Until I see you again, Nepal

See you! (Erin with a Nepali street cow)

I am a professional at approaching airline ticket counters with ultra heavy baggage and extra suitcases. I beg, I argue and I cry to get the agent not to charge me to move my life from one country to the next. "But I'm moving two years here man, give me a break." Luggage packed to the brim and bags hanging off my body like a pack mule, I am usually able to get on the plane headed for the next city.

As I left Nepal this week, after almost two years, it was more than extra baggage that I was bringing back home with me. Along with hiking boots and Tibetan art, I have also packed a fair trade business, millions of memories with friends, and the love of a country. You can imagine how heavy this can all be and why I will not say "goodbye nepal" but rather, "until I see you again."

One and a half years has flown by in Nepal. For a country that is a behind in development, time sure does fly! Some days I felt like dancing in the street in the monsoon rains and some days I felt like lifting taxi drivers up by the throat. It was a roller coaster (of Himalayan proportions) of emotions and experiences. But, not a day went by that I did not know I was alive.

Global Daughter allowed me to travel the country and meet amazing women doing amazing things against all odds. Global Daughter has worked together with women artisans here and built personal and professional relationships with them and their families that will remain the foundation of this project. We started Global Daughter as two and now we have grown into a family. And you know what they say about family, family first! That is why we will continue to communicate with GD artisans and make it a priority to further their professional development.

Even though we are both back in America now, we are charged up and more energetic than ever to grow Global Daughter and continue to impact lives in a place that has become our home. I will now be in Seattle and Erika will continue initiatives in Los Angeles. In two markets, we hope to get maximum exposure for our project and connect more women in America with women in Nepal. Things may be daunting here at home with the economy, but the Global Daughter Movement will march on (now in two cities!).

We want to thank you all for supporting us. We are trying to tell the story of women in Nepal, and we will tell it until we are blue in the face, no matter where we are, to anyone who will listen. Erika and I have connected with women in Nepal, now we want to connect them...with YOU! If you have any comments or suggestions about this project or just have questions about women in Nepal, we would love to hear from you. We could both go on for days about women's issues in Nepal, so hit us up and make our day!

If you are in the Seattle or Los Angeles area and would like Erin or Erika to do a personal presentation about women in Nepal for your organization, friends, church group, or school, please contact us at info@globaldaughter.com.

Help us get blue in the face!

Janakpur in Pictures

Janakpur is Global Daughter's home. We started working in this village over a year ago and it is the last place I go before I return to the U.S. This place is full of life, color, history, culture and of course, beautiful women. I visited the Janakpur Arts and Crafts Center, but after thousands of pictures and several days, I thought to share pictures from Janakpur separately. Tourists rarely visit this place (12- hour bus ride from Kathmandu) but I think it is the gem of the country. We all connect to different places differently. The people here are family..I actually have people recognize me from our trip there a year ago! (I am sure the white hair has nothing to do with it!) When I am there, at the workshop or walking down the street with the ox carts and women dressed in the most intense and magical colors, I feel like I got the memo on life.

Lanjana, GD Designer, Gets Married!

Greeting guests with her mother (right) and sister-in-law


Erin enjoying face time with the bride.


Guests at the Party Palace


Congratulations, Lajana. Best wishes.


Erin with Ajit, GD producer, Sharada, from Federation of Women Entrepeneurs Associations of Nepal, and local designer.



Global Daughter Lead Designer and production whiz, Lanjana was married this week in Kathmandu. Her wedding lasted one full week (yikes, right?) with one day for an engagement party, then two days later a wedding party and then two days later the actual wedding. Her wedding week included many traditional rituals. She comes from an ethnic group, Newars, who have a unique style of marriage ceremonials. It is a quite an experience to witness the pageantry of weddings in Nepal!


I was so excited to attend and support Lanjana during her wedding party. Newaris love a good time and eat the tastiest food! That meant loads of buffalo dishes and local spirits (roxi). This marriage was arranged by her parents (they chose her husband) and she is looking forward to living the life of a married woman. She will continue to work (yipppeee!) with Global Daughter as well as with a felt workshop in the Valley.

Welcome Home Erin!

After a long one year and 3 months in Nepal, the other half of Global Daughter has returned home to Seattle for a surprise 3 week visit. Erin's parents had no idea that she was coming and were in complete shock and disbelief when they saw her. While home, Erin is excited to spend time with her family, friends, and to meet some of the people who have contributed their time and talents to Global Daughter.

