This year we continued supporting women and their families affected by the earthquakes in Nepal.
In Cambodia, we assessed market conditions and explored potential partnerships, to support SWDC to found a new social enterprise.
Nepal
The year 2015-16 represented a period of flux in Nepal as we struggled to figure out how best to support women and their families who continued to be affected by the earthquakes in April and May 2015.
Realising that a huge number of pregnant women had lost access to healthcare and birth support, we established a Shelter for Pregnant Women and New Mothers in Kathmandu to provide women and their dependents with shelter, food, clothing, safe passage to hospital and neonatal care for up to two months. Over a period of 12 months we supported 178 women and an additional 400 family members including newborn babies.
Cambodia
In Cambodia, we continued to explore feasibility of a new social enterprise providing training in hospitality and tourism as well as employment for women in Stung Treng. We provided seed funding to our local partner to develop a market assessment, business plan, stakeholder analysis and to establish local partnerships. The proposed enterprise capitalises on increased tourism in the region and fills a gap in tourist infrastructure.
We also commenced plans for a new computer and English lab in Stung Treng, designed to provide women and girls with the requisite skills for taking advantage of a growing tourist economy, and to address the digital literacy gender divide.
Acknowledgements
We are ever grateful to our generous community of supporters and donors, our volunteers, our international partners, and to everyone else who has made a contribution to our work during the year. We would like to pay special thanks to members of the corporate community who have generously supported our work: BHP Billiton; Coffey International; Flawless Flowers; Golden Grind; Seven Seeds; 99designs and Sorella Organics.
