Sjaal met Verhaal at BijzonderMOOI*
Actually there are two stories; the story behind the products and the story about how the Scarf with Story company was created. Those two stories are intimately intertwined and the driving force behind the success they experience every day. A growing company here in the Netherlands with popular and unique products, a growing positive impact on the lives of hundreds of women in Nepal.
The story begins with Inge Hoogesteger, who first visited Nepal in 2013.
A visit to a children's home in Pokhara showed her that you don't have to have children yourself to be able to do something for a child.
Taking care of yourself and your children is not easy in a country where poverty reigns and care and education cannot be taken for granted. Despite the harsh conditions, the friendliness and hospitality of the people there prevails. Inge immediately felt at ease and wanted to do something. She bought a number of scarves to sell in the Netherlands. That meant income for the women who make the scarves and they would donate the proceeds to the children's home. Little did she know that this move would turn her life and the lives of hundreds of other women upside down.
A building was built, a whole team of enthusiastic employees was built and it was no longer just about scarves; rugs, coasters, jewellery, bags and all kinds of felt decorations were purchased. They all have something important in common: they are colourful, unique and handmade. And with the sale, Scarf with Story creates work for more than a thousand women in Nepal and Thailand. Being able to be economically independent has a huge positive impact on their lives and that of their children. This mission always comes first and that makes Scarf with Story a 'Social Enterprise': a company that does not aim to make profit, but sees it as a means to contribute to a better world.
However, it remains a challenge to work on the mission to create work for women in Nepal so that they can build an independent life. The developing country is not only ravaged by poverty, but also has many setbacks in the form of earthquakes, landslides, a plague of locusts and of course the crisis caused by Covid-19. When the national borders close, there is soon a serious shortage of food and medicines. The impact of any setback is huge. That is why it is all the more important to give the women there a stable base and to step in when disaster strikes the country.
Of course that support cannot exist without you, the people who buy these products. We decide together whether it will be a story with a happy ending.
On behalf of us and the hundreds of women in Nepal; thank you!