Volunteer at a Women's Awareness Center in Nepal

Elaine L.
from United Kingdom
Volunteered for 6 weeks at the "Women’s Awareness Centre Nepal"



"It was good to know that the work I was helping with really made a difference; it was a real eye opener, you hear about trafficking and organ selling, but you’re so far removed from it, it doesn’t register. Although my work was office based, I visited a field office and stayed with a Nepali family. I got to see their work in action and the difference they were making. The women I worked with were extremely friendly and looked after me like I was family."



"While I was there, I helped with the following:

Corrected their English on reports, funding proposals, and articles for newspapers.

They helped me learn Nepali in exchange for some conversational English lessons.

There was some opportunity to impart computer knowledge. Eg shortcuts to the desktop, cut and paste using ctrl + x / v, etc.

When I visited their field office, I stayed with a Nepali family. I saw the cooperatives in action, they showed me the tourist sights, I visited a school and visited a lady who’s life had been changed by the loan they were able to give her. I saw how she had put into practice the farming methods she was taught. She is now able to earn money and is not poverty stricken."

About The Women's Awareness Center:
Location: Gyaneshwor, Nepal

WACN was established by a group of women who were interested in rural women’s development. WACN is run entirely by women. WACN’s programs enable women to participate in the decision-making process of the family and to join all levels of development activities. WACN’s activities are geared toward realizing our vision of creating a just and equal society by reawakening women's inherent power. WACN has found that as local women become involved in development projects they begin to gain a voice within their families and communities.

WACN’s objective is to improve the socio-economic status and self-development capacity of disadvantaged people, especially women. We accomplish this primarily through women’s savings and credit co-operatives that provide women with the opportunity to work together, and to run a “formal” financial organization. The women’s savings and access to loans often provide them with greater voice in family decisionmaking.

WACN reinforces the lessons learned through the co-operative activities with training on a variety of issues of interest to women, from income generation skills to health and gender relations.

Programs: Community-Based Development Program; Women's Saving and Credit Co-operatives; Sustainable Agriculture; Community Centers; and Networking and Advocacy.