Erin would also love to attend and be a part of a GD Fair Trade Party, since she has never had a chance to do so living in Kathmandu. If anyone is interested in hosting one the first week of February please contact Erika at erika@globaldaughter.com. The hostess will receive a free gift, along with 50% of any item of their choosing.

Welcome back Erin! Enjoy the electricity, hot water, and delicious eats while you can!

Nepal's take on Christmas....

President, PM extend Christmas wishes
Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 25 - President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday extended wishes to all the Nepalis following Christianity living in the country and abroad on the auspicious occasion of Christmas.

President Yadav said the Nepalis have the rights to celebrate their practices and festivals in an independent manner. He further added that the respect to every religion, religious tolerance is the main core of secularism.

In a statement issued by the President’s Office today, President Yadav expressed his wish to create peaceful, prosperous and progressive Nepal following the path showed by Jesus Christ.

Likewise, PM Dahal expressed his hope that the people all round the world will get inspiration on increasing humanity, brotherhood, sympathy and secularism for the betterment of the humans on the occasion.

Also today, the Nepali Congress (NC) issued a statement today and extended wishes on the occasion of Christmas. The NC also expected that the occasion will inspire the youths to solve the national problems through mutual understanding and cooperation.

One of the biggest festivals of the Christian religion, Christmas is celebrated on December 25. The government has declared this day a national holiday.
People start making merry from the evening before Christmas also known as the Christmas Eve. Christians believe that Santa Claus riding a reindeers’ chariot comes at mid-night to gift a Christmas presents. Most Christians decorate homes with Christmas trees, coloured lights and paper or plastic decorations around the rooms.

*Isn't it interesting to hear a Hindu Country's interpretation of what Christmas means? I wonder how many misconceptions we have about traditions and customs practiced around the world....

Global "little" Brother

Our "bai," or, little brother, Nabin is a seven year old boy whose mother used to care for the house we lived in here in Nepal. He is a very special person and was a big motivation for us during the development of this project.

His family has nothing. They live in a house the size of a bathroom, but they make do and smile all the while. He is going to school, which is the most important thing, but a child in America could never imagine living his life. He has only a few toys, most used and dirty. He does have an electronic robot toy which he has worn out a million times over. He likes his robot, but mostly him and his little neighborhood buddies play with bricks, or stones and jump around on piles of dirt.

They come up with the most amazing inventions to entertain themselves, as TV and video games are not an option. One day we saw them pick up some used old plastic rope and tie it onto a brick and they hauled that brick around making designs in the sand for hours. It was so heart-warming. I guess kids are kids everywhere, but some are more fortunate than others. The innocence is pure love.

Anyway, he is part of our family so we decided to collect a few things to give him as presents. We shipped over a package and last week I delivered it to him at the old house. He had a heart attack when he saw the shiny micro-cars. I gave him one of those cars about a year ago, and while some kids may have lost it or thrown it out, it was still sitting on the table, dented, discolored and in all kinds of bad shape. When he saw three new cars to add to his collection he literally started jumping up and down (on a single bed, shared by three people).

His mom was almost in tears at his joy and her unspoken gratefulness brought tears to my eyes as well. He got a few warm jackets, jumpers, pants and a pair of shoes. The shoes are too big for him, but he put them on and pranced around the compound like a prince.

We included some chocolate-which ended up mostly on face- some eggs and bread- so he can have a hearty breakfast- and orange juice- because he never gets to drink it, but drank gallons of it at our house! He was thrilled to get a pack of crayons and a few coloring books and workbooks as well. Something tells me those crayons will get worn down to little nubs by the time his attention is lost.

Erika also printed out several pictures that we had taken while living there of Nabin and his family, friends, and sisters (the Global Daughters). They were the very first print photographs for Nabin so he was thrilled. He kept pointing to himself and Erika and laughing. "Erika sister! Erika sister!"

We really have love for this little boy and wish everything in the world that is sweet, happy and good for him and his family. We are so happy that he is getting an education and hope that we will be in the position in the future to make sure that he continues through high school, college, and beyond. He is a shining star, really. We are both better people for having met him and can't wait to see him grow up and share himself with the world.

We would like to thank the people that contributed generously to his package, our Global Sister and biggest supporter, Brianna and our close friend and favorite mama, Suzanne.

Thank you for putting an even bigger smile on Nabin's already bright face!

Playing with the new sticker workbook.

Licking chocolatey lips

Outside the house

yummy!

