By Barbara Sibbald They don’t exactly meet the designated requirements, but there can be no doubting the success of the OTOP shop in picturesque Phayao, Thailand. OTOP, or One Tambon One Products, is a Thai government program launched in 2001 which was inspired by Japan’s One Village, One Product initiative. It supports local economies by encouraging communities...
Author: Leslie Vryenhoek Aidemi: Women’s Creative Studios Association, of Kyrgyzstan, is an active member of HomeNet Eastern Europe and Central Asia (HNEE/CA). Their mission, based on the traditions of their ancestors, is to develop innovations with the aim to increase international awareness about Kyrgyz craftsmanship. The women from the villages of Naryn region have been working together for...
Author: Leslie Vryenhoek Zhazgul Duishenova is a home-based seamstress working in Kyrgyzstan. She also takes in orders from middlemen. “With them, everything depends on the orders,” she says. The middlemen provide samples and the materials, but also take at least 50 KG Som for each item. Zhazgul l is the breadwinner for her family. Her husband has...
Author: Leslie Vryenhoek To reach Ruth Otieno’s home, you must traverse dirt roads with deep, wide potholes that force traffic to weave side to side. Cows and goats graze roadside and behind them, large gardens of vegetables and maize gleam in the hot sun. After parking and walking a circuitous route to avoid the furrows (ditches) filled...
Author: Leslie Vryenhoek The word “empowered” often feels overused, a buzzword stripped of its true impact. However, Jemimah Nyakongo’s journey is a profound testament to empowerment in its most authentic and powerful sense. Her transformation from a silent, marginalized homemaker in a rural Kenyan village to an influential global leader for home-based workers is not just...
The Philippines, long recognized as one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, is grappling with the devastating effects of extreme weather events, environmental degradation, and worsening food insecurity. For women in the informal economy and nano-enterprises—those running the smallest businesses with the fewest resources—these challenges are particularly severe. Yet, as the recently concluded...
Ms. Vicherka Yun, a home-based worker from Battambang Province, Cambodia, and an Executive Committee member of HomeNet Southeast Asia (HNSEA), attended the WIEGO School’s Workers’ Education for Workers’ Power – Training of Trainers (ToT) in Ahmedabad, India, from 1–5 September 2025.She shared with the other HNSEA Executive Committee members that she gained significant insights from...
Courtesy of: HomeNet South AsiaWhen Champaben Ravat first came home with a bag of scrap waste to repurpose, she could not have imagined her future as a leader of her community.Born into a struggling farming family in the village of Maliya, Mehsana, Champaben faced economic hardships from an early age. The prospect of higher education...
By: Richa Macsuedon, Senior Program Coordinator, HomeNet South Asia To create any lasting change, it is essential to empower community leaders with the right skills and knowledge. HomeNet South Asia (HNSA) is committed to this approach when it comes to addressing gender-based violence (GBW). HNSA recently conducted two intensive ‘Train the Trainer’ workshops focused on enabling home-based...
By: Richa Macsuedon , Senior Program Coordinator, HomeNet South AsiaThe tourism industry across South Asia is largely supported by the efforts of home-based workers. However, even today, these workers have limited opportunities to expand, scale and drive meaningful financial growth through their work. HomeNet South Asia’s affiliate partner, the Institute for Development of Community Strengths...
