The Kumari Project

The Kumari Project is currently selling The RUNI Collection in 5 stores in Oregon and Connecticut, in handicraft fairs in the US, and online. In the next 1-3 years, we will expand our sales to a greater number of boutiques and independently-owned stores as well as work to sell to larger markets and chains. This year we are establishing a fair trade women's cooperative to train and empower women through employment and community-building. We plan to employ women once they have left the orphanage and are jobless. This cooperative will act as a community center, as well as a place of work, and we will strive to offer the best facilities and creative job structures to allow the employees to go to school part time and accommodate young children if need be. We hope to employ 5 women this year and up to 15 in the next two years. We will be opening a boutique in Nepal to cater to tourists. We are currently leading volunteer trips of students from Yale University and young professionals in the New Haven area. We have led three, and will lead our fourth in March 2011. Volunteers have spent two weeks at the orphanages run by the Nepal Children's Organization teaching arts, english, painting, and spending time with the infants who do not receive adequate interaction due to the strains on the staff. Additionally we have fundraised and donated school supplies, clothing blankets, toothbrushes, toothpaste, reusable diapers, art supplies, books, and shoes. We will continue to lead these trips and in the next 2-5 years expand this program to more schools.