2025 various projects
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It has now been 10 years since we carried out our first humanitarian action in Nepal. In 2015, the country was hit by two severe earthquakes, causing many deaths, injuries and destruction. That was the year after our first trip, where we had been impressed by the enormous kindness of the inhabitants, despite their poverty. Without hesitation, we set up a humanitarian operation. We then continued our commitment and provided assistance in various ways, in close collaboration with our Nepalese friends.
Our humanitarian association, Saano kosheli, will continue to exist and our projects will be continued.
However, we will stop selling our beautiful, handmade Nepalese products. These are therefore our last markets.
We would like to thank you very much for your support, loyalty and trust during all the years you have been buying our products.
Dheri dheri dhanyabaad
• 2025 AGENDA MARCHÉS DE NOËL •
sam 22 nov • VERNET-CHAMÉANE • 10-18h
Marché de Noël au Château de Montfort
dim 23 nov • ST GENÈS LA TOURETTE • 9-19h
Salon Artisanale et Bien-Être, salle polyvalente
dim 7 déc • ÉCHANDELYS • 8-18h
Salle des fêtes, Le Bourg
mar 2 déc • SAUXILLANGES • 9-12.30h
Chez Christine : 6 Place la Liberté (maison aux volets bleus)
pendant le marché hebdomadaire
mar 9 déc • SAUXILLANGES • 9-12.30h
Chez Christine : 6 Place la Liberté (maison aux volets bleus)
pendant le marché hebdomadaire
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• APRIL 2025 • EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME & PACKETS FOR 300 GIRLS & WOMEN
The aim is to provide participants with valuable knowledge about menstruation, puberty and the importance of (reproductive) health, of both women and men. The session will conclude with the distribution of packets of reusable and washable sanitary pads.
This program was actually supposed to take place on International Women’s Day. But making and assembling 300 packets took much more time than anticipated:
sewing 2400 cotton sanitary pads, 600 holders, 300 cloth bags, 300 carry pouches, 300 wash clothes, purchasing 600 panties and 300 soaps, printing 300 copies of instruction charts and menstrual calendars!
• This training creates awareness and self-confidence, laying a strong foundation for healthier, safer and more empowered communities •
300 GIRLS/WOMEN HAVE BEEN INVITED
We, Saano kosheli and Maya Devi Khaitu of DFGN (Days for Girls Nepal), have been working together for several years. It gives Maya and her team the opportunity to reach out to forgotten, disadvantaged groups.
Maya’s ‘Ambassadors of Women’s Health’ programme is concise but comprehensive and offers a high-impact learning experience.
There are participants from the Rai, Tamang, Bankariya, Chepang, Brahmin, Chhetri and many other underprivileged minorities. Despite all these different ethnic groups and cultures with different economic backgrounds, everyone participated in the discussions.
• This programme reinforced the importance of creating safe spaces where women feel comfortable to share personal experiences and ask questions without fear or shame •
THE PROGRAMME
The training was split into 2 groups due to the huge turnout. The first group, led by Seema and Manjilla, covered a wide range of topics: from understanding menstruation and puberty to information on anatomy, conception and menstrual hygiene. Participants were also given a detailed introduction on washable sanitary pads, how they are made, used and cared for. Other sections focused on personal hygiene but also self-defence and awareness around human trafficking. Group two led by Maya and Sikha, followed the same programme so everyone could benefit from this informative training.
The discussions arise through questionnaires and question-and-answer session. The audience was open and happy to finally talk openly about this taboo subject. Many women shared their personal experiences and cultural practices, simultaneously creating a safe space for dialogue and learning. The day ended with an uplifting talk on self-confidence and handing out of the 300 packets of reusable and washable sanitary pads and snacks, also very important.
OUTCOME
The discussions revealed that there is a severe lack of access to reliable menstrual products and accurate reproductive health information, especially for these women from marginalised backgrounds. However, it also reveals a strong willingness among participants to learn, adapt and support each other in breaking the silence around menstruation.
These workshops serve as a platform for open dialogue, making women feel heard, valued and more confident to discuss these issues both at home and in their communities. A very important step in breaking longheld stigmas.
THANKS
‘On behalf of DFGN, we would like to sincerely thank Saano Kosheli and Jacqueline for their valuable contribution to this special programme, making it a reality. Thanks to your support, we can reach more girls and women and for that we are extremely grateful.’ Maya
‘We greatly appreciate the considerable time and effort Meera and the local DFGN team invested in the making, collecting and packing of the DFGN kits. Your efforts make a tangible difference in the lives of the people we help. Finally, we would like to thank the school committee for providing the venue. Your continuous support throughout the training period provided a welcoming and stimulating environment for learning and growth.’ Maya and Saano kosheli
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• MARCH 2025 • PROJECT IN THE PIPELINE • 300 PACKETS OF REUSABLE SANITARY PADS
SAANO KOSHELI AND MAYA COLLABORATE TO DISTRIBUTE 300 PACKETS OF REUSABLE SANITARY PADS DURING AN EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS PROGRAMME
Maya (DFGN Nepal and our colleague) is convinced of the life-changing power of menstrual health education. She travels to remote regions to get this topic discussed with tireless enthusiasm.
