Nepalese Nettle

The Trust workswith women from Sankhuwasabha, in the East of Nepal, who live mainly from subsistence
farming but who add to their income by spinning, weaving and knitting the fibre of the giant nettle, Girardina
Diversifolia. Originally used to make basic clothing, sacks and fishing nets, the nettle is now knitted into
shawls and scarves and woven into material for clothing, furnishing fabric, table mats etc. which are mainly sold to tourists but also have what at present is a limited export market.

The Trust is working to increase this market in the UK and also to diversify the range of products. The main activities funded by the Trust are workshops for the knitters and weavers to improve their skills and introduce new patterns. These have been led by textile designers from the UK and by more experienced Nepalese weavers.

The Trust also sponsors lessons in English and IT for Nepalese coordinators of the project to assist them in marketing overseas. A website is currently under construction to help with this and the Trust will be funding the necessary computer equipment, This will be housed in the projects weaving centre which is in need of modernisation and expansion, another of the Trust's objectives.

The long term aim of the trust is to continue the work of John Dunsmore who suggested, within the framework of an integrated rural development project in Nepal, weaving and knitting as sustainable forms of income generation for some of the poorest people in the world.

The trust publishes THE NETTLE IN NEPAL bySusi Dunsmore, which gives full details about how the plant is harvested, processed, spun, knitted and woven.

56 pages in colour.
£7.20 including UK postage.

Available from:The John Dunsmore Nepalese Textile Trust
13 Eliot Place
London SE3 0QL

Proceeds from the sale of the book and other donations will support weavers and knitters in Nepal.