New digs!

Erin's Scooty Mishap

Another pain med?? Sure.

That is shock, not happiness.

Recently Erin took quite a nasty tumble on her scooter ride in Pokhara. Luckily her brother, Tony, was there to help her out. Erin still had to make the hour drive, in shock, to the nearest medical facility to get stitches.

Back in Kathmandu Erin tried to see her doctor to tend to the wound. Unfortunately, there was a riot that day and a burning bus in front of the hospital so she could not make the appointment. Two days later she went in and they discovered that her wound had become infected in the bone and that she would require surgery. She had it done immediately with several friends there to help her through it. We are hopeful that even though Nepal is not renowned for their medical services that the recovery will go smoothly.

This Thanksgiving, Erin will be laid up in her bed recovering, so please keep her in your thoughts.

The Word is Spreading....

Global Daughter was featured in this week's Business Examiner. We invite you to read the article below:


Global Daughter aims for worldwide focus on foreign exports
10/27/2008
Source: Business Examiner
Author: Breanne Coats

There are numerous Web sites that sell unique products to customers online. There are also numerous female advocacy sites on the Web as well. What two Auburn natives felt was missing, though, was a combination of these two types of sites.

Global Daughter works with Nepali women designers, painters, tailors, master cutters and jewelers on a regular basis to create products that the business can then sell to Western consumers.

Owners Erika Mosebach and Erin Miller started Global Daughter to empower working women in Nepal. They are in charge of the Web site, www.globaldaughter.com, but all of the products that are sold through the Internet site are produced by women in the Himalayan mountains.
“We started from scratch and are trying to fine tune,” Mosebach said. “We want to give them all the tools to succeed.”

The company uses the phrase, “for women, by women, inspired by all women,” to promote its products.

The site features the following types of merchandise: jewelry, handbags, natural paper, home decor, organic tea and children’s products. From business cards, product tags and screening on merchandise, Mosebach said, women in Nepal not only make the products they sell, but also the various things they use to promote Global Daughter.

When shopping at places with “fair trade” products, Mosebach said, sometimes customers can't be sure if the businesses really are abiding by fair trade practices.

But with Global Daughter, people can rest assured, she said, since either she or her partner will actually be in Nepal helping the women get materials and paying them for their products directly.

In the future, Mosebach and Miller plan to expand Global Daughter to other countries. Their next stop will probably be Cambodia, Mosebach said.

Global Daughter started with Nepal because the two founders had a personal connection there and wanted to do something to help. It is one of the poorest countries in the world and the level of corruption there makes it even harder for money to trickle down to the regular citizens.
Global Daughter aims to get money directly into residents’ hands, specifically women, since they are often viewed as second-class citizens.
While the online boutique’s merchandise is made from products found in Nepal, Global Daughter does not try to make its products “scream Nepal.” Rather, Mosebach said, they are aiming to make their products more marketable in the United States.

The business has especially formed a close relationship with the artisans and management of Janakpur Arts and Crafts Center. This center provides clean working conditions, fair and reasonable working hours and wages. It also provides in-workshop meals to its women workers, according to Global Daughter.

To help get their business rolling, Mosebach has been hosting Global Daughter parties. She goes to people’s homes and shares the stories of its operations and the women it works with from Nepal. People can pay for and receive Global Daughter’s products at these parties.
“We’ve just had a great response,” Mosebach said. “Women love to get together and shop for a cause.”

While the two entrepreneurs do hope they can make some sort of living from the site, Mosebach said it is really more about making change in the lives of Nepali women.

Mosebach and Miller have to deal with a lot of unforeseen problems.

For example, the people in Nepal frequently go on strike. And when they do, no one works, which can stall the online retailer’s business.

Also, if one of the women who makes a particular product gets sick, Global Daughter may just have to go without that product until the woman-producer gets better.

Yet, these issues do not deter Mosebach and Miller from following through with their goals.
“The mission is to hopefully empower women worldwide to lift themselves out of poverty,” Mosebach said.

Breathe.

I just returned from the most beautiful trek in the Langtang Himalayan Region. I decided to pick up the walking sticks and head away from the city and rejuvenate. On the seven-day excursion I was able to see four of the highest peaks in Nepal and well into the Tibetan Himalayan Region. The panoramic views from near the famous Goisakund Lakes, was stunning. You could see the peaks, Ginesh Himal, Langtang, Annapurna, Machupuchare and a slew of other smaller peaks. This area is mostly made up of Tibetan communities or Nepali Tamang ethnicities. The language is different from Nepali as well as the food and the customs. It was at times a very difficult trek, but worth every sweaty step. The great thing about trekking is that it really is just...walking. That is the secret. You just walk around and then stop to eat and walk again, look at stuff. Of course, when you get up to 4500 meters (14,800 ft) then it becomes very slooooow walking!

