The Artisans
Aid Through Trade empowers women by creating opportunity through beautifully designed jewelry. Each piece is ethically crafted by artisans in Nepal. Your purchase provides women with a fair income and benefits in a safe and healthy work environment.
Aid Through Trade maintains an office and studio space in the Kathmandu Valley with 15 full-time artisans and management staff. From that office we also coordinate training, production, and quality control with more than 200 artisans working in three village sites throughout Nepal.
Mena
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Management Staff
Year started: 1994
26 years ago, Meena started working with Aid Through Trade making Roll-On® Bracelets and jewelry. Now, Meena is one of our senior management staff members, responsible for distributing Roll-On® Bracelets to artisans that work from home and managing quality control of all the jewelry made at our Kathmandu office.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
She loves getting to work alongside her friends, where they can laugh and tell stories with one another each and every day.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
She likes to clean the house and make sweets. She also enjoys visiting new places, especially temples and mountains.
Sabu
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Management Staff
Year started: 1999
Having worked for Aid Through Trade for over 20 years, Sabu is one of our senior management staff members. Sabu manages Roll-On® Bracelet distribution to our village production sites and she manages quality control of all Roll-On® Bracelets before they are shipped to the US.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
She loves being busy and the challenge that comes with managing several orders at once. She also loves to celebrate holidays together with everyone in the office, like Teej, a woman's holiday in Nepal.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
She likes to visit with family, as well as travel with her husband and 2 children.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
Brass Gyroscope Earrings
Shanta
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Management Staff
Year started: 2002
Since 2002, Shanta has been a dedicated member of the Aid Through Trade team. Shanta is responsible for putting together our Roll-On® Bracelet Sets, as well as carding our Mommy & Me and Friendship Sets. She also manages several artisans that work from home.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
Everyday is a good day at the office because someone will make her laugh and everyone is genuinely happy.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
She loves spending time with family, especially days she gets to visit her cousins with her son.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Uptown Girl Necklace
Shashi
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Management Staff
Year started: 2013
For the past 7 years, Shashi has been the light of our Kathmandu office. Although our youngest management staff member, Shashi takes on the large responsibility of distributing work to our artisans at headquarters, ensuring each artisan gets to make an equal amount of easy and difficult pieces, and distributes the materials needed to make each piece.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
She says everyone is happy here. She particularly loves when the US staff comes to visit. Her favorite memories have been nights spent playing games together after work, and dancing with US staff around the office.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
She loves talking and laughing with others. She also loves going shopping with her husband.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Tiered Cali Necklace
Shree
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Management Staff
Year started: 2002
Although he is not an artisan, Shree has had a tremendous impact on Aid Through Trade since he started with us in 2002. Our founder, Damian, has known Shree since he was a Peace Corps Volunteer, as Damian lived in the village he grew up in. Now, his home village and others surrounding it host production sites for Aid Through Trade, and Shree is responsible for coordinating materials to and from them. He also manages our accounting, communications with US staff, and liaising with our suppliers in Nepal.
WHY HE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
He loves that everyday they all laugh and joke together. Everyday someone has a story to tell that keeps everyone laughing and smiling throughout the day.
WHAT HE ENJOYS MOST:
He loves spending time with his 2 daughters and wife, and takes them to parks or shopping every Saturday. He also loves traveling and exploring new places.
HIS FAVORITE PIECE:
The Original Roll-On® Bracelet
Lila
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Artisan
Year started: 2002
Working with us since 2002, Lila continues to be a light around the Kathmandu office. Lila manages 5 artisans that work from home.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
Lila is happy everyday she gets to come to work because she gets to spend the day with her friends.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
She likes to visit her family, but often uses her free time to continue making jewelry.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Uptown Girl Necklace
Rina
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Artisan
Year started: 2002
Despite facing many health challenges, Rina still comes into the office twice a week because she loves getting to work and laugh alongside her friends. When she’s not in the office, Rina takes materials with her so she can continue to work from home.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
Rina loves getting out of the house and being around her friends. She doesn’t like to be without them when she works from home.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
She likes to listen to music and watch movies.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Olivia Necklace
Sapana
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Artisan
Year started: 2014
One of our newest artisans at headquarters, Sapana has been working with us since 2014. Sapana manages 4 artisans that work from home.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
Sapana loves the memories they create around the office. She remembers one Teej celebration where they finished work early and put on lots of jewelry and danced around the office. It was one of her favorite days at the office!
