Women’s Skills Development Organization in Pokhara is a Fair Trade Organization which has been working as a non-profit organization and income generating program for economically disadvantaged, disabled, abused, widowed, divorced, single, and outcaste women in rural Nepal since 1975. WSDO provides them with free vocational skills training, and after training is complete, a job facility is available to help the women to become self supportive.

After arriving at WSDO the women are provided with training on material cutting, sewing, weaving, dying, business management, and various other skills-training programs related to handicrafts. A successful local NGO that has been running for the last 35 years without the help of local or International donations, WSDO is considered the best handicraft organization in Pokhara.

WSDO ensures production processes that minimize environmental impact by using local, raw materials and eco-friendly dyes. WSDO makes a wide range of handmade bags, toys, cases, purses, footwear, and kitchen and household accessories. We are committed to providing our customers with high quality products and service, and we now export more than 80% of our production to Europe, America, Australia, Japan and Korea.

Hundreds of women have benefited from WSDO’s programs and thousands of people worldwide have enjoyed WSDO’s handmade products. Each year, WSDO gives a performance reward to the best woman in each department. WSDO has its own cooperative savings & credit program where the women can save money for the future and the neediest ones can borrow loans with nominal interest. WSDO also has a savings program for the senior teachers that operates by directly depositing 10% of their monthly earnings in an interest-bearing account. WSDO also provides its workers with a clothing allowance, 60 days paid maternity leave, emergency allowance, free health checkups, education on social issues and the environment, English language training, educational excursions, and education scholarships to the women’s daughters.

WSDO has provided a simple way to empower the women of Nepal. By purchasing any one of its handmade products, you have the chance to increase the quality of these women’s livelihoods.

We promise our friends and buyers to continuously provide the best quality handmade products that reflect our tradition, serving as a perfect souvenir from NEPAL.

 
Mrs. Ramkali Khadka
Founder & Director
WSDO