Partnerships

Although CCF is a young organization (est. 2014), we have a long history in Nepal with many relationships formed over the years. Our programs are Nepali-led because we believe the local people understand what they need most. We only partner with trusted, vetted individuals and organizations that align with our mission.

Ganesh Himal Trading

Together, CCF’s Chair and Co-Vice Chair, Denise Attwood and Ric Conner, founded Ganesh Himal Trading, LLC, a fair trade import business designed to bring economic empowerment to marginalized producers, primarily women, in Nepal. In 2019, Austin Zimmerman, became a partner in Ganesh Himal with the intention of carrying that fair trade work into the future. For over 30 years, through their business, Denise & Ric raised money and advocated for projects that subsidized the education of the daughters of artisans they worked with, rebuilt workshops for producers, and helped co-establish a small rural primary healthcare clinic.

Recognizing that other barriers affect women besides access to fair work, CCF evolved out of Ganesh Himal Trading’s years of business in Nepal to address the barriers of education and health care, specifically for girls and women. The distinct entities partner closely with a holistic approach to build relationships, share resources and effect change.

Association for Craft Producers (ACP)

CCF has a long history with ACP and has partnered with them on many fronts including girls’ education, mentoring, and menstrual health initiatives. CCF has been a key player since 2014 in helping to fund and grow ACP’s child education and college scholarship programs which have allowed many of the women producers at ACP to keep their girls in school and allowed some to go on to higher education. ACP is a Nepali non-profit, fair trade organization providing design, marketing, management, and technical services to low-income Nepali craft producers. Its focus is on employing women and they provide both fair wages and social benefit programs that help women transcend cultural barriers.

Radha Paudel Foundation

CCF partners with the respected team at the Radha Paudel Foundation to conduct our Menstrual Hygiene Leadership training sessions. This foundation is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Nepal that advocates for peace, human rights and empowerment through policy advocacy, training and research using the Miteri approach, a philosophy that promotes living together with dignity, justice and equality.

Sita Gurung & Dhane Gurung, deurali community services

Sita & Dhane Gurung are both native to the village of Dhadagaun, Baseri and were instrumental in the inception and building of the first ever primary health care facility there—the Baseri Clinic. Both Sita and Dhane sit on the Deurali Community Services board which is the local committee that oversees the operation of the clinic. They orchestrated an agreement between the Nepali government and the clinic which created a unique public/private partnership in which the government pays for part of the staff salaries and CCF provides for the other part as well as maintenance of the buildings. Sita was also instrumental in establishing an endowment for the clinic that allows for its continued operation far into the future. Sita lives in Seattle and has known Denise and Ric since 1984. Dhane lives in Kathmandu and runs a high altitude Himalayan trekking agency.

Kesang Yudron, PROJECT MANAGER MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT

Denise and Ric have worked with Kesang’s family in Nepal in their fair trade business since Kesang was born. They have watched her as she grew up and completed her accounting degree at St. Benedicts College in Minnesota. When her father died suddenly, Kesang decided to return to Nepal, and inspired by the story of a 13-year-old village girl being rescued from trafficking by the police in Nepagunj, she founded Padhma Creations, a fair trade company designed to provide women artisans with employment. Partnering with Ganesh Himal Trading, she has provided work to many women who otherwise faced much more difficult lives.

In 2017, Kesang became interested in CCF’s work with Menstrual Hygiene Education and is now CCF’s Menstrual Hygiene program manager in Nepal. As program manager Kesang oversees the Menstrual pad workshop, facilitates trainings, and organizes CCF’s expansion of that work in Nepal. She has volunteered many hours setting up a small sewing workshop to train low income women to sew reusable menstrual pad kits and helped to organize multiple Menstrual Hygiene Management trainings in Nepal. She also recognized the need for and spearheaded development of a comprehensive training manual for rural and mostly non-literate Menstrual Hygiene trainees.

Prastuti Dhakal

Prastuti Dhakal plays an important role as administrative assistant for CCF’s Girls' Education Program in Nepal, which is funded both by ACP and CCF. She acts as a mentor for the girls and helps them navigate the educational system as well as connect with other girls and women’s leadership NGO’s in Nepal. Prastuti provides program evaluation feedback to CCF and helps determine the best path forward for the girls including coordination of menstrual hygiene training and menstrual pad kit distribution.

Prastuti is proactive and loves working with kids and finds her work to empower women and their daughters very inspiring.

Pradeep & Ram Karki

Denise, Ric have known the Karki family since their first trek in 1984. Their son, Cameron, and Pradeep were both born in 1997 and their lifetime friendship was formed. Helping with Pradeep’s education and promoting their family trekking business, Denise and Ric hoped to provide westerners with an opportunity to experience the true Nepal while supporting local operators. In 2015, when the earthquake struck, both Ram and Pradeep became vital partners volunteering to help CCF distribute emergency supplies to very remote areas. In 2018, Pradeep and his father, Ram, formalized their trekking business, Connections Nepal, and have a vision to work with local villages and guides to bring sustainable economy to some of the most stunning, yet most impoverished areas of the world. When not trekking, Pradeep continues to work with CCF to manage and oversee remote programs.

TEAM Nepal

(Together Everyone Achieves More) is a non-government, non-profit social organization based in Melamchi, Sindupolchuk, Nepal. It was started in 2009 by Neel Bahadur Shahi, a long time friend of CCF board members. TEAM Nepal’s goal is to help Nepalese people in the area of child rights, education, environment, health awareness and emergency relief. When the earthquake of 2015 hit, the area of Sindupolchuk was hit very hard and TEAM Nepal went right to work providing emergency relief. Because of our long standing relationship with Neel, CCF partnered with TEAM Nepal right after the earthquake to provide funds for them for distribution of food and emergency aid which they distributed to very remote areas.