Ganesh Himal Trading

Category: Education

  • CCF Partners with Nilam Poudel to Create A Path Forward for Nepal’s LGBTQIA Community.

    CCF Partners with Nilam Poudel to Create A Path Forward for Nepal’s LGBTQIA Community.

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    CCF Partners with Nilam Poudel to Create A Path Forward for Nepal’s LGBTQIA Community.

     

     

    THE STORY OF NILAM

     

    Nilam Poudel has organized for transgender rights for much of her life. From humble beginnings she has become a leading voice in the fight for trans rights across Nepal, especially when it comes to providing safe and sustainable employment for trans individuals.

    Her path to this role began in the early 2000s. While working as a child maid in Thailand to support her family of eight siblings in Nepal, Nilam took a chance: she enrolled in an extended makeup training course offered in Bangkok. Using the skills she developed, Nilam decided to start her own business—and with the income it provided her, she left her work to return to Nepal. As her business grew, she had the chance to work on several Hollywood movies (such as Black Narcissists to Our Girls) and fashion shows across the country. In her success, she recognized an opportunity for the hundreds of other trans men and women she knew in Kathmandu who were subject to the severe abuse and ostracization that she had grown up with.

    As in the United States, trans communities in Nepal are some of the most discriminated and marginalized groups. In 2007, Nepal’s Supreme Court made a groundbreaking decision on gender identity and sexual orientation that recognized equal rights for sexual minorities. The decision ordered the government to issue citizenship certificates and identity cards with a third gender option in the form of ‘other’. In 2015, Nepal joined a handful of countries around the world by adding protections for the LGBTQIA community in its constitution.

    Despite these progressive laws, however, discrimination and prejudice continued. Today, transgender individuals in Nepal continue to be excluded and rejected by their families, leaving them with few options to support themselves financially. Though sex work is illegal across Nepal, many trans women are forced to engage in it as the only means to provide for themselves.

    BUILDING CONSCIOUS CONNECTIONS

    CCF first met Nilam during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when she was trying to assist with many in the LGBTQIA community who had lost their jobs due to the lockdown. CCF Board member, Kesang Yudron, worked with Nilam to identify & distribute food rations to over 100 individuals throughout the Terai and Kathmandu. Because of the great work Nilam did in 2020, CCF worked with her again in 2021 when Covid hit Nepal the hardest. Distributing food, cooking gas and masks to another 95 individuals

    As the pressures of the pandemic receded, Nilam and Kesang began examining more long term ways of addressing the adversity faced by the LGBTQIA community. Nilam had long dreamed of providing other trans women with skill training programs like the makeup training she had received so participants could have the opportunity to leave sex work. In June of 2022, CCF partnered with Nilam once again to make this dream a reality.

    “THE FIRST TRAININGS OF THEIR KIND”

    With funding by CCF and on the ground support through Kesang, Nilam worked to organize two, 11-day certification courses for participants to learn about makeup and beautician practice. The first trainings of their kind in Nepal, they brought together 62 LGBTQIA participants from Itahari, Dharan, Biratnagar, Rajbiraj and Damak. Many of transgender participants were HIV positive and came from a background of sex work while others, like Nilam, were long-time activists and organizers for Trans rights in Nepal. One such participant, Sunil, is a central point of contact for the LGBTQIA community on social media, helping people get access to medicine and psychological help.

    Not only did these trainings provide an opportunity to learn a new skill, but they allowed participants to build confidence and build new relationships within their LGBTQIA community.

    Included in these trainings was a day-long portion on how participants could start their own business and also a final certification of completion could be used to show to salons and potential clients.

    Three months later, Nilam’s hard work has paid off:

    Three women are now in the process of opening their own beauty parlors in Southern Nepal. Nilam has been working with them to provide additional business support on how to open a beauty business. In a first for CCF, we have received several TikTok and Instagram photos with them showing their work in social media.

    Others have found jobs in local salons or are doing freelance bridal makeup work. They are now making Rs. 10,000-12,000 per day—an amount equivalent to what it would take them a full month to make before.

