In May 2008, Roger Vernon, a cinematographer, and I traveled and filmed our programs in Nepal. We were met by Frances Klatzel who is one of the founders of CORE International and who hosted us. We began in the market in Kalimati, Kathamadu. Here we filmed and met with the women and men in the mico credit program that CORE International runs with the Society for the Urban Poor (SOUP). Some of the women sold ginger, garlic, pepper, fruit and clothes. They sat on the street in the same place every day with their products in front of them and made the cash transactions. The micro credit program has grown to 65 members with the majority of members women, that are widows, and three men.

The SOUP center, that is a few blocks away from the market, has two rooms; one room is used for classes for the thirty-four children of the women in the SOUP program and three staff manage the children and the micro credit program. The women only deal in cash and the transactions are recorded in ledger books and deposited daily. The small bank books record the transactions and the women rely on each other to work and pay back the loans. The women must prove that can save funds first in their savings account before they are given training and loans at 5%. The pay back is 98% and I was amazed at this program where women who are illiterate base their livelihood on a system of trust. It was a wonderful experience to meet these women talk with them and be part of the support that improves their lives and the lives of their children.

We then flew into Lukla and trekked up to Pangboche just north of Tengboche on the route to Mount Everest with Core International's Frances Klatzel as our guide.

We met with the porters and the organizers of the Program that the Tidlund Foundation supports with CORE International. This program provides education and clothing and foot ware to the Porters who do not speak English and have no warm clothing for the cold high altitude treks.

Mary Tidlund
Please view the video of our trip made by volunteers Roger Vernon and Julia Lynx.
Windows Media Video link: http://www.tidlundfoundation.com/video/MTCORE.wmv
 
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Founded in 2005, CORE International is based in the Bow Valley but works with local organizations in Nepal to help people who usually do not benefit from conventional aid projects. Its beneficiaries include some of the most disadvantaged people in Nepal – widows, who are severely discriminated against, and the rural poor who have either migrated to urban areas for employment or who work as porters to earn wages to feed their families.

CORE promotes Opportunities for learning skills and education and Resources for loans (micro-credit) to start small enterprises from which people can improve their livelihoods. CORE eventually plans to extend its activities to other countries, but has started in Nepal where its founders have long-term contacts and experience.

CORE is most grateful to the Tidlund Foundation for for its support of CORE programs.

In the spring of 2008 Mary Tidlund had the opportunity to visit programs run by CORE International in Kathmandu. Below is her report from the field.

We visited two of the organizations with Frances Klatzel, Chairperson and Karen Barkley, Secretary Treasurer of Core International who they work with and we fund. We are very thankful for their selection of organizations and programs and their passion for the work that they have been doing in Nepal in the past two years

The SOUP program is the Society for the Urban Poor. It was amazing we went into the district of Kalamati in Kathmandu which has a market called the Kalamati Fruit and Vegetable Market where about 50% of the women in the micro credit program sell their produce whether that be fruit, vegetables or clothes. The market was packed with people and across the street is an intersection that flows thousands of cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians with the odd cow lying or walking where ever they choose.

In November of 2007 12 women started in this micro credit program, 6 months later there are 74 members in the savings program that all members must join and participate in first. Over 95% of the members are illiterate, most are women who have been abandoned by their husbands, or they are widows with 3 to 5 children each. Savings of 20 rupies to 250 rupies (68 rupies to the Canadian dollar on May 20, 2008) are made daily, weekly or monthly by the members. Savings get a 5% interest rate. There are 27 of the members that have loans of 1000, 2000 and 3000 rupies and they are paid back in 3 months time with a 7% interest rate. There are 3 men in the program one who is 82 years of age.

The women and men sit on the street in the same spot every day and sell their produce in front of them. One woman sells fresh ginger, garlic and peppers others mangos, bananas, carrots and cilantro. The members meet once a month a discuss any issues, many that have a proven track record want larger loans but SOUP is not ready to step into that yet as they are growing quickly. At this point all ledger books are kept by hand and all members have passport savings and loan books.

We met with 37 members, of which 35 were women. A few of the children were being nursed by their mothers at the Children’s Center in Kalamati where two rooms are used for informal and formal teaching of children and the meetings with the women are held.

Their loans are used for purchasing medicine for the members and their children, one woman has a loan to purchase school books for her children.

We also visited with the chairman and founder Lily Thapa of WHR, Women for Human Rights, an organization that focuses on the support of widows in Nepal. These women face discrimination in traditional Hindu society. Women in the various ethnic groups of Nepal have a less difficult time, but still face pressure in the dominant Hindu government. Almost 90% of the children of widows have to drop out of school. Many young women had to marry at an early age and if their husband dies, must live the rest of their life as a widow. For these reasons, scholarships are provided for the children of widows and young widows to continue their education. CORE is just starting micro-credit projects for widows in areas outside Kathmandu.

These women were very engaged in our discussions. The leaders of the organization and the founders were interviewed for a short video that will be produced by the end of the summer.