Buying Sewing Machines
by Jan Sprague, Director, HANDS in Nepal
Several years ago, I began to buy sewing machines for Nepal women who had no other means to earn a living. Many women in Nepal lack vocational training or literacy due to early marriage, and cannot find jobs when husbands are no longer around, causing her and her children to spin into poverty. With a sewing machine, that woman can do tailoring, repair clothes for her family and even stitch school uniforms. She can learn a trade, and sell items in the market. Some women put their machines on the sidewalk and take piece work from passerby’s.
When I first broached this topic with friends in America, some offered to buy sewing machines in the US to send to Nepal. There are two major problems with this approach: expense of shipping and electricity. While Nepal is making some inroads in providing electricity for most of the country, there is still load sharing in some places and no electricity in remote, rural areas. Treadle, foot-operated machines are the best bet for Nepal.
I asked my friend and guide, Kelsang Lodue, if he could find a place to purchase treadle sewing machines in Kathmandu. He found a shop that we’ve been frequenting for the last few years. The machines are table top and go for anywhere from $110-$150, depending on quality of machine. The machines tend to be bulky, so transporting them to the village is the real challenge. The photos below tell the story, from purchasing the machines (this year we bought 6; 3 for our learning center, one for a young lady who’s husband had died leaving her with no income, and one for the Dhading Women Sewing Project).
When I first broached this topic with friends in America, some offered to buy sewing machines in the US to send to Nepal. There are two major problems with this approach: expense of shipping and electricity. While Nepal is making some inroads in providing electricity for most of the country, there is still load sharing in some places and no electricity in remote, rural areas. Treadle, foot-operated machines are the best bet for Nepal.
I asked my friend and guide, Kelsang Lodue, if he could find a place to purchase treadle sewing machines in Kathmandu. He found a shop that we’ve been frequenting for the last few years. The machines are table top and go for anywhere from $110-$150, depending on quality of machine. The machines tend to be bulky, so transporting them to the village is the real challenge. The photos below tell the story, from purchasing the machines (this year we bought 6; 3 for our learning center, one for a young lady who’s husband had died leaving her with no income, and one for the Dhading Women Sewing Project).
First step: Buying the machines in Kathmandu
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Loading them up in a hired Taxi
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Jan Sprague and her sewing team!
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Storing machines upstairs at our friend’s office in Thamel
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Heading out of Kathmandu with the machines, on the way to Pokhara and Astam
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On the road to Astam and Annapurna villages
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UP and UP we go in a 4 x 4 Toyota truck with our sewing machines
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