guardian village handicrafts

Guardian Village Handicrafts was born to meet the pressing need of hurting women and children in Nepal. Started in 1999 and continuing today, the goal of their work has been to rescue children and women who have been exploited, abused or abandoned.  Often the woman and children are victims of sheer poverty.  They are put into vulnerable situations by family who, through ignorance or sheer desperation, ask them to work as slaves in menial jobs or tell them to beg on the streets. Oftentimes, the women and children become victims of human trafficking.

Guardian Village Handicrafts (GVH) empowers women to make an honest, respectable living through vocational training and life skill developments.  There are currently over thirty ladies who are trained and equipped to craft beautiful hand-beaded jewelry and accessories. GVH pays more than a fair trade wage for each item that is produced so artisans are able to earn an income that allows them to properly care for themselves and their families.  Each GVH artisan is given an opportunity to learn to read and write, as well as given access to health care, family planning, nutrition and sanitation: all improving their quality of life and home environment.