Nepal itinerary I’ve created is a bit of a taste of different global issues.
We visit an environmental organisation, one that focuses on human
trafficking, Seven Women, which is all about social enterprise and
entrepreneurship, and Fred Hollows, which is all about the health
system.” The tours have given flight to some incredible ideas. “There
have been quite a few participants who’ve gone on to start their own
initiatives,” Stephanie explains. “We had one girl who was Nepali but
moved to Australia in her teens. When she came back to Nepal with
us on a tour, she said she’d never ever seen that side of the country.
It impacted her profoundly. She ended up returning to start a Nepali
youth organisation.”
“I think getting completely outside your comfort zone – having your
eyes opened to what’s happening out there in the world – really
does affect you,” Stephanie continues. “I’m passionate about cre-
ating pathways for young people to be able to figure out how they
can add value. Our generation has the opportunity to explore what
we’re passionate about, whereas our parents didn’t always have that
luxury. Every time I speak to a group of young people, I can see they
want to make a difference, but don’t know how.”
Whether she’s addressing a school group in Melbourne or lead-
ing a tour in Kathmandu, one thing Stephanie always emphasises
is inquisitiveness – that same virtue that caused her to strike up
a conversation with a stranger in Nepal 13 years ago. “Curiosity is
absolutely critical to success,” she says. “Being a good listener,
having a genuine desire to learn about different cultures and know
the problem you’re trying to solve is crucial. Travel gives us such
an incredible insight into where we fit in the world. We first need to
understand how the world works to understand how we can best
make a difference in it.” to distribute the aid money,” Stephanie explains. “The earthquake
gave us the opportunity to put power in the hands of the women in
the village.”
Seven Women’s success has earned Stephanie many accolades,
including a Rotary Responsible Business Award, a nomination for
Australian of the Year and perhaps her most prestigious honour
yet, the Order of Australia medal in 2019. Never one to rest on her
laurels, she is always looking for ways to improve and reach more
women. “The last few years have been about finding ways to stop
importing products to Australia and move all the income-generating
activities over to Nepal to make it more sustainable,” she explains.
To do this, Stephanie founded a second social enterprise in 2011,
Hands on Development, to oversee the tourism side of things. It’s
an idea that seems to be working: around 50 international tourists
visit the Seven Women centre in Kathmandu every day, participating
in cooking lessons, language classes and prayer flag workshops run
by Nepali women.
Stephanie is passionate about creating opportunities for more
young people to share in those formative experiences that first
ignited her own passion for social justice. “I’ve had the most incred-
ible life experience in Nepal, and I really want to share that with oth-
ers,” she says. “I want to bring them to see what I’ve seen.” Hands on
Development also offers two immersive itineraries that blend travel
and social entrepreneurship. Young people are invited to spend 10
days in Nepal, meeting local leaders, visiting remote communities
and learning from grassroots organisations.
“You just can’t beat lived experience,” Stephanie says of the program.
“It broadens the mind like nothing else. Just like I was exploring by
volunteering in different organisations after high school, the 10-day”
“
Every time I speak to a group of young people, I can see
they want to make a difference, but don’t know how