{"id":3710,"date":"2012-08-07T15:41:42","date_gmt":"2012-08-07T15:41:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/polymerclayetc.com\/?p=3710"},"modified":"2012-08-08T13:31:14","modified_gmt":"2012-08-08T13:31:14","slug":"kopila-basnet-and-the-ladies-of-samunnat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/polymerclayetc.com\/?p=3710","title":{"rendered":"Kopila Basnet and the Ladies of Samunnat"},"content":{"rendered":"

“The planet doesn\u2019t need more \u2018successful\u2019 people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every shape and form. It needs people who will live well in their places. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these needs have little to do with success as our culture has defined it.”<\/em><\/p>\n

– David Orr in Earth in Mind<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Dear Readers,<\/p>\n

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the world and don’t know how to help. Things sometimes feel so much bigger than me and so far from my life I can’t imagine anything I can do would make a difference.<\/p>\n

I want you to meet an amazing person, Kopila Basnet, who has entered the polymer clay world in a large way. By large, I mean the impact her guidance has made on the lives of the Samunnat Ladies of Nepal. Kopila has three daughters and has been trained in law and worked in the media and government organisations. She is the Program Coordinator of Samunnat and also provides much of the legal assistance in property and, less often, criminal cases.<\/p>\n

I asked Kopila to share her story and she was kind enough send me the following;<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0I am Kopila living in Eastern part of Nepal it is called Jhapa. We have started Samunnat for some very good\u00a0 reasons. I want to add that we started Samunnat because I was working in one anti-corruption project as a journalist where I saw the corruption in our government office that made people suffer. I got some relief that I could at least publish the corruption news where people would aware of the fact.<\/em><\/p>\n

After the anti-corruption project I joined another anti-trafficking project in Jhapa. I got to know that our district is only 17 kilometers away from India so it is the one border among 20 border to India where the most girls were trafficked.<\/em><\/p>\n

When girls were rescued I heard their story why and how they were trafficked and even when I was in the project they come for their rights but they do not have financial support.\u00a0 So we start to think about giving them skill and the legal support. Now I love to spent my time with our Bahiniharu (little sisters) and do some new design.\u00a0 I love polymer creative work. We are very grateful to Wendy Didi<\/a> who have given this wonderful polymer world friends.<\/em><\/p>\n

When we were in initial stage in Samunnat we were just few members but now we have extended and have strong belief that one day Samunnat could be the platform for the vulnerable women and they will be united for their rights.<\/em><\/p>\n

My wish is may our ladies could be independent, strong and empowered. That they know their rights.<\/em><\/p>\n

The first basic requirement is resources which is their skills and ability to earn a living and be independent. As long as my dear friends wear our jewelry you can think you have purchased a right thing and thank yourself for the right choice.<\/em><\/p>\n

Kopila<\/em><\/p>\n

_______<\/p>\n

and from the Sammunat website:<\/p>\n

About\u00a0 \u201cA Colourful Journey\u201d and the\u00a0<\/strong>Sammunat Nepal project
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Sammunat Nepal grew from the desire of a group of Nepalese friends to help the many women they met whose lives have been damaged by violence. These people live in the troubled Jhapa district of Eastern Nepal. The friends were aware of the many women who are the victims of domestic violence, physical and psychological abuse or who had been trafficked into India for work in the tragically burgeoning sex industry there.<\/em><\/p>\n

Most of these women are extremely vulnerable to further violence and exploitation. Simply providing financial assistance is only a short term and ultimately short-sighted solution. Instead, Sammunat Nepal seeks to work with the women to provide:<\/em><\/p>\n