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
She genuinely enjoys cleaning her house and says it makes her happy.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Luxe Globe Bracelet
Sarala
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Artisan
Year started: 2002
Working with us since 2002, Sarala can always be found smiling from ear to ear. She manages 4 artisans that work from home.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
Sarala loves when the US staff comes to visit and they get to learn new designs and products to create!
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
Sarala loves visiting places with her family, as well as cooking and hosting people.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Charlie Earring
Sunita A.
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Artisan
Year started: 2002
Working with us since 2002, Sunita A is well-known around the office as being the most creative at coming up with new designs and perfecting the quality of her products.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
She loves getting to work with her friends and laugh while she works!
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
Sunita A loves to learn new skills and likes making things by hand.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Uptown Girl Necklace
Sunita B.
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Artisan
Year started: 2012
Working with us since 2012, Sunita B manages 3 artisans that work from home.
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
She loves when the US staff comes to visit, especially when they all go on picnics together. She says it’s a really happy, fun, and joyful time.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
Sunita B loves to go on walks and visit new places.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Bauble Earring
Thirtha
Kathmandu, Nepal
HQ Artisan
Year started: 2006
Working with us since 2006, Thirtha is the comedian of the office and always keeps everyone laughing with her fun-loving attitude and elaborate stories!
WHY SHE LOVES AID THROUGH TRADE:
Her favorite memories are when the US staff comes to visit. It’s always an exciting time!
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
Thirtha enjoys visiting with family in her free time.
HER FAVORITE PIECE:
The Uptown Girl Necklace
Shila
Kathmandu, Bhalku
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 1 daughter, 1 son
Shila was raised in Kathmandu, watching the city grow in size as she did. She was home schooled a little, but mostly helped her parents with household chores until she was married at the early age of 13. Now, at 30, she has a 17 year old daughter and 14 year old son. Her husband works as a construction laborer. For all of this, Shila has a remarkably cheerful disposition. She started working for Aid Through Trade in 2014 and says she loves the work, in part because she can stay at home and see family, but also because it provides her the opportunity to learn.
HOW SHE SPENDS HER EARNINGS:
On her children first, and sometimes on small things for herself such as a new shawl.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
learning new designs, enjoying each new challenge. When she has the time, she also likes exploring other neighborhoods with her friends, usually with her bag of bead work in tow.
Kirmati
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Baglung
Children: 2 sons
LIFE DURING THE CIVIL WAR
Kirmati never attended school. As the eldest daughter with a perpetually ill mother it was her duty to step in and take over household duties for her family. She married an army man at age 24, and they lived contently in the middle hills of Baglung district until the civil war began in the mid 90’s. Rural Baglung was a Maoist insurgent stronghold in those years. With her husband in the army, and thus on the other side of the conflict, their family was routinely harassed in their village home. Insurgents routinely demanded bribes. When her family didn’t meet the demands, the insurgents were violent and destructive. Many things were broken both in their home and the wider community, including vital infrastructure.
ESCAPING TO KATHMANDU
In 2005 they fled Baglung for the safety and better lifestyle provided by Kathmandu. But with this safety came new expenses: rent, electricity and water bills, and school tuition for their two growing sons. Their family struggles to earn enough despite her husband’s army pension, so Kirmati started making bracelets for Aid Through Trade. She says the work is easy and enjoyable. Their eldest son recently completed high school with a focus on hotel management, and their second son is about to take his School Leaving Exam.
Sushila
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 1 daughter, 1 son
Sushila had an arranged marriage at the age of 15 and never attended school. She and her husband used to own a small shop, but they sold it when he was diagnosed with diabetes. About that time, Sushilsa found Aid Through Trade. She enjoys that she can earn money for her family while taking care of the house. All of her earnings go toward her husbands medicine and her children’s education.
