Buy here, get equal rights and opportunities there.

The young life story of Praju, 21, shows how help for self-help works. From an early age, Praju grew up in the child care centre of the Women's Foundation Nepal. There is space there for children who are either orphans or seeking protection from violence with their mothers. Praju has not only received this protection, but much more. From an early age, she was accepted into a loving community. She was given the chance to fully develop her talents and abilities - through a good school education and later at university. She was never told that she was worth less as a girl. On the contrary, the Women's Foundation fights for women's rights and it does so in Nepal, a country still strongly marked by patriarchal structures.

Independence is important to the women of the Women's Foundation, including independence from donations. That is why the women have always attached importance to financing themselves to a large extent. Another pillar of the Women's Foundation is responsible for this - Maheela. Here, high-quality products such as cashmere scarves are created and sold all over the world. The profits are used to finance projects such as child welfare. Maheela as an employer also sets an example: There are good wages and social benefits, and those who enter the workforce at Maheela receive sound, free training.

The Women's Foundation has managed to combine idealism with a good business idea. Praju is one of the people who make sure that the business runs smoothly. She studied business administration after school and is now employed in the management of Maheela. 

The Women's Foundation's claim to stand up for equal rights for men and women is not only represented by women. Prabesh, the head of communication of the Women's Foundation, has a clear opinion on the future chances of Nepal: Only if equal opportunities and equal rights are enforced, the country can develop.

Praju, who calls herself a subsidiary of the Women's Foundation, relies on customers from the West who want to shop with a clear conscience for the success of her company. "We are showing that we can make premium products at competitive prices while making a positive contribution to disadvantaged people. We invite anyone who wants to support a truly social enterprise to buy from us."

The opportunity is available at the Plan Shop. Maheela is represented there with many products. Among other things, there is a brand new "Peace Collection", in which fashion speaks for peace.