BASIL EDWARD TEO
Their heads tilted and fingers deftly manipulating the material, the dozen women focused intently on the work at hand. The orderly rows of worktables and constant hum of sewing machines almost gave the impression of a factory production line. But rather than a manager, a teacher looked on. The students are enrolled in the Social Enterprise Activation Center’s design and sewing course and are here to learn income-generating skills.
“The women are used to working at home, but this is a way for them to earn money for themselves and support their families,” said sewing teacher Amuda Shrestha (pic, in grey). “They need to learn these skills.”
The white-washed, brightly-lit S.E.A. Centre in Lajimpat is a conglomerate of different small-scale businesses that aim to ensure fair trade, promote sustainable tourism and empower women through skill-based training.
Downstairs, there is a gift store selling merchandise from local producers and a coffee shop that offers barista-training as well as speciality coffees and cakes. On the second floor, the tourism company MAP Nepal organises homestays, cultural tours and ‘sustainable travel’ packages. And on the top floor, disadvantaged women are taught employable skills in the Design and Sewing Academy.
Shrestha’s three-month intensive course includes sewing, design and pattern-making lessons. Her students come from disadvantaged families and undergo an intense selection process, with interviews and home visits, before being accepted to the course. This is to ensure that the women are willing and able to make the most of the opportunity, explained Shrestha.
“This week, I am teaching them how to make men’s shirts,“ she said. “Next week, we’ll do men’s pants.” At the end of the course, the students are able to make a variety of different garments.
Since the academy opened just over a year ago, some 35 women have gone on to find jobs in tailor shops, earning up to Rs 8,000 a month. Others have opened their own businesses. One former student, Prabisha Tamang, started a women’s clothing boutique six months ago and now employs two other women as well.
“I already did the basic sewing course but now I want to learn the advanced one to improve my business,” said 25-year-old Tamang, as she deftly stitched a seam. “I support my two children and family with the income from my shop.”
Alice Park, the Design Academy and Mitili Shop Manager, explained that S.E.A.’s skills-based training are key to empowering women. “For a woman without skills, it is impossible to get a job other than cleaning — they have no chance,” said Park. “But with skills and knowledge, they can earn for their family. And financial power changes a woman’s position in the family and in society.”
The centre was set up with the help of the Korean cooperation agency, KOICA, and has a strong focus on sustainability. Park came from Korea a month ago and said the long-term plan is to support the center as it grows and then hand the management over to Nepali staff.
She said: “Our goal is to make this centre more like a playground. People who are interested in social entrepreneurship can come here, use our space and our facilities, and start something of their own.”
www.seacenternepal.com