WHY SHE WORKS
Her dream is to see her daughter with a Bachelors or Masters degree. “My life has been hard, I want my children’s lives to be better.” Her son is currently working toward his BA in science, and her daughter is working on her BA in Commerce.
Saradha
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LOVE DEFINED
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FAVORITE THING ABOUT NORTHERN UGANDA
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MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO PURCHASED YOUR PRODUCT
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Sabitri
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 1 daughter, 1 son
Sabitri had a fairly typical upbringing for a Nepali woman of her generation. She was born in the rural outskirts of Kathmandu, never attended school, and had an arranged marriage in her late teens. But what came after was less typical. Her first child, a boy, was born partially handicapped. In Nepali society, any handicap – even deafness – makes a person “unfit for marriage” and thus unfit to continue the family line. Sabitri’s duties as a wife intensified with a child that required constant care. Forced to stay at home, her options to supplement her husbands wage as a bus driver were few. Eight years later she had a second, healthy child – this time a girl. Around this time a friend told her about Aid Through Trade and the opportunity to work from home. She’s been working for Aid Through Trade over a decade since.
OVERCOMING TRAGEDY
While visiting family in village in 2012, her husband was in a fatal motorcycle accident, leaving Sabitri widowed with their two children. Nepali society traditionally blames a wife’s bad luck for such events, and it is very common for daughters-in-law to be kicked out of their family home after their husband’s passing. Fortunately for Sabitri her in-laws allowed her to stay and keep one room in their home. She does not have to pay rent, but she does have to fully provide for her family without financial assistance. Her handicapped son, now 18, still requires constant care, limiting Sabitri to work that she can do from home. To add to all of this, her daughter recently fell and broke her arm. Aid Through Trade has proven to be a lifesaver for her. She can watch her son play while making bracelets, and rest when he does. As her only source of income, Sabitri feels a lot of tension when orders are low. But she’s grateful to have work that can accommodate the demands of her life.
Mala
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Saptari
Children: 2 sons
Mala attended school from an early age, but was pulled from the classroom at age 12 for an arranged marriage in Kathmandu. The first time she saw her husband was on their wedding day. She had two sons by the age of 20 that kept her busy while her husband worked as an accountant for one of Nepal’s phone companies.
HEALTH CHALLENGES
At the age of 25, Mala started experiencing difficulty hearing out of her left ear. Ten years later, her right ear started failing as well. She was scheduled to have an operation for both ears in the spring of 2017 for $500. While that sounds cheap by American standards, $500 is more than most Nepali households make in 3 years. Mala is still saving for the surgery.
INCREDIBLE ATTITUDE
If you didn’t talk with her, you wouldn’t expect to learn that Mala has had such hurtles in life. She constantly wears a large smile, laughs easily and has an easy going nature.
Ambika
Kathmandu, Bhalku
Home District: Dhading
Children: 1 adult daughter, 2 teenage sons
Ambika moved to Kathmadu with her family in 2001 in search of better work and education opportunities. While she never went to school, her daughter graduated all the way through high school, and her sons are getting ready for their high school exit examinations. Her husband works laying pipe for drinking water across the city. Aid Through Trade is Ambika's first employer and she's loved her first year of bracelet making.
WHAT SHE LIKES ABOUT WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE:
working from home, feeling like her own boss.
HOW SHE SPENDS HER EARNINGS:
towards her children's education and an occasional coffee for herself.
Suntali
Kathmandu, Kalanki
Home District: Dhading
Children: 1 son, 1 daughter
As with many village women, Suntali was taken out of school after grade 6 in order to help her family with house and farm work. In 2002, at the age of 20, she got married and moved to Kathmandu. Suntali and her husband had flirted as teenagers; before they were married, they gave each other tattoos on their hands. Once in Kathmandu, Suntali’s sister introduced her to bead work, and she has worked for Aid Through Trade ever since.