    For Gita Katiwall, a 26 years old queer woman from the Terai, the makeup training meant giving her a confidence to walk outside with makeup which she had never done before. She is also currently applying for jobs at makeup studios.

    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The relationship between makeup and transgender individuals in Nepal is a complex one. For many trans women, makeup is the first step to embracing their own gender identity. In the Terai, Transgender people face a high rate of homicide and face a possibility of violence every day.  Many trans participants said that wearing makeup means not getting verbally and physically abused on the street. Being more accepted by society when they fit into the female form. For transgender men, make up was helpful in appearing in a more male form.

    CCF exists to invest in the power of women and girls to be key participants in their society. This cannot happen if we allow LGBTQIA communities to be ignored or left in the margins. Nilam’s work and that of the other 62 participants in these trainings will go on to have ripple effects far into the future. All of us look forward to being there to witness what that will look like.

     

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    Newness!

    Newness! That’s what education is about. New friends, new ideas, new ways of seeing and engaging in the world, the chance to explore. That’s what Fair Trade is about, new ideas, new communities, new allies and new ways of perceiving trade and providing ways to engage in more just and equitable trade. These are challenges and opportunities we all love; learning, creating, molding and recreating newer, more imaginative, kinder and richer ways of being in the world.

    I’ve had the incredible opportunity for the last 38 years to learn to see the world through the eyes of Nepalis and have learned how much their perception exceeds anything I have been taught through a Western lens. I’ve grown so much by engaging with our Fair Trade community (that’s you) about the richness of your interactions with different cultures. And for the past 20 months I have been engaging on a weekly basis with 12 Qero elders in the Andes in a class exploring their exceptional ways of perceiving and engaging with nature. The learning never stops and it’s exciting to think of how much is out there that we still haven’t learned or even thought of seeking out.

    Newness also means accepting change and having the faith to know that together as community we can evolve. Just this week my dear friend and mentor, Executive Director and founder of The Association for Craft Producers, Meera Bhatterai, who I have worked alongside for 34 years, is retiring. Her position will be filled by her capable protege, Revita Shrestha. In her letter of retirement she states, “It’s hard to believe 38 years have passed by in a blink of an eye…. It seems like yesterday I started ACP in a rented building with just 38 artisans. Today it has become a thriving institution serving over 800 artisans and employees…I got the opportunity to serve grassroots artisans and empower them economically. It has been an immense honour … We have weathered many storms and achieved many milestones. We are proud we have become a socially oriented and commercially viable enterprise.”  Many of you know ACP and have even visited there. You know what a visionary and courageous organization for women’s empowerment it is. And so new wings will fly this amazing ship and with the strength of our community, we can help them to continue to thrive far into the future.

    So here’s to all of those heading off to school (whether at an educational institution or in the rich school of life or into retirement) and to all of us engaging in life-long learning. May your journeys be rich, mind and heart expanding and shared widely. Thanks to all of you engaged in Fair Trade for bringing our beautiful world a little closer for those who aren’t able to physically travel in it and for helping others see through new and different eyes. It is truly through these lens-opening experiences that we can touch the newness and possibility of each day.

    Namaste,

    Denise

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  • Untitled post 86467

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    CCF is so proud to present the First Place winner of the 20/21 Joy Attwood Scholarship (JA)!

    Not only did Riza receive the JA College Scholarship but she is the first from the Power of 5 program to also win entrance into the highly competitive 12 month Women Lead program in Nepal! This is such an exciting opportunity for her and she will become a great mentor to other girls in the Power of 5 program!

     

    Congratulations to this amazing young woman! We know she will go far!

     

    Here is Riza’s story. Thanks to all of our donors who have funded the Power of 5 as well as the Joy Attwood scholarships. You have been hugely instrumental in all of this!

     

    Riza Gonga Prajapati is currently pursuing A Level from Global College. She is 17 years old. She aims to continue her father’s business and to help in further growing it.

     

    “Due to restrictions and lockdown, currently I have been taking online classes but physical classes would have been more interactive with no problems of internet service. However, our classes are not affected so I feel happy about it. I like mathematics and I plan to do Bachelors in Business Administration with specialization in marketing.”

