12 Stones

The village of Belsi lies off the main highway that connects Nepal to India, a dusty torturous road that winds down from the Katmandu Valley. Most homes don't have windows, running water or electricity. A multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, small and astoundingly beautiful country, Nepal is also one of poorest countries in the world, with nearly half the people living below the poverty line. Outside of Africa, no country is poorer. What distinguishes Belsi from most other villages is that next to crumbling mud and thatched roof shacks are solidly constructed concrete homes, with vegetable gardens and cleanly swept yards. The difference is breathtaking. And instead of the shy and reserved women that inhabit most villages in the region, we meet Shanti, Sita, and Parabati, the women of Belsi. Working with Heifer International, a aid organization that promotes sustainable development through gifts of livestock, the women are now helping hundreds of other women and their families rise out of poverty. Deeply moving, '12 Stones' captures the remarkable transformation these women have undergone and illuminates the idea that you can bring an entire village out of poverty by first empowering its' women to be self-sufficient.