I met heaps of fantastic people along the trail and made friends with a few of the children at home in the villages on holiday. In one of the tea houses I stayed at, the woman who looked after the place knitted me some arm warmers. I want to sell them at Global Daughter, but the logistics of getting them back to KTM from 4,000 meters would be a nightmare. They are very cute, though and I look forward to wearing them this winter.

Life in the mountain regions is quite different than anywhere else in the country. Kids are used to walking up and down mountains, literally, to attend school or retrieve cooking gas, eggs, blankets... everything really. They will blaze past any fit trekker on the trail and they can handle the high altitudes like champs. They were born into it. On the trail I saw young women porters who weighed about 50Kgs (110lbs), carrying 40-50Kgs of baggage and equipment on their backs. Heaving up steep steps and dangerous foot paths. I was in awe. Some porters don't wear shoes and most don't have what we would consider "proper" trekking gear.

It was nice to get out into nature again after six months stuck in the polluted and noisy KTM valley. Out there it seems like time has stopped and it doesn't take you long to adjust to the pace. I sometimes forget that I live amongst the highest and most breathtaking mountains in the world. The trek made me realize even more how lucky I am to be here, in this place, doing what I love to do. The Nepalis I met in the mountain villages are so far removed from the politics and greed of the city, it reminds you that they are the most welcoming and peaceful people in the world. The simplicity of life is inspiring and the intense sense of family relationships is beautiful.

It is true.

When you sloooooow things down, you can see what you are supposed to... a whole lot clearer.

Langtang Peak. Dusk.

Breathe.

Flying kites is the coolest.


up, up, up...


Ginesh Himal, Annapurna Peaks from Laurabina.



Tamang village- Thulo Saphryu

This chunk was just sitting by herself, all alone in the middle of nowhere...mom was collecting fodder

Sunset


Knitting arm warmers by the fire.


4,500 meters- thin air and light head!

Ink

We are pleased to announce our second bit of Global Daughter Press! This interview was taken in our hometown of Auburn, Washington and appeared in the Saturday edition of the Auburn Reporter. We look forward to more exposure in the future and appreciate all the support!

Auburn tandem extends helping hand to struggling women half a world away
By ROBERT WHALE
Auburn Reporter News reporter
Sep 20 2008

With refueling stops in New York and Abu Dhabi, 35 bone-numbing hours separate SeaTac Airport from its counterpart in Kathmandu, Nepal.

But more than physical space separates those compass points. Nepal, one of the poorest countries on Earth, recently has passed through the bloody trial of 12 years of civil war that wrenched it from a monarchy to a democracy.

Kathmandu, its capitol city, reeks with garbage, its air is choked by automobile exhaust fumes, its sacred river is fouled beyond description. Water-borne diseases kill thousands of people every year.

Auburn natives Erika Mosebach and Erin Miller, who live in Nepal, say that it also is one of the few countries in the world where women, working 16-hour days with little or no pay and subject to all kinds of degradation, die before the men.

Mosebach and Miller, best friends from childhood and at 27 seasoned world travelers, are doing something to ease the lot of their sisters across the globe.

Their brainchild is Global Daughter, an on-line fair trade, global boutique aimed at improving the economic standing of vulnerable women in Nepal. Its goal is to help the women there earn a better living by selling their handiwork all over the world, not just in their local marketplaces.

Global Daughter dates to the spring of 2007 when Miller volunteered in Nepal. She would later show Mosebach some beautiful handicrafts from her adventure.

“Later, we both did a volunteer project there, and the idea kind of spun after that,” said Mosebach. “What we saw was that all these poor countries are getting money from different donors, but it’s never trickling down to the people who actually need it because so often the governments are corrupt.”

In January 2008, Mosebach who with Miller had spent three years traveling through Asia, moved to Nepal and Global Daughter was born. Through fair-trade initiatives and skills development training, Global Daughter creates an opportunity for otherwise marginalized women to find an outlet for their talent and connect to the global market.

And because they actually live in Nepal, Mosebach and Miller are able to connect with women in profound ways.

