Rewards
We here at DGY are proud to have a community of strong, empathetic, and hard working women all over the world.
One of our suppliers, Beni, is a constant source of inspiration for our community.
You may remember Beni- we've talked about her before - survivor, midwife, medicine woman, master of time management, partner, artisan, teacher, helper, fundraiser, defender, and mother. It's hard to forget her!
Beni is one of our suppliers in Nepal who has dedicated her life to helping women in her community overcome difficult situations and life circumstances. We shared her story a few years ago about her work on rebuilding her community after a devastating earth quake. Beni, along with her husband David, were able to raise enough money to rebuild the roofs of over 500 homes and to build 3 schools!
Every facet of Beni's life is about her community. When she is not fundraising, she is fighting to ensure that women in her community can have the best life possible. Beni trains and employs women in need, all while designing and producing products made from waste or discarded materials. Beni and her team of artisans create some of the lovely products that we are proud to offer you! All the profits made go to supporting her training center and to the social work done by The Steps Foundation.
The Steps Foundation, run by Beni and her husband David, works to promote societal change in Nepal, predominantly towards woman-focused issues. One of the main goals of the foundation is the distribution of 'Freedom Period Pad Sets'. These kits contain reusable and washable period pads and are totally financed by her donors. Beni then distributes these sets to women and girls in isolated mountain villages. These sets last for a year and helps raise the quality of life the women and girls. Many women and girls are unable to have clean and available period products and there is also a societal taboo when it comes to talking about women's menstrual heath.
Beni offers educational work shops where she helps whole villages (men included, too!) stem the flow of misinformation and shed light to the experience of women and their heath. Beni's goal is to use her educational workshops to increase awareness around hygiene which leads to better health and higher living standards. These workshops cover basic education, health & hygiene, physical exercise, legal rights, first aid, and also music and dance!
Then COVID hit and suddenly there were more hardships in Beni's community.
Nepal relies heavily on tourist dollars. According to some studies, almost 8% of the countries total GDP and over 1.05 million jobs come from the tourism industry. With the industry strangled by the virus, the tourist market has collapsed, making the lives of people who were already struggling even more difficult.
Right now, while still working on their Freedom Period Pads, Beni and her team are now a part of the Buy A Blanket campaign. This campaign provides blankets, quilts, and insulated vests to the homeless, aged, sick, and single mothers. The poor in Nepal often live in tin shacks (think of Hoovervilles that we used to have in the USA in the1930's during the great depression) that have no heating or insulation. Nepalese winters can dip into the low 30s (Fahrenheit) and due to the living conditions, many die each year from creeping hypothermia.
There are TWO ways you can help!
You can donate directly to Beni and David's foundation here:
https://mountain-people.org/steps-foundation-nepal.html
OR
You can purchase the products that Beni and her artisans made here at DGY!
Our goal at DGY is to raise $10,000 to help donate 500 blankets to our artisans in need. During February 17th, 2021 to February 24th, 2021, we will be donating 20% of every purchase!
If you want to double your donation, you can also purchase these items! These are a few of the products made by Beni and her incredible team!
If you'd like to join us in helping these amazing people and their families, you can do so by supporting Darn Good Yarn and our mission. Every purchase you make here will go towards bettering the lives of those who need it We will continue to proudly supporting Beni and her artisans and their incredible journey to better the lives of the people in their community.
