What does Samunnat mean?

The board of Samunnat Nepal chose the name ‘Samunnat’ because it means to thrive or flourish. This is what they want women to be able to do.

Where does the money go?

All the money raised by Samunnat Inc goes to Samunnat Nepal. The majority goes in the form of cash and the rest goes as clay or supplies. We also pay for the postage of the jewellery to the wholesalers. Read more about this here.

How much is spent on administration costs in Australia?

Hardly anything. The only administrative costs have been in the development and maintenance of this website, bank fees and other incidentals. Any money spent in Australia is directly for the SN organization. See above. All of us are volunteers.

What does Samunnat Nepal do with the money?

Samunnat Nepal uses the money to help women who are victims of violence. This can be in the form of legal assistance to help them divorce or get what they are entitled to when their husband abandons them. It may be in the form of accommodation, transport costs or short-term assistance with school fees and food costs. It may also be in the form of funding for income generation training such as tailoring, vegetable gardening, or similar sustainable sources of income. There is more information here.

What are the beads made from?

All the beads are made from polymer clay. Polymer clay is a synthetic modelling clay which comes from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) base. It’s the stuff plumbing pipes are made from! The PVC base is combined with other stuff which makes it malleable and means it can be cured in a normal oven. The ladies of Samunnat use a small range of 15 or so basic colours (including metallics) and then combine these colours by hand to make a HUGE range of glorious bespoke colours. Although polymer clay is not naturally occurring, there is no waste. Any scrap clay is used to create the inside of beads or handles for some of the tools we use.

How do the women put the patterns on the beads?

The question that the women are most asked is how they paint the tiny, intricate patterns on the beads. And the answer is that they don’t!!! The designs are made as canes, often quite large, and are then reduced by hand to the tiny sizes required to cover beads like those made by the Samunnat ladies. We have a WHOLE page telling you a bit about this process and a video so head over there to find our more!!!

Can I visit?

Tourists have had many wonderful visits to Samunnat Nepal as part of the ‘Colourful Journey’ tours that were running regularly prior to the pandemic. These are now resuming in conjunction with our partner, Project Didi. We request that people don’t plan any independent visits. You should contact Samunnat Nepal directly to ask if and when visits are possible. Voluntourism is not helpful for Samunnat Nepal (…nor is it for most other organisations).

How can I help?

The best way to help is to purchase Samunnat products! Go to our stockists for current designs or our online shop of specials and discontinued lines.

We have had some specific fund-raising projects where donations are requested - such as the construction of Samunnat Nepal’s building. If you would like to contribute directly, please contact us through this website so that we can discuss the needs and possibilities.