     

    “The lockdown have few pros despite of all the cons. In current situation we have been seeing various businesses emerge: many of them found online medium fruitful and are making a living out of it. So, in future I am looking forward to expanding this business and delivering in local areas. My brother is doing IT and is less interested in ceramics so I want to take our ancestral skill forward. During this lockdown I learnt to make traditional – oil & cotton wick lamps (diyo) and I want to gradually learn to make varieties of ceramics item in my leisure.”

     

    She wants to tackle poverty of her periphery and to help make a prosperous community. Despite of being educated, unemployment rate is very high. So, she wants to build a platform to provide trainings in making ceramic products and preserve the traditional skills. As a hobby she loves to sing and travel. She expressed her dream to travel Switzerland.

     

    Riza has good grades and wants to contribute and promote the handicraft sector. She says that she will be an asset for the organization due to which she feels she deserves this scholarship.

    [/fusion_text][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” content_alignment_medium=”” content_alignment_small=”” content_alignment=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” sticky_display=”normal,sticky” class=”” id=”” margin_top=”” margin_right=”” margin_bottom=”” margin_left=”” font_size=”” fusion_font_family_text_font=”” fusion_font_variant_text_font=”” line_height=”” letter_spacing=”” text_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=””]

    Riza Gonga Prajapati as a young girl in the
    CCF Power of 5 scholarship program.

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  • Ganesh Himal Trading Interview with Tekia Thompson

    Ganesh Himal Trading Interview with Tekia Thompson

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    Ganesh Himal had the chance to interview Tekia Thompson who is the assistant manager at Ten Thousand Villages in Overland Park, Kansas. She is also the host of the new talk show serving the fair trade community,  AmplifyLIVE!  Recently, she started a blog on Instagram, Black & Fair.


    GHT: Tell us all about Black & Fair and why you feel this is a topic that needs to be explored.. blog… ( what are you calling this?)

    TT: Wow where to begin. Black & Fair (an Instagram blog) was born out of the internal struggle I’ve had with myself and this question of “Where do I, a black woman who wants to support and live out the mission of fair trade fit in?” I rarely saw myself as the consumer or leader. Rather, I should say someone who represents me, a woman of color. Every trendy hip photo, blogpost, webinar, YouTube show etc. showed a certain look. I’ll be honest, a very white look.  Black & Fair is about learning, challenging, and changing the narrative of how people of color are viewed in the world of fair trade. I AM NOT an expert and I don’t speak for all people of color, but I firmly believe that the conversation should be happening and if there wasn’t a platform to do it on, so I created one myself.

    GHT: How did you get involved in fair trade?

    TT: I think I’ve always been involved in some aspect of fair trade before I even know what fair trade really was. I have spent a good majority of my life in the mission field locally and abroad and always found it disheartening when others worked alongside me believing the communities in which we served needed saving or couldn’t thrive without us there. I wanted to be different and always approached it as a place of doing life together and creating a space for others to be seen. At its core, fair trade is about putting people and planet first, so I think it has always been with me. I became more involved on the “corporate” side of things when I started working as the Assistant Manager at Ten Thousand Villages in Overland Park KS.

    GHT: How do you hope Black & Fair influences the discussion around racism within the Fair Trade Community?

    TT: My hope is to plant the seed within the fair trade community that we, people of color are a vital, active contributing part of this community! All communities in fact.  Not just as marginalized artisans but as makers, doers, dreamers and yes, leaders! I am hoping for an open, honest discussion. I know I’m walking a fine line in the content I’ve been sharing and how for some this may be great but for others I’m poking the bear. But hey we all know winter is coming and I don’t want that beast going back into hibernation. We need to be talking and actively working together to seek actual change.

    GHT: You have been leading small group discussions on racism.  What inspired you to do the small group settings? How have they been going?