WHY SHE LIKES WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE
Suntali likes that she can stay at home and be with her children while working. Her oldest daughter, now 12, has a scholarship for school. Her second child is only 2 years old.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
Suntali likes to work and to dance, though not at the same time. She says she would read, but she doesn’t remember how.
Rita
Kathmandu, Kuleswor
Home District: Khavre
Children: 2 daughters
School wasn’t available for Rita in the remote village where she grew up. So she and her husband moved to Kathmandu right after they were married, seeking job opportunities and better education options for their children. Soon thereafter her husband got a visa to work as a driver in Saudi Arabia. He’s been there for 8 years, returning home to visit once every 2 years. He sends money home to pay for rent and their two daughters schooling. Rita has been making jewelry for the past 5 years, 3 of which with ATT. She enjoys the work, and appreciates having a little spending money for herself and snacks.
THE 2015 EARTHQUAKE
Both her family’s home in Kavre and her home in Kathmandu were damaged beyond repair by the 2015 earthquake. They have rebuilt in Kathmandu, but her family only began to rebuild their village home in the winter of 2016, a year and a half after the disaster.
CITY OR VILLAGE?
When asked if she’d ever consider moving back to village, Rita said no – she finds city life more fun.
Kima
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Baglung
Children: 2 sons, 1 daughter
Kima is an exception to the rule: as a girl growing up in a rural village in the 80’s she studied through grade 10 – a rare feat indeed. She got married at 21, had three children and lived a quiet life in the Baglung hills until the civil war disrupted everything. Insurgents would come to the house demanding $1000-$2000 to avoid violence. When they couldn’t pay, the insurgents would steal from them. So in 2004 the family moved to Kathmandu.
SUPPORTING HER CHILDREN
Her daughter studies architecture, and her twin sons are about to complete high school. Aid Through Trade is Kima’s first employer. She feels good being able to provide extra money for her children’s schooling and enjoys working while chatting with friends.
IN HER SPARE TIME
When she has a free afternoon, she goes to temple with her friends. She’s been to all of the major Hindu and Buddhist temples in Kathmandu, but her favorite is Pashupatinath, where a large ceremony is held nightly.
Goma
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Makwanpur
Children: 1 son
Goma grew up in a remote district in the high Himalaya. She recalls walking through the snow on her way to school in winter months. When she was 16, she moved to Kathmandu with her siblings, and was married shortly thereafter. Her husband runs a tiny produce stand and convenience store from their front room that allows them to get by. But there are many such shops around, so it doesn’t make much. She started making bracelets for Aid Through Trade in 2013 to supplement their income, mostly spending the money on clothing for her son. Two of her brothers have moved overseas for work, one to South Korea and the other to Dubai. They send money back to their wives and children, but not for others.
Sushma
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: none
Sushma is the 19 year old daughter of another Aid Through Trade worker, Sushila. She started working for Aid Through Trade at the same time as her mother, around 2012, to help pay for her father’s diabetes medicine and to pay for her college education. She’s proud of being able to make her own money for schooling. She is currently in the second year of her Bachelors in Commerce and dreams of working in a bank one day, either in Kathmandu or the US.
AMBITIONS
If she gets a chance to go abroad she will, because she feels it would give her greater opportunities.
WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK
She enjoys listening to pop music from Nepal, India and the US while she works.
Mina
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 2 daughters, 1 son
Mina met her husband for the first time on their wedding day. She was 17. Two years later she had their first daughter. Her husband works as a long distance bus driver, and is constantly on the road back and forth between the western Terai districts and Kathmandu. Mina started working for Aid Through trade in 2005 as her first job. Though she studied to grade 6, she hasn’t trained to do any other work.
Her eldest daughter, now 19, is studying at a local college to become a staff nurse, and works at a pizza shop to pay her school fees. Her second daughter just completed her high school exit exam. And her son has just started high school.
WHY SHE LIKES WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE:
She can set her own hours around other household duties and doesn’t have to commute through Kathmandu’s terrible traffic.
WHAT MAKES HER HAPPY
"I'm happy when my family is happy!". She enjoys taking them out on an occasional sight-seeing trip to Kathmandu’s many large temples.