During this programme, on the occasion of International Women’s Day*, packets of sanitary pads are distributed.
The women (also marginalised) who work in DFGN’s fair trade workshop are hard at work making them
Apart from being a financial saving and a sustainable solution, this reusable and washable sanitary pad offers freedom of movement for Nepalese girls/women above all!
• Menstruation is a natural process, not a taboo •
* International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
Currently actual all over the world again!
PREPARATION:
• sewing 2400 cotton sanitary pads, 600 holders, 300 cloth bags, 300 carry pouches and 300 wash clothes
• purchasing 600 panties and 300 soaps
• printing 300 copies of instruction charts and menstrual calendars.
Once this is all realised and gathered together, Maya will go to the adjacent area with 2 assistants (see text Jan 2025).
Here, 300 girls/women from ethnic minorities will be invited to be educated about menstruation (taboo, stigma, hygiene, health…), to increase their knowledge (puberty, reproductive health…) and to receive a packet of sanitary pads.
♥︎ More information about chaupadi et DFGN Nepal
Your contribution is most welcome, deri deri dhanyabaad
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• JAN 2025 • REQUEST FOR AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR 300 GIRLS/WOMEN AND DISTRIBUTION OF 300 PACKETS OF REUSABLE SANITARY PADS
Target group • 300 Bankarya, Rai and Tamang girls, women and mothers. They do not own land and live on government land.
Problem • Limited access to (affordable) products for menstrual hygiene, lack of knowledge and deep-rooted cultural taboos around menstruation.
Consequence • This lack leads to health risks, limited participation in education and economic activities and social stigma. As indigenous and ethnic groups, these communities face systemic discrimination and limited access to essential services, exacerbating their vulnerability.
Organised • By Maya Devi Khaitu from Days for Girls Nepal, non-profit ngo, dedicated to ensuring that every woman and girl has ready access to menstrual hygiene supplies and education.
Financed • 100%par Saano kosheli
. . . . . there are 142 ethnic groups in Nepal . . . . .
According to the latest census (2021), the Bankarya group is the second smallest ethnic group in terms of extremely small minorities in Nepal. The Bankarya ancestors were nomadic hunters in the far south and lived in complete harmony with what the jungle had to offer. Their traditional customs and religion were mainly influenced by animism.
But since the creation of national parks, these minorities have been seen as a threat to wildlife conservation*. They were given a piece of land and forced to live as farmers, without any knowledge of modern agriculture. Losing their right to self-determination, this group is in an identity crisis. Living conditions are poor, government allowances are minimal and ethnic awareness is low.
This indigenous group has its own language but due to the influence of Nepali, it is in danger of disappearing, with only a few elderly speaking the native language fluently. Even though they celebrate fully traditional festivals and have rituals for birth, marriage and death, people are unaware of this due to the lack of education.
* The National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act (NPWCA) of 1973 is the overarching law for protected areas. The law has long been criticised for prioritising wildlife protection and ignoring the needs of people living in protected areas. Local community people, activists and elected representatives in these areas are demanding that the law be substantially amended.
But despite five amendments, the law remains unchanged. Section 3.1 of the NPWC Act states that the government can declare an area a national park “by publishing a notification in the Nepal Gazette and indicating its boundary”.
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• AGENDA SUMMER MARKETS of 2025 • the dates are not yet known
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2024 • SUMMARY
♥︎ SUMMER & CHRISTMAS MARKETS
Thanks to the sale of our Nepalese handicraft products in 2024 at the summer (Fournols, Sauxillanges, St Genès la Tourette) and Christmas markets (Auzelles, Échandelys, St Genès la Tourette, St Germain l’Herm, Sauxillanges, Vernet-Chaméane, Vic le Comte), Saano kosheli was once again able to generate a nice budget to realise new projects. This year we will again be present at regional markets in the parc Livradois-Forez (Auvergne), where our products are very much appreciated.
We would like to thank everyone who has bought from us and/or has donated.
We also want to thank all the Nepalese artisans from whom we buy for their commitment, dedication and beautiful handicrafts.
Of course, we like to thank everyone who follows and supports Saano Kosheli in any way.
When we are not in Nepal, our projects are realised thanks to the cooperation of our Nepalese friends and colleagues, whom we would like to thank immensely for their enthusiasm, commitment and time.
It’s very unfortunate that we can’t be there, but thanks to their photos and videos we can travel with them and share their experience from a distance.
DHERI DHERI DHANYABAAD
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