We cannot always do great things...
But small things with great love
GIVE NOW"The biggest change is that I can now see hope for the future. We can do anything if we do it together."
Mena, Kailali Region
Why do Self Help Groups have such an impact?
Right now in Nepal, rising prices are hitting families hard. Hunger is real. Hope can be in short supply as more and more people leave Nepal to find work in neighbouring countries.
Bringing people together to work from their strengths to overcome their challenges is powerful
We know Self Help Groups work...
And we know how to make your support go further!
International Nepal Fellowship Australia is a valued partner of the Australian Government, receiving flexible funding under the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) each year to implement development and poverty alleviation programs overseas. We have committed to contribute $1 for every $5 we receive from the Australian government.
Every donation you make to this project will be combined with funding from the Australian Government to reach more people.
Please give before June 30
All donations $2 and more are tax deductible. If the total we receive exceeds the amount required for this project, it will be allocated to similar Community Development Projects in Western Nepal.
Thank you!
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Sponsorship OpportunitiesMena's story
"It sounded like a dream come true! I wanted to join straight away!"
Twelve months ago, Mena (top left) lived alone with her fourteen year old daughter in a community in Kailali region, western Nepal. Her husband and son were both away in other regions working, sending home money to help keep food on the table and young Prema in school.
But the war in Ukraine, with its impact on fuel prices, and slow recovery of the economy after COVID-19, mean everything in Nepal is more expensive than ever - and there just aren't enough opportunities to earn a living.
A year ago, Mena joined a Self Help Group run by our partner, Welfare Association for Children, Tikapur (WACT), in her community. She wants to be able to keep her daughter in school and has been labouring in local paddy fields to earn a little extra to add to the family income.
The work was irregular, demanding and paid very little. It seemed likely to Mena that her daughter would need to leave school, like her son, and try to find employment outside the community in a hotel or as a domestic worker.
Then facilitators from our partner WACT visited the community to talk about a new model of development that bring women together to meet their own challenges.
"I was so excited to join this group, especially because you didn't already have to have some money to join," Mena says. "This meant we could all come to learn news things and start to earn our own incomes. We even contribute a small amount each month to savings that any group member can use if they have need. This means we don't need to borrow from the landlords, who charge us very high interest."
Now the Treasurer of the group, Mena learnt from her facilitator about how to breed goats, care for them and get the best price at market.
"I now have one goat and two babies, and I hope to have more soon," Mena says. "I've also learnt a lot about how to prepare food safely, clean water and the importance of hygiene. This makes a very big difference."
I think the biggest thing is now I can see a plan for the future. We can do anything if we do it together.
Mena, Kailali Region
Some of the women in Mena's Self Help Group
Our promise to you
International Nepal Fellowship is fully accredited with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and a Registered Charity with ACN. We carefully monitor every dollar to ensure your funds are used wisely in Nepal and here in Australia to give people the power to change their own lives.
In every dollar:
- 83 cents supports projects including advocacy and education in Nepal and Australia to equip people working for change
- 11 cents allows us to implement our projects and account for the way vital funds are used
- 6 cents is invested back into raising funds to support people in Nepal and ensure we're sustainable for the future
Women's Self Help groups are part of a project called CONNECT run in the Kailali district by our partner Welfare Association for Children, Tikapur (WACT).
Their ambitious plan is to add 30 groups over the next three years to directly support at least another 1500 women, with thousands more in the community to benefit.
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