and family, and within a few days, a load of clothes and jewelry were donated to HWK. Pinterest was then added to the mix which provided photos, ideas and tutorials. The women excitedly took to the training and the denim bag was concocted. Bringing the idea home to Nepal, they sprinkled the traditional Dhake fabric for decoration, and the concept of western meets Nepal was actualized.
The next step is to bring the bags to the shop owners in Kathmandu, and to Fair Trade markets to be sold on the internet. VIN is offering website marketing training which will help them tremendously! For all you Marketing, retail, and income generating entrepreneurs, you know what work needs to be done! This is where putting aside one’s preconceived notions of how business has been done in the past, to fitting in the lifestyles of these Nepali women. It’s not always the question “what needs to be done”, but helpful to remember “what works for these women?” We must put ourselves in their shoes in order to visualize what would help those most.
In order to empower these women, Happy Women Kavresthali needs more devoted volunteers to help keep the organizational structure of their small business in working order. Finding new ways to sell, coming up with additional ideas, teaching the women how a small business works and functions, adding logo designs to their products, introducing them to potential buyers are just a few ways that these women need more help from future volunteers. Without us, helping these talented women reach their valued potential, may be put aside, until tomorrow.
This is just one example of a group of women I have had the sincere pleasure of working with. There are amazing jewelry, and toy making groups as well that need our help. Obstacles are challenges, challenges turn into opportunities, and opportunities empower. I thought I came here to “empower women”. But in actuality, they have truly inspired me to a higher level of love, determination, and humility.
Wendy McElvain, Volunteer, Volunteer Initiative Nepal
Published on: 17 May 2019
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