Renu
Kathmandu, Kalanki
Home District: Sankhuwasabha
Children: 1 daughter and 1 son
Renu enjoyed the fresh water and vegetables available in her home village in the northeastern Sankhuwasabha district. But they didn't have electricity and generally lived poorly. Good schools and hospitals were very far. She only studied to grade 3. So Renu and her husband relocated to Kathmandu shortly before welcoming their first child, over 20 years ago now. Her husband works as a construction laborer specializing in painting. Before joining Aid Through Trade, Renu also did a little manual labor, but she found it difficult to continue while raising her children. She started working for Aid Through Trade in 2014 and enjoys it very much, especially learning fun new designs.
HOW SHE SPENDS HER EARNINGS:
her children's education, and maintaining a good home for them.
ABOUT HER WORK:
“We can't go to America, but we're happy our designs do!”
Usha
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Baglung
Children: 1 son, 1 daughter
YOUTH DISRUPTED
Usha grew up in Baglung district with Kirmati, another Aid Through Trade artisan. With an ill mother, Usha dropped out of school early to help her older sister with household duties. She had enjoyed school, and returned when she was 21 for one year after marriage but was never able to complete primary school. Living in a rural insurgent stronghold and her husband in the army, her family suffered a lot of harassment during the civil war. Groups of 4-5 men would show up at their house demanding to take their cows, or for her to prepare rice pudding for them on a monthly basis. As the harassment turned from petty demands to violence, their family fled to Kathmandu.
MAKING ENDS MEET
After the war was over, her husband moved to the flat plains to work as a goat farmer. He sends money to pay for rent and the chidlren’s school tuition, and comes to Kathmandu to see them about once every six months. They never made enough money to build their own house in Kathmandu, and with real estate demand pushing rent prices ever higher, Usha struggles to get by. She used to make beaded malas, but was only paid 2 nepali rupees per necklace. She says the employer was abusive, making them work long hours without any breaks or food. She discovered Aid Through Trade in 2012 and has been much happier with the work and pay.
Emuna
Kathmandu, Dhunga Adda
Home District: Nepalgunj
Children: none
Emuna is a giggling twenty-something who enjoys making jewlery for Aid Through Trade for side-income while she works toward bigger goals. She moved in with her uncle’s family in Kathmandu after completing grade 12, and spends her days saving and studying to take exams for medical school. Emuna hopes to become a doctor one day.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
When not studying, watching her nieces or making bracelets, Emuna likes to visit new neighborhoods and temples with her friends.
Thuli
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Bara
Children: 2 sons, 3 daughters, 3 granddaughters, 2 grandsons
LIVING HISTORY
Thuli grew up in the Nepal’s hot flat lands before most of the country had vehicular roads, electricity or improved access to water. In that time schools were rare for any villager, and girls attending school was practically unheard of. She had an arranged marriage at age 18, and they moved to Kathmandu with their 5 children in 1986 where they bought land and farmed in Kathmandu’s lush valley. Over the past 30 years they’ve watched the agricultural land rapidly yield to construction, accelerating pointedly during the peak of the civil war from year 2000 onward. When subsistence farming was no longer an option, Thuli’s husband became a driver. Now they both stay at the home of their eldest son, now 41 years old.
WHY SHE WORKS FOR AID THROUGH TRADE
Thuli, 61, started making bracelets for Aid Through Trade in 2012 as a way to pass the time and make a bit of spending cash for herself. She spends most of her earnings on temple visits.
Sarsoti
Kathmandu, Bhalku
Home District: Dhading
Children: 1 son
Sarsoti moved to Kathmandu with her husband shortly after giving birth to their son in 2013. When he's old enough she hopes to find good schooling for him there. While her husband maintains steady work in construction, it’s hardly enough to get by. Sarsoti never attended school. She's worked for Aid Through Trade for just over a year and is enjoying the freedom that comes with working from home.
Her 12 year old cousin also stays with them, like a daughter, and attends local government school.
