Single mothers with no way to provide for their family are being given a renewed opportunity to make a steady income. Anand, a local leader in Nepal, runs a small-scale mask making project that employs 40 of the most impoverished women in the community and pays a generous wage so they can support their children. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, Anand found it difficult to retain the capital needed to buy substantial amounts of cloth to fulfill large orders for wholesaling. Now, because of the lockdown, selling to individuals has become impossible. These complications forced his operation to shut down.
A generous group of donors heard about this project through SowHope and offered to help Anand take his business to the next level, thus ensuring that the women could begin working again. The women, whose low social status makes finding work difficult, are now able to pay for their children’s school fees, provide food for the family, and produce an important product in a time of great demand and crisis. The women will have a steady job with a good income that gives them the ability to pay for their children’s school fees, provide food for the family, and reduce poverty.
The women will be able to make an estimated 50,000 masks in the first month with SowHope’s funding. They will earn a fair wage while the rest of the profits will be reinvested back into the business to ensure financial sustainability, which is critical for the stability of the women’s future. Additionally, face masks are an every day part of the attire in Nepal due to high pollution levels, providing consistent demand once the crisis has been contained.
Without the generous support of donors just like you, this renewed opportunity would not be possible. Thank you for continuing to help inspire impoverished women around the world.