That’s how they met Urmilla, a 70-year-old widow, and her 24-year-old daughter, Roma, who takes care of her. Mosebach and Miller first ran into them on a visit to one of the local markets, where they sell their beaded jewelry.

“They haven’t worked with any foreigners before and don’t speak any English,” Mosebach said. “We get a local guy from the market to help translate the stuff. Their house is just a room that they pay $14 a month in rent for. There’s a bed in there, and they sit on the floor and bead all day and bring their stuff to the market. We have started having them make these Cleopatra malla necklaces, which are our biggest seller. They might sell a piece or two at the market, but now since we have started working with them, we have increased their orders. Now they can make twice the average daily income.

“… They are ecstatic,” Mosebach said. “They have never worked with a foreigner before, and here they have gone from selling maybe a piece or two a day to having these big orders. It is going to change their lives dramatically.”

For one thing, the spike in income will enable the women to send their daughters, not just their sons, to school.

Such success and business acumen might come as a surprise to some considering neither is a business major – Mosebach holds a B.A. in European studies and Miller has a B.A. in philosophy.

Mosebach and Miller have financed everything themselves. They saved money living in Japan where they taught English to kids.

“What we are trying to do is provide women with skills development training and give them the resources and tools they need to be financially independent and successful,” Mosebach said. “We take the skills that they already know, working with textiles, handmade paper and jewelry, and we modify their designs or give them new ideas so that we can bring their handicrafts to the Western market.”

Nepal, Mosebach said, is such a landlocked country that it is hard to get in and out of, and it is hard to import and export goods. For this reason, the economic boom that swept over India and China bypassed Nepal.

“... They have never been a democracy before, so the people don’t really know how to deal with that or what that means. So basically, the country is in disarray, and there is no real government there; they are just trying to figure everything out. And because of that, there are still a lot of problems,” Mosebach said.

Mosebach has been in Auburn since July but will return to Nepal in January. Miller is still in Nepal.

“I am back here handling all the logistics and marketing of the business, including the launch of the Web site. It’s been a tedious process,” Mosebach said. “We used the resources we had in Nepal to get our website done, but it’s hard to do that when you lose power for eight hours a day.”

Mosebach said she and Miller expect the Nepal operation to run itself in a few years. At that point they will move on, likely to Cambodia, and repeat their success there.

“Our ultimate dream is for women worldwide to know what their value is, what their worth is. We want to improve living conditions for women all over the world and provide economic independence for these people, help lift them out of situations of poverty and abuse,” Mosebach said.

“... Not every woman is a mother, not every woman is a wife, but every woman is a daughter, so we can all identify with that,” Mosebach added.

To read more and to view their products, visit www.globaldaughter.com.

Auburn Reporter News reporter Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@reporternewspapers.com or 253-833-0218, ext. 5052.

Kathmandu Marathon/ 5K Kiddie Run

So I didn't actually do the marathon, or even run with the grown-ups, but I did have a great time in the kid's 5K division! My friend was running with kids from her orphanage, so I hopped in and had a go. My practice regime consisted of late nights, San Miguel beer, loads of tandoori and long walks behind the tail pipes of city buses. I was in no condition, but as a former runner, I thought I would dust off the old Nike Air Max 95s!


In total Nepali fashion it was disorganized, late and included a little spice of vandalism. The race was so poorly managed that organizers could not determine the winners of a few of the events. Some runners in the half marathon, full marathon, and 5K did not even reach check points and some rode on motorcycles to complete the race. There were only a few water stations along the route for the marathon runners, leaving them waterless for long stretches. Runners furious at the mismanagement of the event, resorted to vandalism at the national stadium- where all the races finished- shattering podiums and chairs. You know you are in Nepal when....

They did not block the roads so during one stretch of the race about 1,000 people were smashed onto the tiny sidewalk while buses, trucks and vans whizzed by, nearly clipping the heels of runners. I almost got ran over by one of the "volunteers" on his motorcyle. I also saw people cutting through the course along the way. There was no one directing runners, so it was a free-for-all. I was shouting to the kids, "Don't take the short cut in life!" and as I was getting passed by 5-year olds in pig tails and torn-up Ked sneakers, I realized that this marathon was a metaphor for Nepal and its future. Without going into it, I am sure you get it.

Anyways, it was a nice event, full of hilarity and that special touch of Nepali lawlessness. I can't imagine anything else I would like to be doing more at 5am on a Saturday morning.