The conference room at the Teaching Hospital is bustling with women. Some are busy cutting the long green cloth spread on the floor, others sewing the pieces into hospital masks. Still more are sorting through piles of clothes, sewing buttons or stitching cuddly toys.

This is the International Women's Sewing Group. Started in Bir Hospital in 1957 by Ambica Shrestha (the proprietor of Dwarika\'s Hotel), Lady Scopes (the wife of then British Ambassador) and Lottie Weise (social worker and Rotarian), the group has been stitching and darning for Nepal for the last 50 years.

In 1957, the initial aim was to provide clean eye patches for mobile eye camps in the countryside, but as time went by the group expanded its activities to providing clothes, educational supplies and scholarships. Now it even supplies computers and printers to one government school every year, with the assistance of the American Himalayan Fair.

The group, all of whose members are volunteers, receives requests from various parts of the country for help. They verify the authenticity of the claim and then respond accordingly. Most of the help goes to hospitals, schools and orphanages which are supplied with gowns, blankets, curtains, quilts, school uniforms and other clothes. They have also stepped in on occasion to provide relief after natural disasters with organisations such as Nepal Red Cross and the Rotary Club.

Marian Sunde recalls seeing girls tie scarves around their waists because they had no other clothes, and Shashi Shrestha says, "It makes me sad that people here in Kathmandu throw away their clothes so quickly, when there are people in the villages who don't even have enough to cover themselves."

They get the clothes and materials from friends and acquaintances, including many departing expats. They send what is immediately usable straight to the countryside, and the rest they sell at an open bajaar in Kathmandu. They also run stalls at meetings and social events of INGOs, where they sell home-made wares such as napkins and soft toys.

Many of the members have been involved with the group for years. "I'm from a privileged family, and being in this group I can give something to people less fortunate than myself," says Manju Rana, the group co-ordinator and a veteran of almost 30 years. "It's also a good way to socialise with like-minded women. Plus the work we do is quite therapeutic, it's nice to have a break from housework once a week," she adds.

The group has also helped to build the capacities of its own members. Shyam Badan Shrestha says, "The group used to be run by expats, but now you can see there are a lot of Nepali women."

This month, the International Women's Sewing Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The anniversary was actually last year, but the members forgot.

It has lasted this long because it is small, sustainable and self-funding. Says Sashi Shrestha: "We don't do big things, but the things we do go straight to the grassroots."

The Group meets every Wednesday from 10AM-12.30 PM at the medical conference room, Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj.
Contact Manju Rana: 9841749844