June,

2016
Nepal Hub

Knitting provides a focal point for conversation

Objectives:

To expose women to a range of skills in order to help them establish their own areas interest and strength
To support women to expand their English conversation skills

Summary

Whilst the women we work with in the Womens Empowerment programme in the village of Pame have a good
focus on their English lessons, there is no doubt that an opportunity to expand other skills is important as it
introduces them not only to new skills but also to new words. Our latest skill has been knitting. The women have
enjoyed learning to knit and the added benefit is the social aspects of sitting with a group, chatting and sharing skills.

Report
One of our volunteers brought along some donations of wool, knitting needles and French knitting looms. We
brought them out after language class for our skills lesson. It was all a little tentative at first however, it wasnt long
before the womens group were keenly involved in learning to knit. Some of our volunteers also tried their hand at
knitting for the first time in a very long time.
From this core group of three women, the sessions
began to grow. Someone brought their sister,
another pair of friends also joined in. A woman from
the village who spoke very little English sat in with
the group and began knitting. She had an
extraordinary method of casting on which some of us
are now keen to perfect. She didnt need to be
learning how to knit but she did enjoy the company
and a chance to share her own skills with the other
women and our volunteers. She was very helpful
with teaching some of our volunteers some knitting
tricks.
It wasnt long before the group was producing baby bonnets and baby booties. In a short time, their skills had
developed. We consistently had at least six women attending each day. One woman said she would go on to teach
all four of her brothers wives. There is no doubt that this simple skill is spreading and inspiring these women.
This interest then spread to our Girls Leadership groups that we run at playtimes. They have started by developing
finger knitting skills and making pom poms. The girls leadership group draws an average of 14 grade 6 and 14 Grade
7 students each day. As they learn these basic skills we see the girls chatting, sharing, helping each other and
comparing their work. This provides variety from their usual text book style of learning. They are keen to learn
knitting too and this will be a focus for our programme in the new term.
The highlight of the development of this knitting programme was on our trip home from project one afternoon. As
we drove through the village we saw a group of women sitting in front of their homes knitting together, it was
rewarding to see that they had taken their skills from the lesson time and are now practicing in their own time giving
them a skill and interest aside from their usual work chores.