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At our recent AGM, we reflected on the challenges of the past year for our partners in Nepal. There are now more fatalities from COVID-19 than the 2015 earthquake and the impact of livelihoods has been devestating. Reports of domestic violence to Nepal’s government-run domestic violence hotline have significantly increased since 2019. The inability to run in-person events and trips to Nepal has made fundraising challenging. We're proud that despite a tough year, we've been able to continue to provide vital funding for programs that have real impact for women and girls in Nepal. With your generosity, we've expanded our funding from one to two Family Based Care homes and supported new education projects.  The Project Didi team at our 2020-2021 virtual AGM. We focus on having deep, rather than wide, impact. In the past year, we supported:
These may seem like small numbers but we know family strengthening, education and safe employment breaks intergenerational cycles of poverty and violence. We know that a child that grows up in a safe family has stronger health, wellbeing and resilience and has greater opportunity to make informed decisions about their future. We also know that a girl with an education has a decreased risk of domestic violence, greater decision-making power and is more likely to educate her own children.
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Our founders, Leonie, Sarah and Fiona, have worked for over 15 years to support independent, dignified and bright futures for women and girls in Nepal. They met in Nepal and formed Project Didi in 2014. They chose the name Didi, which is a respectful term for older sister in Nepali, as it reflected the supportive, collaborative role they wanted to take in Nepal, one working in partnership with local organisations. Do you have any dreams for Project Didi and our work in Nepal? I hope Project Didi's work in Nepal will continue to grow and be able to help more of those in need. I would also like to see us develop programs that support self-sufficiency and independence. In Australia, I hope we can raise more awareness and support for the issues facing many women and girls in Nepal. Why is volunteering important to you? I am very fortunate to be living in Australia with the luxuries and freedoms that we sometimes take for granted. There are so many causes in the world that need support and it can sometimes be overwhelming to know where to start. We don't need to change the world but if we can each do something small - that will lead to greater change.  Leonie on one of Project Didi's women's trips to Nepal with Mt. Everest in the background. Kira Osborne, Board Member A person of many quotes, Winston Churchill once said “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential” At the beginning of 2020 Project Didi had all the plans! Our newly established board were confident in our strategic direction, our Women Empowering Women trips to Nepal had received promising feedback and were gaining exciting momentum with new additions in the pipeline, and our intention for public advocacy and awareness raising was lined up. In February I said goodbye to our partner Asha Nepal and returned to home with every intention of returning to Nepal in October to lead one of our women's trips. This now seems like a lifetime ago, when COVID-19 was still the mystery virus, when hand sanitiser was fast becoming the world’s largest commodity, and when the idea of restricting international travel let alone interstate travel was incomprehensible.  Kira (centre, bottom row) with our 2019 Women Empowering Women group at the Namche Bazaar Monastery, Nepal We're in Sydney this week to meet with Marie-Celeste Dagher, our Graphic Designer. Marie-Celeste recently completed a Bachelor of Visual Communications at the University of Technology Sydney. She joined Project Didi after she and a number of other design students worked on our #SomethingForSlavery campaign, as part of a socially responsive design unit with the UTS Community Shopfront Program. We're very excited to share their work later this year! What motivated you to join Project Didi? After having the opportunity to work on the #SomethingForSlavery campaign I realised I could help create awareness for an important issue many women and children face today: modern slavery. I want to use my skills as a designer to inform a wider audience on the topic and create action. Where did you grow up? I grew up in Sydney but moved to Lebanon with my mum for a couple years before returning to continue my studies here in Australia. Moving to Lebanon when I was 17 came with its pros and cons - travelling to Europe without long lay overs from Australia was a pro! Although at the time it was a worrying and tiring process I can now look back and see how much I've grown as a person.  Marie, bottom left, with UTS students, Queenie, Julie, Sonia, Lauren, their tutor, Robert, and Project Didi Board Member, Clare after the group presented their designs for #SomethingForSlavery. This week, join us as we travel to Perth to catch up with Shannon Mony. Shannon is our Communications & Engagement Officer and has been with the team since mid-2019. What motivated you to join Project Didi? I am a strong advocate for gender equality and am passionate about working to ensure that every woman has a voice. As a mother of two daughters, this is a topic that is close to my heart. The sheer enormity of the human trafficking industry astounds me. Project Didi does such amazing work in this space and I was motivated to join in order to help promote awareness of this critical issue. What is the best book you’ve read so far this year? Given it’s only Februrary, I currently only have a very short list to choose from! However, I recently finished Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales. It’s a beautifully written collection of accounts from people who have faced the unimaginable but have found the strength to go on. It includes some compelling research about the way in which the human brain processes grief and trauma. It is an inspiring read and is a wonderful reminder to be grateful for and to find the magic in all those ‘ordinary days’. Where did you grow up? I am a bit of a ‘global citizen’ (and yes, my accent is a bit confusing!). I grew up in South Africa, lived in New Zealand for 12 years, travel on a Canadian passport and have lived in Perth for the last 8 years.  