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Founder - Shelley Snow

My first trip to South East Asia was in Oct of 2005. At the age of 35 I quit my waitressing job and made the choice to backpack accross India for 5 months. It still remains the bravest choice I have ever made and was one of the high water marks of my life. At the end, I decided to fly from New Delhi to Kathmandu, Nepal and when I arrived at Tribhuvan airport I knew that I had arrived 'home'. I had found my Tribe, my people, my passion, my heart. When I flew back to Canada one month later I had only one focus - to figure out how I could return to Nepal.

For a few years I returned South East Asia to volunteer teaching English and also to volunteer for a wonderful Canadian-Nepalese charity operated by a good friend David Walton called WELNepal. But eventually I realised that I needed to do more. But what?

Nepal is one the poorest countires in the world...and more than anything else I wanted to contribute to helping women and girls to have more options, more choices to determine the path of their own lives. In 2014 She Sells Sanctuary was born. This was the first time I sought out fair trade local grassroots organizations that made beautiful handicrafts, I bought my white tent and joined my first Toronto Artisan Market.

This business has been nothing less than a labour of love. Thank you for your continued support!


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Some photos of my travels in Nepal

Me welcome flowers.jpg
Me welcome flowers.jpg
Me visiting the village of Madi in Chitwan Nepal
Me in Madi.jpg
Me in Madi.jpg
Visiting the village of Madi in Chitwan Nepal working with WELNepal (Women's Education and Literacy in Nepal)
Making chapati at school.JPG
Making chapati at school.JPG
At the school where I taught English in Chitwan. Picknic day and the kids are rolling chapati
View from RL.jpg
View from RL.jpg
View from my balcony 'office' at Rhino Land in Sauraha Chitwan Nepal
Me, Diana and Nasreen LWH.jpg
Me, Diana and Nasreen LWH.jpg
Hanging with good friends Diana Brugos and Nasreen Sheikh, Founder of Local Women's Handicrafts
me with kids.JPG
me with kids.JPG
Enjoying picnic day with the students in Chitwan
Sewing bags.2.JPG
Sewing bags.2.JPG
Sewing cotton woven bags at Women Skills Development Project in Pokhara Nepal.
Woven Bags.JPG
Woven Bags.JPG
Fair Trade cotton bags I choose from at Women's Skills Development in Pokhara Nepal
Weaving Bags.JPG
Weaving Bags.JPG
Weaving cotton bags on a traditional loom
Madi.2.jpg
Madi.2.jpg
Local homes in the village of Madi in Chitwan where I volunteer with WELNepal charity
Me with Tikka.jpg
Me with Tikka.jpg
Blessed with a welcome Tikka in Madi village Chitwan.
Sewing training..jpg
Sewing training..jpg
Visiting Sewing Training in Madi, a project of WELNepal funded by a local Toronto bellydance troupe
Madi.jpg
Madi.jpg
Beautiful and peaceful village of Madi
Me in the village.JPG
Me in the village.JPG
Visiting my friends Shanti and Raju's home village
School.JPG
School.JPG
My older class where I taught English
boat on rapti river.JPG
boat on rapti river.JPG
Tradition wooden boat used by Tharu fisherman on the Rapti river in Chitwan
Me in Madi.jpg
Me in Madi.jpg
Making Elephant Kuchi.jpg
Making Elephant Kuchi.jpg
Making Kuchi (a snack) for the elephants filled with rice and vitamins
The Raju Family.JPG
The Raju Family.JPG
The Raju family - dear friends that always help me thrive - Ritik, Shanti, Raj, Ritika
Tibetan Flag Parkdale.JPG
Tibetan Flag Parkdale.JPG
The Tibetan flag at a candlelight vigil and fundraiser in Parkdale Toronto to support victims of Nepal's tragic earthquake, April 25 2015
Nepal Class.jpg
Nepal Class.jpg
Literacy class in Madi funded by WELNepal
village.JPG
village.JPG
Visiting Shanti's and Raju's childhood village in Chitwan Nepal
Madi 3.jpg
Madi 3.jpg
Beautiful, peaceful Madi village
My office RL.jpg
My office RL.jpg
My upper balcony office at Rhino Land my home away from home
Tharu dancing stick dance.JPG
Tharu dancing stick dance.JPG
Traditional Tharu dancers celebrating The Local Food Festival
Happy Lemon Tree.jpg
Happy Lemon Tree.jpg
Local watering hole on the Rapti River - The Lemon Tree
boudha at night.JPG
boudha at night.JPG
Night decends at Boudhanath one of the largest spherical Buddhist Stupas in South East Asia