    TT: Yes, my best friend who is also black started an initiative called Colorful Conversations. The focus of Colorful Conversations was to create a grace-filled space in which our white friends and family have the opportunity to openly share their thoughts, concerns, ideas and perspectives on racism and its very real impact as well as listen to our unique perspectives and experiences as black women in America. We have been leading these discussions with a spirit of grace and humility; meeting people where they are in order to build a bridge toward cultural and personal change. At first we didn’t want to even think about it but after having several talks with various friends and feeling this tug on our hearts we thought, we can do this. We have held 12 small group sessions so far and each one has been raw, real, eye opening and life changing.  Having the small groups allowed for people to feel more comfortable sharing and asking the tough questions. We have been bold in sharing our stories as well and in some ways it’s been an emotional rollercoaster and in other ways it’s been very freeing! We have been asked to create a community -wide event so that’s next on our very full plates.

    GHT: You are very busy with several projects, what do you do for fun? Or to unwind? 

    TT: SLEEP! Ha. I have been listening to a lot of music. Everything from classical to country to KPOP (yes I love Korean dramas and music)! It has helped me take a step back and regroup. I do know that I will have to slow down soon and delegate one of my many projects, so we’ll see what that will look like in the upcoming months.

    Visit Black & Fair

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  • Off-Setting Our Carbon Footprint

    Off-Setting Our Carbon Footprint

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    “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree” are the words of poet Joyce Kilmer. Words I have carried with me since childhood. I love trees, I seek their solace, shade and beauty. Recently I grew to love them even more as I listened to the words of Indian scholar and environmental activist, Dr. Vandana Shiva.  In an interview with Claire Dubois of treesisters.org Vandana so eloquently stated that if we are looking for the best way to sequester carbon and heal the earth, nature has provided us with the ultimate carbon sequestration machine… trees. They are the complex lungs of the earth and provide a way where all of us can step in to help collectively in the healing of our planet.

    Ever since Ganesh Himal Trading started we have worried about the environmental impact of transporting goods halfway around the world. To mitigate this somewhat, we have used only recycled boxes, built a super insulated, energy efficient warehouse on 40 acres that preserves pine and aspen forests and created as little waste as possible. But listening to Vandana’s words I realized we had an avenue by which to do much more. We could plant trees. Through Treesisters we found Eden Projects and are now entering into a partnership with them (read below) to plant trees in Nepal to offset the impact of each of our shipments.

    As members of the Fair Trade Federation we are required to “cultivate environmental stewardship” as “fair trade seeks to  offer current generations the ability to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. This is our commitment to you, to your customers, to our partners in Nepal and to our beautiful planet. We have been paying to plant and care for 4000 trees/year since 2019 in Nepal going forward and 1000 trees/year going backward. This tree planting, through Eden Projects, will not only help produce beauty and sequester carbon, it will also provide Nepali’s, 70% of whom are forest dependent, with good paying jobs and an ability to stay on the land for years to come. We are thrilled to be a part of this work.

    Please check out these websites above and learn more about these amazing movements. It is by all of us joining together that we can move forward through to a more loving, healthy and just world. Enjoy the fall and remember the trees.

    Namaste,

    Denise

    We plant 4,000 each year, equaling 8,000 trees planted in total over the past two years.

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  • Climate Strike / News

    Climate Strike / News

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    Climate Strike!

    On Friday, September 20th, the Ganesh Himal team joined thousands of people around the world and participated in the International Climate Strike. We attended our local event in downtown Spokane WA, to demand action on climate change now.

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    Announcing Our Plan to Off-Set Ganesh Himal Trading’s Carbon Footprint

                                    Eden Reforestation Project is the organization we work with who plants trees in Nepal. Photo Credit: Eden Reforestation Project.

    Planting Trees

    Ganesh Himal generates C02 emissions when we airfreight our products from Nepal. In order to decrease our carbon footprint we are making a commitment to plant 500 tree seedlings in Nepal for every shipment we receive. That’s 3000 seedlings per year. Trees are one of the best ways to sequester carbon which helps limit global warming, providing for a cleaner, healthier climate. (see Project Drawdown-afforestation)

    Our Partners in Nepal
    To plant the seedlings, Ganesh Himal Trading will donate to Eden Reforestation Projects, a California based non-profit that has been working in Nepal to support poverty alleviation and environmental restoration since 2015. Eden Projects has already planted over 3 million trees in 3 distinct regions across Nepal and aims to:

    • Alleviate extreme poverty by hiring local villagers, giving them a fair wage, to grow, plant and guard large-scale forest restoration sites,
    • Provide a consistent income to poverty stricken communities encouraging economic growth and,
    • Restore the environment through reforestation efforts, improving fisheries, agriculture and carbon sequestration.

