The bag is being sold in the Nepali market but also abroad. In Kathmandu as well as in Europe and the USA this product is rarely seen. By using Nepali newspapers with Hindi font-language, the bag is a real eye-catcher. It attracts tourists and expatriates in Nepal, as well as people all over the world that like to have something different and want to support the environment and women in need at the same time.

There are seven different types of bags (prices are in Euro-cents):

Type of Bag	Size	Price*
Big Bag	24 x 9 x 40 cm	€ 0.66
X-Clusive Bag	24 x 9 x 31 cm	€ 0.66
Shopper Bag	34 x 10 x 24 cm	€ 0.58
Small Bag	15 x 10 x 22 cm	€ 0.41
CD Bag	20 x 6.5 x 20 cm	€ 0.41
Wine Bag	8 x 8 x 33 cm	€ 0.30
Jewelry Bag	10 x 5 x 15 cm	€ 0.28
Envelopes	Various sizes and prices

* The prices include the transportation from Nepal to The Netherlands, but do not include the transportation costs within The Netherlands. The storage of the bags is in Kudelstaart (near Schiphol airport). We can take care of the transportation of the bags to any address in The Netherlands for 25,- euro per order, which is valued for around 25 kilo.
For delivery to countries other than The Netherlands, please contact us for more information ( fairtradeproducts@gmail.com )

Every bag has a label with some information about the Nepali Newspaper Bag Project. On the label is a small space left for your company name or a personal message. On request it is possible to make a personalized label with your own company logo.

Bags made from Loktha Paper.

The Nepali Newspaper Bag Project
After 6 months of preparations and working out the production process in details, Shakti Samuha and Stichting Veldwerk were able to start with the production on the 1^st of June 2005. The office of Shakti Samuha is situated in Gaurighat and the production of this bag takes places just around the corner.

Shakti Samuha already has nine years of experience in women income generation programs and also developed special programs for survivors of trafficking. Last year 156 members in 8 groups took part of their program. In the program there is attention for job opportunities, but not enough. By offering jobs and skills development, the Nepali Newspaper Project helps to fill up this hole in the caretaking of women in need.

Shakti Samuha selected nine jobless women to start on the program. All Nepali women came from bad circumstances like trafficking, or a homeless, abused or divorced life (getting divorced means committing social suicide in Nepal). By providing a job to the women working on this project, they get the chance to build up a new future for themselves and their children.

The sales and marketing of the Nepali newspaper bags is in hands of Stichting Veldwerk. Several volunteers from The Netherlands are giving their knowledge and time to the project and they already made a good start. The reactions in Nepal as well as abroad are very enthusiastic. But for the project to survive in the future, the sales really have to increase.

Developmental impact and spin-off over time
One of the most important parts of helping the jobless women is creating opportunities of getting a job for future perspectives. But the chances of getting a job for these women are small because of the negative train of thoughts about this group. If they are not able to support themselves or their children, the vicious circle will start. Prostitution and living in bad circumstances or on the street are serious threats for these mothers or future mothers.

Stichting Veldwerk has plans to expand the activities around this project. First, the children of the women will be able to go to a day-care centre near the working place, where they will receive education and have a save place and a meal every day. Second, the involved women will receive education (because most of them are illiterate), and vocational training in different skills as a backup in case the market will reduce. Classes in Nepali and English language have already been started.

The aim off Stichting Veldwerk is to start up this income generation program and passing on the knowledge to the women working on the Nepali newspaper bags (Shakti Samuha). By learning on the job, production experience and vocational and educational training (also on sales and marketing) within a year these women should be able to run the Newspaper bag Income Generation Program on her own. Stichting Veldwerk aims to withdraw herself from the project by the end of 2007.

Profile Shakti Samuha
History
Trafficking in-person is a widely discussed issue in Nepal after the restoration of multi-party democracy in 1991. It is an organized crime against humanity and a gross violation of human rights, particularly the human rights of women and children. There are different confusing data regarding the number of trafficked women and children from Nepal. However, there are evidences suggesting that human trafficking is a problem and it is in a growing trend. Women and children are mostly affected by this crime.

The Government of Nepal has also acknowledged traffic in women and children as a growing problem, and has worked out a National Plan of Action against trafficking. Very few national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country have been professionally engaged in the prevention of trafficking in women and children. Shakti Samuha (SS) emerged as an organisation of the survivors of trafficking in 1996 -as an output of such national NGOs' right-based rehabilitation programmes (RBRP). Shakti Samuha was registered in the Kathmandu District Office of HMG in 2000, although it had started working in close association and cooperation with WOREC in 1996.


Present
Now Shakti Samuha is still an organization for the survivors of trafficking, but also for women suffering from different kinds of violence. For example, widows or women who are kicked out by a alcoholic husband or who are divorced by their husband. Such women do not have any job opportunities and no possibility at all to feed their children or themselves.

Values
The organization upholds the following values:
- Equal Opportunity: Every human being irrespective of sex is equal. Therefore, there should be an equal status and opportunity for all women (including the survivors of trafficking) in making use of the available resources and knowledge for progress and prosperity in social, economic, political fields. Only under this condition, women liberation is possible.
- Empowerment: Domination, oppression, discrimination, injustice against women is prevailing in every area starting from family to the state. Many women have been facing such discriminations and exploitation more. Shakti Samuha believes that empowerment of such women will make them aware and capable to exercise their human rights to fight against and change such discrimination and injustice.

Mission
The organization's mission is to make the human rights of women recognized everywhere and to add to the momentum of the movement against trafficking in women and children.

Objectives
Shakti Samuha has the following objectives:

• To work for the human rights of women and survivors of trafficking (SOT) in special;
• To deliver services to women in bad circumstances;
• To generate awareness in the community that women in bad circumstances have the right to live in the society with self-respect and dignity.
• To generate awareness in the community against trafficking in women and children and change the attitude of the people from the SOT's perspective.
• To organize Income Generation Programs, to exercise their basic human rights and show them how to lead a life of freedom and dignity.

“Action speaks louder than words”

Stichting Veldwerk is raised in 1999 by René Veldt. Since the raising of the foundation René is permanently living in Nepal and fully working voluntary for the benefit of the children. The main aim of the I-NGO is to help street, orphan and disabled children. Stichting Veldwerk has already put up (or being part of) several projects. At this moment, 15 Nepali citizens have a paid job for the foundation and 150 street or orphan children have the chance of a better future.

Stichting Veldwerk raised a children home in Kathmandu a few years ago. Now this children home gives a home to 31 children, but unfortunately has not enough room to help more children in need. Although, Stichting Veldwerk is frequently approached by children in need. In most occasions it is, in fact, not about the children in need but about the mothers' bad economical circumstances. Jobless, homeless, divorced or suffering from HIV, they cannot cope with the problems and caretaking of their children anymore. Some of the children will end up being sold as an adoption child or for prostitution.

Helping the mothers is helping the children. That is why Stichting Veldwerk started to work on a program for the mothers. By creating jobs for the mothers and in the future by offering vocational training and education, we are able to give them a new opportunity. It became a personal challenge of René Veldt, the founder of Stichting Veldwerk, to come up with a good program to make this dream come true.

The homepage of Stichting Veldwerk, www.stichting-veldwerk.org , contains English explanations about various projects and developments.