FK Exchange

 FK Exchange: Round- I

GBS successfully completed the first round of Exchange of volunteers to promote women’s handicrafts in India and Nepal with support from NOREC (Norway) during April – September 2019.  Ms. SangyaKusum, a volunteer of GBS, India worked with Dalit Welfare Association in Kathmandu, Nepal to support Dalit women in improving their handicraft, providing them with training in making leather bags and developing project proposal for funding towards income generating among the dalit women. Ms. SandhyaShreepaili, a volunteer of DWA, Nepal worked with GBS women artisans in village Koliyonkidhaani and Pawta to help in improving the quality of their cotton mats and embroidery and explore international market thereof under the exchange.

Both Ms. Sangya Kusum of GBS and Ms. SandhyaShreepaili of DWA got one week training organized by NOREC in Bangkok (Thailand) from April 7 to 12, 2019 and then traveled to their respective host countries i.e. Nepal and India to work on their exchange project. They again underwent the training organized by NOREC in Bangkok after completing their exchange and shared their knowledge and experience with their sending organization. Initially the project was planned in partnership of three organizations i.e. GBS, India, DWA, Nepal and China Green Foundation (CGF), China under the Coordination of GBS, but CGF left the project due to some visa and work permit problems for foreign participants in China. Therefore, the project was implemented later only in partnership of GBS, India and DWA, Nepal.

A project of exchanging volunteers on women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship development was conceived in collaboration with China Green Foundation, China and Dalit Welfare Association, Nepal with support from FK Exchange, Norway. Under the project attempts will be made for promotion of durry (cotton mat - Indian handicraft) weaving and embroidery (Chinese handicraft) by the volunteers. One volunteer from each partner country will be deployed to the other two countries under the exchange program. Gram Bharati Samiti (GBS) will be the coordinator of the project.

Bhawani Shanker Kusum and Ramchandra Saini participated in the Introduction seminar organized in Mumbai on February 13-15, 2017 wherein objectives, principles and guidelines on the Exchange program was described by the facilitators of the FK Exchange. Also, discussion held among the representatives of three partners on various aspects of the proposed project of exchange. As the next step Bhawani will be visiting DWA in Kathmandu (Nepal and CGF in Beijing (China) in April, 2017 to finalize the project and then the project proposal will be submitted to FK exchange for approval.