The Didi Foundation

The Didi Foundation is an Australian and Nepalese-registered charity dedicated to empowering disadvantaged women and children in Nepal through education, vocational training, employment, health initiatives and sustainable community development. Their mission is to create long-term social and economic change by equipping women with practical skills, education and opportunities to become financially independent and active contributors within their families and their communities.

Women participating in Didi Foundation programs come from highly disadvantaged backgrounds affected by poverty, social exclusion, limited education, caste discrimination, domestic hardship and unemployment. In Nepal, many women continue to face significant barriers to education, employment and economic participation, particularly in low-income/low caste communities.

Established in 2013 with just five sewing machines, the Didi Foundation has grown into a highly respected grassroots organisation operating from Didi’s HQ, a four-storey women’s empowerment centre in Mulapni, Kathmandu. Programs include tailoring and industrial sewing, literacy and numeracy education, digital literacy, beauty and hospitality training, entrepreneurship support, employment pathways and access to micro-loans.

Since inception, more than 8,000 women have participated in Didi Foundation programs. In 2024–25, 300 women graduated from vocational training courses, with 88% gaining employment or starting a small business.

Current priorities include expanding vocational training opportunities, strengthening employment pathways and social enterprise programs, and improving organisational capacity through dedicated middle management and electronic reporting systems to enhance coordination, data collection and outcome measurement. Funding will directly support program delivery, monitoring and evaluation, training resources, equipment, and sustainable employment opportunities for women.

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