WHAT SHE LIKES ABOUT WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE:
that she can contribute to the family home while still doing her duties as a mother and a wife, and an aunt. What money doesn't go into the house, Sarsoti puts into a women's savings group.
WHAT SHE DREAMS ABOUT:
to visit the United States one day to see what it's like.
Gita
Kathmandu, Kalanki
Home District: Dhading
Children: 1 daughter
Gita studied until grade 9, when her family took her out of school to help with the house and farm work. She married her teenage sweetheart against her family’s wishes and had a daughter almost immediately. For income, she collected fodder for other farmers. Her husband developed a drinking problem in village, so when their daughter reached the school age Gita convinced him to move to Kathmandu. He now works as a driver. Gita started working for ATT when she reached Kathmandu.
TENSION AT HOME
Gita described home life as tense right now because they only have a daughter. In Hinduism, every family is expected to have at least one son in order to carry out important religious rituals, including lighting the fire of their parent’s funeral pyre.
Babita
Kathmandu, Bhaisipati
Home District: Makwanpur
Children: 2 teenage sons
Babita dropped out of school after grade six in order to help her family with household work, and then to get married. She never returned to school. She moved to Kathmandu with her husband in 2002, shortly after their first son was born. He husband works as an automotive and motorcycle mechanic. In 2010, Babita started artisan work in order to supplement the family income. But her previous employer kept her outside in cold conditions, leading to several cases of pneumonia. Her doctor instructed her to leave the job. In 2014 she started working for Aid Through Trade, which allowed her to work from home in better conditions.
GIVING BACK TO HER COMMUNITY:
Babita taught many other women how to make these bracelets for Aid Through Trade, especially after the 2015 earthquake when she found so many in need of extra income to rebuild their homes.
WHY SHE WORKS:
To support a peaceful home and family. “When they are happy, I am happy!”
Samjana
Kathmandu, Bhaisipati
Home District: Sinduli
Children: 1 son
Samjana moved to Kathmandu the year after her son was born, both in effort to make more money and to provide better schooling for him. Her husband remains in their village home in Sinduli district working as a farmer. Samjana only went to school for 2 or 3 years, providing her with few employable skills, so she started making jewelry.
WHAT SHE MISSES ABOUT VILLAGE:
the weather and restfulness
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
the sound of rain
Anju
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 1 daughter, 1 son
Anju had an arranged married at the age of 15 and gave birth to her first child at 18. She never studied. Her husband is a farmer, producing enough for their family to eat and a little extra to sell. Seeking both the extra income and to escape the strain of farm work, Anju started working for Aid Through Trade in 2008. Farm work, she says, required working outside rain or shine, in the heat or in the cold. Making bracelets is much easier.
HOW SHE SPENDS HER EARNINGS:
she puts her wages toward the household when it’s needed, but enjoys it when she can spend it on herself. Other women have asked her about having her own work, and it makes her feel proud.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
watching films with her friends or just chatting while she works.
A PROUD MOTHER
Both of Anju’s children are fully grown. Her daughter studied accounting and recently married a handsome gentlemen of her choice. Anju is proud to give her daughter the choice to marry who she wanted. Anju’s son recently completed his coursework in hotel management.
Hima
Kathmandu, Bhaisipati
Home District: Palpa
Children: 2 daughters and 1 son
Hima studied until class 4 in her home village – the highest grade offered when she was growing up. When she grew to have children of her own, she moved to Kathmandu just as they reached schooling age. Her husband works abroad in Oman loading freight onto ships, coming home to visit once every 2 years. In order to supplement the remittance money coming in from her husband, Hima used to work as a cleaning lady for a German family. She enjoyed the work, but as her own family grew from just one child to three, she had to leave. She started working for Aid Through Trade in 2014.
WHY SHE LIKES WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE
She can make money while passing the time chatting with her friends at her house or theirs.
FUN FACT:
Her name is rooted in the Nepali word for mountain, himal.
