Seven Women
Stephanie Woollard started her Seven Women project when she was only 22 years old, after visiting Nepal and meeting seven disabled women making soaps and candles in a small tin shed.
In Nepal, disabilities carry a strong social stigma, believed to bring bad fortune. The women were consequently able to sell only a fraction of what they produced at market and lived in dire poverty.
Disturbed by the injustice and isolation these women were facing, she spent her last $200 of travel money to pay two trainers to help up-skill the women and sell their products abroad.
Since then Steph has devoted the past decade to changing the lives of disabled and marginalised women in Nepal. The organisation has trained and employed over 1000 disadvantaged women and has helped more than 5,000 women in remote villages in Nepal offering shelter, medical assistance and education.
Through her tour company, Hands on Development Steph leads specialised tours to Nepal, giving exclusive access and exposure to participants to connect and contribute through their areas of expertise.
Her cultural immersions to Nepal and indigenous Australian communities uplift and enrich both locals and tour participants through authentic, inspiring experiences.
The multipurpose International Training and Hospitality initiative provides cooking classes for tourists, funding disadvantaged women to learn culinary and hospitality skills, creating diversified opportunities for employment.
At the Seven Women headquarters, women manufacture fair trade products that are sold both locally and to an international market. These enterprises fund literacy, skills and income generation programs for thousands of women in
Nepal. Education programs hosted by Seven Women include practical production skills such as sewing and growing vegetables, literacy classes and money management.
For more information, visit: http://www.sevenwomen.org/
Hands on Development Tours
Next tours:
June/July tours - (16th -25th June and 27th-6th July)
December/ Jan tours leaving on 28th December.
http://handsondevelopment.com.au/
Speaking engagement
International Women’s Day Business Luncheon
Wednesday 8th March 12 – 2.30pm
Amora Riverwalk Hotel, 649 Bridge Road, Richmond