Laxmi in the mist with watch tower.jpg
Laxmi in the mist with watch tower.jpg
Laxmi, a beautiful elephant freed from bondage by Lena Quenard. The watch tower is to view wild elephants and tigers
Laxmi in the mist with watch tower.jpg
Laxmi in the mist with watch tower.jpg
Morgan.jpg
Morgan.jpg
Morgan, the local crocodile sunbathing on a rock near The Happy Lemon Tree on the Rapti river
Julia an David Walton.jpg
Julia an David Walton.jpg
Dear friends David Walton, founder of WELNepal and Julia who used to volunterr as a nurse and teacher in Nepal
flowers on head food festival.JPG
flowers on head food festival.JPG
Tharu parade of local women celebrating the openning of The Food Festival in Chitwan
girls in school.JPG
girls in school.JPG
Some of my students, age 15
Madi.2.jpg
Madi.2.jpg
Beautiful homes in Madi Village
baby rhino.JPG
baby rhino.JPG
A baby rhino being cared for by local vets that was injured after a tiger attack
Literacy smiles.jpg
Literacy smiles.jpg
Beautiful smiles of the students taking one of WELNepal's literacy classes.
Flag rebuild.JPG
Flag rebuild.JPG
My first visit back to Nepal following the 2015 Earthquake. I am in Patan viewing some of the damage to these ancient temples
Felting my Holiday Ornaments.jpg
Felting my Holiday Ornaments.jpg
Fair trade artisans making my hand felted holiday ornaments at ACP The Association of Craft Producers
factory for menstral pads.jpg
factory for menstral pads.jpg
Me visiting a local Chitwan factory making reusable and biodegradable menstral pads
chief priest at Nepali Temple in Vanassi India.JPG
chief priest at Nepali Temple in Vanassi India.JPG
Visiting the young Hindu priest at the Nepali Temple on the Ganges river in Varanassi India.
I made your bag.jpg
I made your bag.jpg
Older Women's Faces.jpg
Older Women's Faces.jpg
Women taking a WELNepal literacy class in the village of Madi
Parkdale Nepal Earthquake.JPG
Parkdale Nepal Earthquake.JPG
Attending a vigil and fundraiser for Nepali victims of the 2015 earthquake in Parkdale
Raj mom cooking chicken.JPG
Raj mom cooking chicken.JPG
Anticipating eating a delicious meal cooked by Raju's mom at thier Sauraha home
Popcorn and Beer.jpg
Popcorn and Beer.jpg
Good friends, popcorn and cold beer at Shanti's with her mom and Lena who lives in Nepal caring for her freed elephant.
beautiful children.JPG
beautiful children.JPG
Some of my kids playing after class
Happy LT.jpg
Happy LT.jpg
River view at The Happy Lemon Tree in Sauraha
village.JPG
village.JPG
Visiting Shanti and Raju's childhood village as a welcome guest
Dinner at Gayatri Rimals on our last day.jpg
Dinner at Gayatri Rimals on our last day.jpg
Last dinner with good friends in Nepal. We all visit yearly in January and enjoy a meal at Krishna and Gyatri's restraurant.
Me with Len and Julia at School.JPG
Me with Len and Julia at School.JPG
With Len and Julia the two teachers that trained me and gave me the confidence to stand up in front of my class for the first time.

WELNEPAL - CANADIAN CHARITY FOUNDED BY DAVID WALTON

My time in Nepal always has a variety of elements. I spend a significant amount of time visiting the socially ethical suppliers I support while also seeking out new ones. For several years and ongoing I also volunteer for WELNepal, founded by my dear friend David Walton which is a Canadian registered charity 'Women's Education and Literacy in Nepal'.

WELNepal works with a local NGO in Nepal to better the lives of women through literacy, education and income generating programs. It is said that one learns to read so that one can read to learn. WELNepal provides bursaries for those young women who wish to continue their post secondary education, but whose parents either lack the funds or the desire to see their daughters educated. WELNepal provides small libraries to those groups who have attained literacy but lack access to books or journals or newspapers. WELNepal has been helping women to better their lives through literacy, education and organization for the past 30 years. WELNepal's representatives visit the projects every year. ALL expenses are paid for by the representative, so more money is available for those projects that the women's groups in Nepal so desperately need. For more information or to make a donation please visit : https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/welnepal/