Usha
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 1 daughter and 1 son
Usha got permission from her family marry the young man she loved at age 17. She had just completed her general education with a focus on Economics. Shortly thereafter, her husband went to Dubai to work as a UN peace keeping officer. He returned after 4 years and now works as a security officer for a hotel in Kathmandu’s tourist district. She’s happy to have him home.
WHY SHE WORKS FOR AID THROUGH TRADE
Usha started making bracelets for Aid Through Trade shortly after she completed school in 2008. She likes working from home and earning money that she can spend as she pleases. “I can afford to have coffee and snacks with friends without asking my husband for cash,” she told me with a smile.
Sabita
Kathmandu, Kuleswor
Home District: Nuwakot
Children: 1 son
Sabita moved in with her older brother in Kathmandu when she was 8 years old. She never studied, but fell in love with her husband by age 17. Her family initially did not approve of the marriage, but in the 15 years that have passed they have accepted him. Sabita started making jewelry at age 20, initially for another company. But that company didn’t provide consistent work, and frequently fell behind on distributing wages. She’s worked for Aid Through Trade since 2014 and is much happier. She uses her earnings for rent money.
IN HER FREE TIME:
When not making bracelets or taking care of the house, Sabita tends lovingly to her son and walks around with friends.
REFLECTIONS
Sabita feels she would have had greater opportunities for her life if she had studied.
Ranju
Kathmandu, Dhunga Adda
Home District: Makwanpur
Children: 2 daughters
Ranju is a sweet young mother who moved to Kathmandu with her husband two years ago seeking work. He spends his days as a mechanic in an automotive garage, while she stays at home making bracelets and watching their small daughters. Ranju studied through grade 8 and enjoyed mathematics.
WHAT SHE LIKES ABOUT WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE
She appreciates having a source of income she can earn from home.
MISSING VILLAGE LIFE
While she has enjoyed her time in Kathmandu, she says she liked living in village more. There, they owned their own home and were surrounded by family. She goes home to visit family as often as she can.
Devi
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LOVE DEFINED
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FAVORITE THING ABOUT NORTHERN UGANDA
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MESSAGE TO THOSE WHO PURCHASED YOUR PRODUCT
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Mira
Kathmandu, Kalanki
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 2 sons
Mira studied until grade 6, then left school to help around the house and prepare to be a wife. She had an arranged marriage at the age of 16. Her husband now works as a taxi driver in the bustling streets of Kathmandu. Their eldest son, age 22, only recently returned to grade 11 to complete his HS studies. He hopes to leave the country in search of work, and Mira hopes he’ll take her with him. In the mean time, Mira makes bracelets for ATT for extra money to buy things for the house. She’s been making bracelets for 5 years now and it’s the first employment she’s ever had.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
When asked what she likes to do for fun, Mira replied, “What’s fun after marriage?” recalling instead the joy of playing as a child. These days she looks forward to the holidays each year, filling in the time between with hindi soap operas.
Kopila
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 2 daughters
Kopila started making jewelry shortly after she was married in 2004 to supplement her husband’s income. Her husband works as an accountant for a small medical supply shop. Her sister in law taught her how to make bracelets, and she’s continued with bead work ever since. She completed her general education and enjoyed economics the most. But finding work related to her studies while balancing her social obligations as a wife and mother proved difficult.
SHE'S HAPPIEST WHEN:
she’s working, and when her children have finished their homework so she can rest while they play.
Prejana
Kathmandu, Kalanki
Home District: Makwanpur
Children: 1 son
Prejana moved to Kathmandu with her husband shortly after they got married. In village, Prejana had to work full time as a farmer; in Kathmandu she tried to continue working full time as a house keeper, but found it difficult to manage with a small child. Her husband continued to work as a welder, as he had in village, and has gotten better business in Kathmandu, enabling Prejana to work from home with Aid Through Trade.
URBAN LIFE
Prejana is happy that business and education opportunities are much better for them in the big city, but finds the expense of food and rent difficult.
IN HER FREE TIME:
Prejana helps her son with homework and dances as much as possible.
