Suryamukhi is a social project that began in February 1999 in order to provide economic support for CHILDREN-Nepal (CN). The Suryamukhi project began on a very small scale with only six women and a very small workspace on the ground floor where it initially shared space with three children's programs.  It gave and continues to give low-income women the opportunity to acquire a basic wage with which they can improve the living conditions of themselves and their families. Women aged 18 years and older are provided with vocational training in sewing, knitting and embroidery free of charge at the CN Centre.

These days Suryamukhi's commands an entire floor at the CN Centre complete with a sewing room, cutting facility, counter, office, store room and a sales room!  It now employs 18 women and, since its inception, Suryamukhi has employed thirty-three women. The trained women are assigned work and are paid on an approved product basis. The range of the products made by these talented craftswomen includes stuffed toys, fabric dolls, children and dolls clothes, puppets, T-shirts, bags, aprons, hand puppets and various other items. All products are made with locally available fabric and materials.

The goals of Suryamukhi are:

1. To help women in social and economic need
2. To help women to become self-supporting through the creation and sale of their handicrafts
3. To provide economic support to the children's activities of CHILDREN-Nepal

children-nepal@fewanet.com.np