Innovative Practice 2017 on Employment, Work and Vocational Education and Training
Felting and knitting skills as the key to self-employment
| Name of Innovative Practice: | Felting and knitting skills as the key to self-employment |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | Entire Power in Social Action (EPSA) |
| Country of Implementation | Nepal |
PROBLEMS TARGETED
Living conditions in Nepal can be extremely hard for people with disabilities, and especially for women. Due to the country’s traditionally conservative culture and male dominated society, people with disabilities are often neglected by their own families and communities, in addition to lacking opportunities to access education, knowledge, and technology. As a result, women with disabilities suffer discrimination on three levels: for their gender, for being poor, and for being disabled.
SOLUTION & METHODOLOGY
The knitting products produced under the EPSA programme are based on the demands of clients, such as foreign organizations and social entrepreneurs. EPSA collects client orders and manages all activities, such as goods collection, shipping, invoicing, and money transfers, whereas the participating women focus on the design and the production of goods. EPSA also provides a scholarship programme for the children of needy disabled women, and it runs a small rehabilitation centre for homeless disabled women.
OUTLOOK & TRANSFERABILITY
Since 2009, EPSA has become well known in Tibet, and consequently the organization receives many inquiries and requests from remote parts of the country to admit and train girls with physical disabilities. EPSA receives no public funding. Its activities are self-sustaining, and the main source of income is the sale of handicraft products. The organization has also been successful in creating greater awareness on the issues of women’s empowerment through skill development and employment.
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