Location: Jumpers and beanies distributed to a range of locations in Nepal, including a carpet factory, childrens home, two child care centres, disability services and remote villages.

Date: ongoing

Objective: To provide warm jumpers and beanies to disadvantaged children and adults in Nepal, who rarely would be able to afford new garments.

Outcomes: Regular supply of jumpers and beanies to children and adults in Nepal. For example, in 2006 NAFA sent 265 kilos to Nepal = 763 jumpers and 932 beanies.

Details: NAFA knitters are a group of mainly women who knit beautiful and colourful jumpers and beanies for disadvantaged children in Nepal. NAFA members take the jumpers to Nepal when travelling there. Both Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines have assisted this project by giving NAFA members 10 kg additional baggage allowance.
Over the years the woollen garments have been delivered to: two creches in Pokhara supported by NAFA; children at PA Nepal; women and children under 5 years in the Women’s prison in Kathmandu; children at carpet factories in Thimi; children at the remote village of Tawal; children in a disability centre in Thimi and adults in a disability school at Thimi.

When in Nepal in 2006 – 2007 Brenda Hazelwood, who coordinates the NAFA Knitters project, was asked to teach the children at PA Nepal how to knit. By the time she left Nepal she had a knitting group of 35 children, mainly girls, but including four boys were very interested to learn.  The children were aged between 8 and 16 and after learning the basic skills they made a range of items from the first teddy to scarves, headbands, purses, shoulder bags, pencil bags belts and some clothes for the teddy.  Such was their enthusiasm that they knitted their way through 7 kilos of wool!

See latest pictures of children with our knitted items.

Location: Namobuddha and Tawal

Date: 2005 ongoing

Partners: VSN School Eco-Club, Namobuddha womens group and the Hilly Region Development Club

Objective: 1. To provide goats to poor families in the Namobuddha area as a poverty alleviation strategy and 2. To manage a goat project in Tawal aimed at providing sustained income to assist in meeting the ongoing maintenance costs of the NAFA-supported water infrastructure, health clinic and school projects in Tawal.

Outcomes: Approximately 10 goats are purchased with NAFA funding each year to be allocated by the Namobuddha womens group to poor families with the infrastructure and knowledge to look after goats in this rural community.

Details: The Namobuddha project is being monitored by students in an Eco-club at the VSN School in Thimi.  An agreement between the Club and the families calls for a passing of some goat kids to other poor families.

In 2007, approximately 20 goats were purchased in Tawal. The project is monitored by the Hilly Region Development Club, who have employed a goat herder to look after the goats in a profit-sharing agreement. Profits to the Club will be used to purchase materials needed to maintain  water infrastructure to the village, the health clinic and the school, all constructed with the support of NAFA.