Seven Women Documentary Launch

Last night Clare, Jade, and a bunch of our clients banded together to support Seven Women in the launch of their documentary “Bringing The Light”.

“Bringing The Light” is a phrase used by the Nepali women that Seven Women have educated to describe how they feel about their lives since obtaining an education. The feeling amongst the women that have passed through the Seven Women programs is that the process has enlightened and empowered them. These girls and women have obtained self respect, power, and control over their own lives.

Clare volunteered to help out on the night, pictured here with Rosemary Manners from Chase Pharmacy in Mosman

The documentary essentially told the story of a couple of these women, and we saw the way that people treated them. Some were ridiculed because of their disability, others were beaten on a daily basis, and others had been married off while they were still pre-teens. What was common in all of them was that once they had an education, they were able to set themselves up to be useful in the community. This meant that in some cases their male peers did not feel the need to marry them off at a young age. It meant that single women and mothers could make a productive life for themselves.

We also saw the complete and utter devastation that the earthquake wreaked onto a tiny village that Seven Women was active in. They were unique in their approach to delivering aid, in that their President, Anita, travelled 13 hours to see them first. She asked what they needed and compiled a list, then utilised the people-power of the village to walk all their building supplies 8 hours from the road to the village. They then worked together to build one house a day for around $100. This approach meant that everyone had shelter for the imminent monsoon season, and that they were able to dispense relevant aid quickly and cheaply.

Q&A after the Documentary, which made us feel very lucky to have been born in Australia.

You can read more about why they began their work in Nepal here: http://sevenwomen.org/aboutus/where-we-work

After the documentary, we had a short Q&A, then the opportunity to meet Anita and Stephanie, the president and founder of the charity. They were on hand and very excited, despite Anita battling a cold. We also had the opportunity to sign up for $20, $40, and $60/month sponsorships. $20 is what it costs to get one woman set up for her education program each year. There are some cards on the counter at the gym if you would like to get involved! You can also help by purchasing their products from our website: https://into-you.com.au/shop

Seven Women is now looking to expand into 5 villages in Nepal per year over the next 5 years, and have added education for men to their repertoire. They are also implementing their strategies in Indigenous Australia and Africa, with a 2 year plan to get their first centres off the ground.

We are hoping to visit Nepal again in Nov 2017, to do Everest Base Camp, and we will visit the centre again! If you are keen, make sure you contact [email protected] to register your interest.

After the meet and greet, we took off for a very late dinner at Radio Cairo. It was delicious, and not just because we were hungry!