The Story of SHEdesigns

The vision for SHEdesigns began in 2015 when a cross-cultural worker from the US relocated to the Sindhupalchok district of Nepal to research the prevalence of human trafficking in the area. This region is known to have a high incidence of trafficking and exploitation related to girls and women going abroad to the Middle East for work. During her initial survey, she identified multiple factors putting local villagers at risk. One was low education levels, and the other was a lack of income-generation opportunities at the village level. She set to work designing a program that would address both issues.

With the help of a Nepali non-profit organization, she formed a local women’s group in 2018 that began to sew washable, reusable, eco-friendly sanitary pad kits for free distribution to the girls in the village schools. This allowed the girls to attend school every day, even during menstruation. In turn, the women earned a good wage for the production of the pads. The program was a success, and more than 1,680 girls received the pads between 2021-2023. Through surveys conducted both pre- and post-distribution, it was discovered that the sanitary pad use increased school attendance for these girls by 66% on the days they were menstruating, improved exam passing rates, and decreased drop-out rates as a result of regular school attendance!

This initiative not only impacted those who received its products, but it empowered the women producing them to transform their lives. In 2022, SHEdesigns was born when we legally registered it as a women’s empowerment business. In effort to achieve sustainability for the women employed at SHEdesigns and provide them with consistent income; they began making and selling beautiful handicraft items out of high-quality traditional Nepali dhaka fabrics. The materials for these products are sourced entirely in Nepal, and each item is handmade with love in the village sewing center.

SHEdesigns is owned and operated by Esther Kharel, a young female Nepali entrepreneur and the sanitary pad distribution project manager. Currently, ten women are employed by SHEdesigns.
What an amazing thing to see this initiative impact an entire community in ways that will benefit generations to come!

Meet the Women of SHEdesigns.

Your purchase empowers these women to support themselves and their families.

Saraswati
Age: 36

Interesting fact about me: I never lie, and I really enjoy spending time with friends.

About me: My husband is a truck driver. We have one son and one daughter who are both in school. I am a housewife and a working woman. Now that I earn money, I am proud of myself.

Biggest challenge in life: During the pandemic we were not working and my husband was also not able to work. We had a very hard time paying for everyday things and education for the children.

Things I have learned at SHEdesigns: I learned how to sew and how to make handicrafts.

How SHEdesigns has changed my life: I no longer have to ask or beg other people for money.

What I enjoy sewing the most: Small dhaka bags

Desire for the future: I hope that SHEdesigns work continues long-term so that I can pay for higher education for my children. I also have a dream of buying a refrigerator and a truck for my husband.

Laxmi #1
Age: 36

Interesting fact about me: I love to talk a lot and to laugh. 

About me: I have a husband, one daughter, and one son. We are a happy family now.

How SHEdesigns has changed my life: Before my work at SHEdesigns I had to depend on my husband totally, but now I have my own money and that makes me proud.

Biggest challenge in life: I would see other people with new clothes and it made me feel really bad about myself because I couldn’t afford them. Now everything has changed and I can buy new clothes for myself and my children.

Things I have learned at SHEdesigns: I have learned to sew and I have also learned how to respect friends and guests.

What I enjoy sewing the most: Cooking aprons

Desire for the future: For now the money I make pays for my children’s education and my husband uses his income for the other needs of the family. My dream for the future is to build a house and to see my children become professionals (doctor and engineer).

Laxmi #2
Age: 46

Interesting fact about me: I love teasing the children in my village, and I love to laugh.

About me: I live in the village with my youngest sister, and we have a brother and sister-in-law who live in Kathmandu. I am proud that I am an independent woman who can support herself, and my whole family is proud of me.

Most challenging time in my life: I had to take care of my Mom for several years when she was sick.

How SHEdesigns has changed my life: I am so, so, so, happy and thankful to Karuna Didi and Esther Miss (program directors). I always had a dream of learning to sew, and SHEdesigns made my dreams come true.

Things I have learned at SHEdesigns: I have learned to sew, and I feel smart and useful now.

What I enjoy sewing the most: I love making big tote bags.

Desire for the future: I want to keep working to save money for retirement and not have to get married to have someone take care of me.

Sukunta
Age: 45

Interesting fact about me: I am a friendly and playful person, and I enjoy visiting new places with friends.

About me: There are 7 members of my family: me, my husband, one son, one daughter, one daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.

How SHEdesigns has changed my life: I have the ability to take care of my family, which makes me proud. Before working, I had to depend completely on my husband or others and always had to ask permission to buy or do things. This work has given me courage to do what I want to do.

Biggest challenge in life: My children used to get sick all of the time, and we were not able to get them the care they needed.

What I learned at SHEdesigns: I learned to cut and sew fabric, and I can now even sew my own clothes.

What I enjoy sewing the most: Potholders and placemats
Desire for the future: To continue this work and to see my children live good lives.

Laxmi #3
Age: 35

Interesting fact about me: I love to wear makeup and look pretty.

About me: I have a husband, two daughters, and one son. My husband drives a truck, and
my children are all in school.

How SHEdesigns has changed my life: I have always felt ashamed of being uneducated (I never attended school), but now I feel proud after doing this work and becoming self-reliant. Now I have skills.

Biggest challenge in life: We used to have to live with my in-laws, and the relationship was not good. We could not afford to live by ourselves.

What I learned at SHEdesigns: I learned how to sew and how to talk with others. Before this, I was very shy.

What I enjoy sewing the most: Pen pouches

Desire for the future: I want my children to be educated, and I want to build a house for our family.

Rima
Age: 37

Interesting fact about me: I like to learn new facts.

About me: I live with my 96-year-old mother-in-law, 67-year-old husband, and 2-year-old son. I am proud of being a mom and of my work at SHEdesigns.

Biggest challenge: I have to care for my son alone, and there is no peace in our house. I also have a chronic, life-long health problem.

What I learned at SHEdesigns: I have had the opportunity to know a foreigner and learn how to be a working woman.

How SHEdesigns has changed my life: Before starting this work, I could not afford to go to the hospital for even a routine checkup. People would also tell me that I would never do anything good in my life. Now everything has changed. I have money for my medical checkups and even for my family’s needs. It makes me so happy that I have proved everyone wrong!

What I enjoy sewing the most: Sanitary pad liners

Desire for the future: To provide my son with the best education in a good school.

Sita
Age: 50

Interesting fact about me: I am a Pastor.

About me: My husband and I are both Pastors of a village church, and we have one son and one daughter.

Biggest challenge: I face both economic and social challenges for being a Christian in a Hindu culture.

What I learned at SHEdesigns: I learned how to sew, to cut fabric, and received small business training.

How SHEdesigns has changed my life: I feel very proud that I can earn money, and now have enough money to serve the needy people in our community. I used to have difficulty providing for our family and had to go into debt. Now I can pay for things with my wages. I also love that our sanitary pad distribution program not only helps needy people, but also builds good relationships with the government and community.

What I enjoy sewing the most: Canvas bags

Desire for the future: To build leadership and churches in different areas of Nepal.

Tara
Age: 51

Interesting fact about me: I love to smile, laugh, and joke. Also, I got married at age 14.

About me: I have three daughters and two sons. My husband died 5 years ago.

How SHEdesigns has changed my life: My work at SHEdesigns helped replace the money that was lost when my husband died. It helps me provide for my family. It also helped me overcome depression by being around friends and having useful work.

What I enjoy sewing the most: Big dhaka fabric bags

Desire for the future: I want to see all of my children married and living good lives