TEWA – Nepal
About Us
Tewa means “support” in Nepali. It refers to the kind of support used to prop up leaning walls and buildings before they are rebuilt. Tewa was initiated post World Conference on Women in Beijing, September 1995 by its founder Rita Thapa. With formal registration at the CDO Lalitpur Office of GoN, and the Social Welfare Council in April 1996, Tewa was formally established. It comprises of twenty-three dues-paying diverse women members of whom eleven are on the Executive Board; a professional staff team; a gender balanced advisory committee; and an active volunteer body.
Tewa’s philosophy is to develop modern philanthropy, both in terms of minimizing social costs incurred in rapid transition, for self-reliant development that is not donor dependent, and for the empowerment of emerging groups of rural women in Nepal. With this philosophy in mind we do local fund-raising, give small grants to women’s groups from rural Nepal, and strengthen the human resource of Nepal through various programmes.
As an organization, Tewa’s style is to be diverse and inclusive, non-hierarchical, and transparent and accountable. We work on the basis of a process-led approach, with ongoing reflection and analysis based on continuous appraisal, monitoring and evaluation, most of which is built into our various programme. In all this we basically “walk our talk” and aim at being frugal and efficient in all that we do.
Our Work:
Tewa’s work consists of three main programmes: grant-making, fund raising and fund raising volunteer. In its grant-making process, Tewa focuses on rural women’s groups in order to support their work, political voice and visibility. Since 2007, 20% of Tewa’s grant-making funds goes for peace building initiatives. To raise funds and simultaneously create a model for sustainable development, Tewa trains and mobilizes volunteers who are primarily women, to engage in local fund raising for the direct support of grant-making programme. Human resource development is inherent in all aspects of Tewa’s work.
In its short history of a little over 13 years, Tewa has given out 315 grants in 60 out of 74 districts of Nepal, and has raised over 14.4 million rupees primarily locally for its grant-making purposes. During these years Tewa has trained and mobilized 443 (April 2009) volunteers for its fund-raising purposes. In 2001, in a deteriorating economic environment in Nepal owing to conflict, Tewa invested its 1.7 million rupees in a land and development project acquiring approximately 2 acres of land and raising money locally as well as externally to complete so far six major infrastructures: an arcade of shops, the Tewa office building, a multi-purpose community hall, cafeteria, a open-air theatre with a seating capacity of 7/800 people, and a rental block (nearing completion) with the support of the Ford Foundation. Tewa is also a founding member of the Network of International Women’s Funds.
Contact Info:
Website: www.tewa.org.np
Email: tewa@mail.com.np
Email: info@tewa.org.np
Address: Dhapakhel VDC, Lalitpur, P.O.Box 11, Lalitpur, Nepal
Tel: 5572654, 5572235
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