CCF is pleased to share the news that thanks to our generous donors like you, the Kirtipur Weaving Group’s earthquake resilient workshop has been built and is soon to be filled with looms, weavers and activity. The weavers of Kirtipur, near Kathmandu, had their looms in their homes before the April and May 2015 earthquakes but most of their homes were destroyed making it impossible to produce any weavings or earn needed income. CCF initially assisted them in rebuilding their homes then waited as they decided how they wanted to proceed in the future. After securing their homes and recovering a bit from the trauma of the earthquake the group determined that they wanted to have a weaving workshop where they could come together to weave.

Sudha Maharjan(photo), with a masters in social work, now leads the group. Her mother Laxmi was the initial founder. Sudha remembers her mother saying to her daughters, “Wake up early and help me to weave if you want to get delicious lunch and pay your school fees”. So Sudha and her sister used to wake up at 4 am to weave before heading to school. Gradually, they started to try new techniques and affiliated themselves with a Fair Trade buyer. “We had nothing, but now we have our own homes, live a decent life by fulfilling all our wishes and provide employment opportunities to other weavers to uplift their living standard is a dream come true” adds Sudha.

In the Kirtipur Weaving Group, there are 10 weavers and 10 women who warp the looms. They are very excited about their new workshop which is more spacious and has better lighting and airflow. The nearby toilet and store room are added benefits. The weavers look forward beginning to weave together in their new space after the October Dashain festival and in the future they hope to train new, younger weavers and hold workshops in this community space.