    The Math

    We did the math and figured out that each shipment from Nepal weighs approximately 5000 lbs which, when airfreighted creates 13 tons of Co2. In order for us to offset 1 ton of Co2, we need 4 mature trees. So that means 13 x 4 = 52 mature trees per shipment. With 6 shipments a year, we need 312 mature trees total to offset the Co2. Our goal is to to plant 3000 seedlings per year with this reliable project to grow enough trees to maturity to reduce our footprint. The cost to do this is a mere 33 cents per tree or $990 a year and the benefits are huge.

    We aren’t Stopping There

    Finding Eden Projects in Nepal also means we can begin making up for the Co2 emissions from years past, so Ric and Denise (co-founders of Ganesh Himal Trading) have pledged to donate $330 a year to plant 1000 more seedlings.  That means a total of 4000 seedlings per year planted & cared for in Nepal and fair income for impoverished villagers. We think it’s a win win!

    A Few Ways You as a Fair Trade Business Leader Can Take Action for Climate Change

    • Show up and strike! Find a local march/protest in your community and join them; if you are a business owner, pay your staff to take time off and participate. This tool kit can help you get the word out and encourage others to do the same.
    • Use Social Media to show your support for climate strikes, even if you are unable to attend any events. More ideas here.
    • Get politically active and vote! We must elect a government that will take bold action to reduce emissions, prepare for climate change and build a strong, diverse, equitable and clean economy.
    • Green your commute: try to drive less and choose public transportation, biking or carpooling.
    • Consider a workplace energy audit to identify where you can make the most energy-saving gains.
    • Promote products in your store that encourage preserving the environment by offering a discount. Get creative and have fun raising awareness of this important issue.

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  • Ganesh Himal Trading & the Tibetan Nuns Project

    Ganesh Himal Trading & the Tibetan Nuns Project

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    20 Years Sponsoring The Tibetan Nuns Project!

    All institutions, whether religious or secular, have always promoted the advancement of men. Whenever there has been an opportunity to shift that focus to giving women an equal opportunity, Ric and I have jumped at the chance. When the Tibetan Nun’s project came into existence in 1991 we knew this was one such opportunity. This organization focuses on giving  Tibetan women the support to participate in their spirtiual traditions at a much deeper level.

    “The Tibetan Nuns Project was established under the auspices of the Tibetan Women’s Association and the Department of Religion and Culture of H. H. the Dalai Lama and is dedicated to educating and supporting nuns in India from all Tibetan Buddhist lineages.

    In the mid 1980s, with the strong encouragement of H.H. the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Women’s Association began to work on behalf of nuns of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Initial efforts focused on small projects within the two existing nunneries in the Dharamsala area, and the women also worked to start a new nunnery in South India.

    In early 1991, a group of 66 refugee nuns appeared overnight on the streets of Dharamsala, India. They had been on a two-year pilgrimage from eastern Tibet that had ended in a journey over the Himalayas. Ill and exhausted, they had nowhere to go. The Tibetan Women’s Association organized emergency assistance to meet their basic needs, and set in motion the Tibetan Nuns Project to work exclusively on behalf of the nuns. The Project immediately began to find long-term solutions to the problems of securing housing, medical care and most importantly, education for refugee nuns. The Project created a sponsorship program, reaching out to individuals around the world.”

    The Tibetan Nuns Project is a registered charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service. If you are a US donor, your donations are tax-deductible. If you are giving from outside the US you can give directly to the Tibetan Nuns Project here. Canadian donors may give directly to the Tibetan Nuns Project or, if they wish to receive a Canadian tax receipt, through our fund at Tides Canada. Our legal name is the Tibetan Nuns Project and our Tax ID number is 68-0327175.

    Photos & text courtesy of The Tibetan Nuns Project @ tpn.org 

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