Sanu
Kathmandu, Dhunga Adda
Home District: Sindhuli
Children: 1 daughter and 1 son
Sanu, a nickname meaning “small”, has been making beaded jewelry for 5 years. She started with another company in Nepal, but came to work for Aid Through Trade because it pays better and allows for more flexible work hours. She was married at age 18 and her husband joined the army promptly after their first child was born. Ten years later, he’s still in the army, coming home to visit his family usually once a month.
WHY SHE LIKES WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE:
Sanu likes to watch music videos while she works, and appreciates that she doesn’t have to commute in the heavy Kathmandu traffic each morning.
Nirmala
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Nuwakot
Children: 1 son, 1 daughter
Nirmala grew up in a hill district just north of Kathmandu. Despite being so close as the crow flies, it takes her 10 hours to reach home by public transportation. Her family moved to Kathmandu when she was ten years old; her father builds furniture and sought the larger market offered by the city. Nirmala studied through grade ten, the standard basic education for Nepal, and then her family set up an arranged marriage. An early pregnancy prevented her from continuing her studies, much to her frustration. She really enjoyed learning. She only studied in public schools where the english education was very poor, so she and her husband made english-speaking private school a priority for their children.
WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE
Nirmala didn’t have time to work when her children were small; once they got bigger, she took her first job with Aid Through Trade. She spends the earnings on snacks and school supplies for her children. She makes an excellent cup of milk tea.
Dhan Kumari
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Surkhet
Children: 2 daughters
Dhan Kumari may not have attended school as a girl, but she was allowed to marry for love. She and her husband have been happily married for 17 years now and have two well-educated daughters. Dhan Kumari started working for ATT in 2015 after learning how to make the bracelets from friends. It’s the first job shes ever had. She puts the earnings entirely toward her daughters.
RECENT ADVENTURES:
Dhan Kumari recently road a cable car for the first time and had a great time. At the top she visited a temple.
Chami
Kathmandu, Thankot
Home District: Nepalgunj
Children: 1 son
Chami grew up in Nepalgunj, a dusty border town in Nepal’s south west. She studied up to grade 9, and particularly enjoyed math (she found English especially difficult). Her family moved to Kathmandu when she was 26, and shortly thereafter she got married. Her husband is ex-army, and now sits around the house most days. Chami started working for ATT about a year ago to earn a little money for herself.
IN HER FREE TIME
Chami enjoys exploring new places with her friends and family, and is blessed with a perpetually positive attitude.
Pramila
Kathmandu, Kalanki
Home District: Okhaldhunga
Children: 1 son
Pramila starting working for Aid Through Trade shortly after her mother, Indira, in 2014. Though she had studied through grade 8, Pramila had not sought employment before. She was married at age 18 and tended to her four year old son at home. Aid Through Trade started as a fun way to pass the time for her, earning extra money to buy nice clothes for her son. Recently she has started working in the office for a local soda distributor for seven hours a day, six days a week.
WHAT SHE ENJOYS MOST:
watching Hindi soap operas at home.
WHAT SHE DREAMS ABOUT:
“I'd like to go somewhere bigger some day.”
Indira
Kathmandu, Kalanki
Home District: Kathmandu
Children: 3 adult daughters and 1 teenage son
Two years ago Indira started working for the first time in her life. Her husband works as a long-distance bus driver, frequently traversing the length of the country. Her four children have all completed high school, and two daughters are married with children.
WHY SHE LIKES WORKING FOR AID THROUGH TRADE:
it allows her to earn money toward rent while watching her grandchildren.
SHE LOVES:
nepali milk tea, chiya.
Rukmati
Jooni Girls Hostel
Dang District of western Nepal
Pinky
Jooni Girls Hostel
Dang District of western Nepal
Sila
Manpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
Hira
Manpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
Neha
Manpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
Sarmila
Manpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
Krishna Lata
Ratanpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
As a girl, Krishna Lata received a school scholarship from Aid Through Trade. Now, she leads our scholarship program and has helped us identify over 500 students in need.
Urmilla
Ratanpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
Laxmi
Ratanpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
Urmilla
Ratanpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
Maya
Ratanpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal
Bina
Ratanpur Village
Dang District of western Nepal