Shannon at the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, WA. Last year, we introduced you to our inspiring Board. This year, we're excited to introduce you to the rest of our team. Please join us as we travel across Australia (and occasionally overseas!) to introduce you to our fantastic volunteers. This week, we’re heading to London to meet Elli Agathocleous, who is originally from Sydney but relocated last year. Elli has been supporting our 2020 #SomethingForSlavery campaign to inspire action to end modern slavery. Why is volunteering important to you? I am strong believer that although it takes many to drive resounding change, that movement can start with an individual who makes the decision to act. By volunteering I am making a conscious decision to act for positive change. What is a trip that changed you and why? There are two trips! Visiting Cyprus (where my dad grew up) in 2000 when I was 10 years old. It was the first time that I realised how being away from the distractions of big cities and material items could bring happiness. The village, where my dad's family still live, is a world away from where I grew up in Sydney. The community thrives by sharing what they have - my grandfather, the local butcher, reared animals on his farm, my uncle grows fresh fruit & veggie, my aunties make fresh haloumi, yoghurt and bread. There was no need to ever go to the shops! The second was a visit to Fiji (where my mum grew up) when I was 15/16 years old. I became acutely aware of how privileged my upbringing had been. We never had to worry about a supply of clean water, having a roof over our head, where our next meal was coming from or having electricity. Coming face to face with the struggles of the local communities, particularly in smaller villages, opened my eyes to the things I took for granted. I was as fascinated with life in Fiji as with my father's village in Cyprus - the simple pleasures in life, spending time with friends & family, sharing stories over good food and appreciating how the ocean sustained the joy & happiness in these communities.  Chloë Spackman A reporter once asked A.J. Muste, a Dutch born American clergyman and pacifist who protested against the Vietnam War, “Do you really think you are going to change the policies of this country by standing out here alone at night in front of the White House with a candle?” Muste replied softly, “Oh I don’t do this to change the country. I do this so the country won’t change me.” In a world so complex, so overwhelmed with systemic poverty and injustice, it can be flummoxing and down-right exhausting deciding where your precious effort and resources should go, and even more so, understanding whether you are having any real impact. 2019 was my first year formally involved with Project Didi as President of the Board, and this role has been my own lit candle: the time I give and the work I do is my act of service to what I think is truly important. It has kept me tethered to the legacy I want to create in my life. I imagine it is the same for our supporters and the Project Didi community broadly.  There are many important causes in the world, and we as individuals cannot address every single one. What is important is that something about Project Didi’s mission resonated with you as it does with us. And you made the conscious decision to allocate your time or energy or resources to this community. You, like us, understand how precious women and girls are to this planet. How critical education is to the lives of women, their families and their communities. You understand how critical it is to address the urgent crisis of trafficking and modern slavery. How central child rights are to a flourishing world. How everybody loses when gender inequality goes unchallenged.  This week we're in Sydney to introduce Board Member, Chloë Spackman, who joined our team earlier this year. What is your day job? My 365-day job is being a mum to my curious, chubby-cheeked one year old, Augie. My other day job is as Director of Programs at non-profit the Australian Futures Project. The simplest way to explain what we do at Australian Futures Project is to say that we're committed to ending short-termism in Australia by understanding the root causes and then engaging leaders, experts, and the public to identify and implement systemic solutions. At Project Didi, we’re all about empowering women to bring about positive change. Which women do you look up to? There are so many, and thanks to a world of democratised technology I can follow them and connect with them all over the world. You wouldn't know it when you look at mainstream media or entertainment, or the data around female leadership in business or sport or government - but I see and hear stories every day about incredibly talented, resilient, unique, uncompromising and unapologetic women doing things that change lives and history. I find every story and every little action inspiring. Here's an example I just read five minutes ago about Indigenous women bringing their knowledge of country to fight fires and abate greenhouse gases as rangers.  Chloë in Lijiang Old Town whilst on a cycling tour of the Yunnan Province in China. This week we're taking you to Nepal to meet Clare Bartram, who recently joined our Board. Clare, who normally calls Canberra home, has been a volunteer with us since the beginning. She and Kira are in Nepal leading our women empowering women trip. What would you share about Nepal with someone who hasn't been? Nepal has an awesome community of young entrepreneurs, innovators and artisans - and it's growing! There is a really positive movement towards made in Nepal, keeping creative talent and production local. In the absence of effective government action, grassroots solutions are emerging. Youth marches to #Strike4Climate, a revitalisation of traditional Nepali fabrics in ethically made fashion and Kathmandu's waste turned into homewares (tackling the city's major waste management problem). We could learn a lot from Nepal's entrepreneurs! What's your day job? I'm a student! I've just started a Masters in Slavery and Liberation with the University of Nottingham, the first course of its kind. I'm learning about the incredible citizen-driven movements that ended the slave trade in the 19th century, right up to trafficking and forced labour in the supply chains of modern companies, that make the products we buy. It's fascinating and challenging - I'm lucky I get to take a year focus on this and Project Didi.  Clare with the Asha Nepal team, our partner in Kathmandu. Meet our fantastic team! This week we're in Sydney with Bryce Morton, who recently joined our Board. As you know at Project Didi, we're all about strong futures for women. Why do you believe it is critical to invest in women? There are a lot of answers to this question, and aside from the fact that women deserve the same agency, freedom, and dignity as anyone, I see the amazing potential for the betterment of Nepalese society (and the world as a whole!) that comes from empowered women. What would you share about Nepal with someone who hasn't been? Hot honey lemon ginger – a truly life changing drink. On a more serious note I wouldn’t share anything as much as I would strongly encourage people to travel to Nepal, it’s such an incredible place that words struggle to do it justice.  Bryce (far left) with a group of friends hiking in the snowy mountains. |
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Project Didi Australia is committed to restoring hope, dignity and independence to women and girls in Nepal, who have experienced trafficking and gender-based violence, through trauma-informed care, family strengthening and reintegration, education and employment pathways.
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ABN 68 320 267 277
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