6 Degrees Network for Women

What 6 Degrees Network for Women does

6 Degrees Network for Women is a Dutch ANBI-certified non-profit foundation headquartered in The Hague, founded in 2017 by Debbie Middendorp and Gita Pelinck to create sustainable employment for socially disadvantaged women in Nepal. The organization operates vocational training programmes in Chitwan covering driving (Ladies in the Front Seat), wildlife guiding, barista skills, soap making, and organic farming, targeting marginalized communities including the Musahar caste. Programme delivery is executed through a core local partnership with Sapana Village Social Impact (SVSI), supported by institutional donors Triodos Foundation and Wilde Ganzen.

The foundation runs two social enterprises through a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary, 6° Ventures B.V. (established July 2021): a Soap Studio in Chitwan producing organic cold-pressed soaps formulated with biochemist Asif Ahmad (EU-certified November 2024), and an Eco Farm applying permaculture design for Musahar women. The Hāāmī brand (meaning "We" in Nepali) markets these products plus ethically sourced scarves, blankets, and notebooks from Nepali partners Trikaya and Jamarko. Distribution channels include the annual Royal Christmas Fair at Lange Voorhout, the ASH Spring Bazaar, the haami.nl online store, doelshop.nl, and a corporate gift brochure.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid of donations and fundraising events (Family Days, Christmas campaigns, Everest marathon), corporate sponsorships, and modest product sales. With an 8-person team, the organization operates on a small scale (cumulative documented grant inflows under EUR 30K over six years) and is governed by a four-member board. In 2023 the foundation discontinued its paper mill operations and refocused on the higher-potential Soap Studio and Eco Farm ventures.

Name

6 Degrees Network for Women

Legal name

6° Network for Women

Website

https://6dnfw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

6 Degrees Network for Women is a Dutch ANBI-certified non-profit foundation that delivers vocational training (driving, wildlife guiding, barista, soap-making, farming) to marginalized women in Nepal and sells ethically produced Hāāmī-brand products in the Netherlands through events, online channels, and corporate gifting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Empowerment Social Services

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

Keywords

• Women empowerment programs
• Vocational training services
• Social enterprise foundation
• Handmade organic products
• Nonprofit community development

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (Hāāmī Brand): Sale of ethically produced, high quality products made by women in Nepal through the Hāāmī brand. Includes soaps from the Soap Studio, scarves, blankets, table sets, candles, and notebooks from verified Nepali suppliers. Products sold at events, through corporate gifts brochure, and online platforms.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The organization raises funds through donations, fundraising events (Family Days, beach events), and direct appeals. Corporate sponsors and individual donors support specific projects and programs. Supported by Dutch gift tax exemptions as ANBI certified organization.
3. Corporate Gifts: Sale of Nepalese handmade products (scarves, blankets, notebooks, soaps) as corporate gifts for companies, facilitated through a dedicated corporate gift brochure.
4. 6 Degrees Ventures: Commercial activities with social impact, including the Eco Farm and Soap Studio social enterprises. 6 Degrees Ventures B.V. was established in July 2021 to support these commercial activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

6 Degrees Network for Women is a Dutch non-profit foundation that delivers vocational training programmes (driver, wildlife guide, barista, ICT, permaculture) and runs social enterprises — including the Soap Studio producing EU-certified cold-pressed organic soaps and the Eco Farm — to create sustainable employment and financial independence for marginalised women in Nepal. It also sells ethically produced Nepalese goods (soaps, scarves, blankets, notebooks) under its Hāāmī brand at events, online, and via a corporate gift brochure, while a wholly-owned commercial arm, 6° Ventures B.V., supports these activities.

Product overview

6 Degrees Network for Women is a social enterprise organized as a foundation (6° Network for Women) with a commercial arm (6° Ventures B.V.) and a product brand (Hāāmī). The organization operates multiple interconnected programs: (1) social enterprises including the Soap Studio producing organic cold-pressed soaps and the Eco Farm for organic vegetables; (2) vocational training programmes including barista training, driver training, wildlife guide training, marketing training, ICT training, and permaculture design; (3) Hāāmī branded ethically-produced products made by women in Nepal; and (4) corporate gifts sourced from Nepalese partners. The organization also runs pay-it-forward and emergency relief social programmes, all centered on creating sustainable employment and financial independence for socially disadvantaged women in Nepal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hāāmī: Ethically produced, high quality products made by women in Nepal, including soaps from the soap studio and products from trustworthy suppliers. Hāāmī means 'We' in Nepalese.

Products and services

• Hāāmī Product Brand Ethically produced, high-quality Nepalese products (soaps, scarves, blankets, notebooks, candles) sold under the Hāāmī brand, meaning 'We' in Nepalese; targeted at individual consumers and corporate buyers seeking socially impactful goods.
• Soap Studio A social enterprise in Chitwan, Nepal producing organic cold-pressed soaps with EU-certified formulae, providing income and skills training for marginalised women; export-licensed in November 2024.
• Eco Farm An organic vegetable farm in Chitwan where Musahar women learn and apply permaculture principles, creating income-generating opportunities through sustainable agriculture.
• Barista Training Programme A vocational training programme preparing marginalised Nepalese women for hospitality roles as baristas, with hotel and restaurant placements in Chitwan.
• Ladies in the Front Seat (Driver Training) A vocational driver-training programme for women in Chitwan covering driving skills, English, legal awareness, hospitality, first aid, and vehicle maintenance.
• Wildlife Guide Training Vocational training for women to qualify as licensed wildlife guides in Chitwan National Park; six graduates from earlier cohorts continue to work as guides.
• Corporate Gifts A brochure-based offering of Nepalese handmade products (scarves, blankets, notebooks, soaps) sourced from partners such as Trikaya and Jamarko, sold as corporate gifts to companies seeking socially impactful items.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 women obtained driver's licenses through Ladies in the Front Seat program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mirakunja BufferzoneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Local partner in Barista training programme initiated by SVSI with mutual cooperation.
• Riksja TravelminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Travel company involved in Barista training programme cooperation with SVSI and Mirakunja Bufferzone.
• Sapana Village Social Impact (SVSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary local partner in Chitwan, Nepal for implementing training programs. Responsible for candidate screening and selection, providing legal and social rights training, driving training, vehicle maintenance, English and first aid for Ladies in the Front Seat project. Also partners on wildlife guide training, Eco Farm development, and economic empowerment programs.
• New SadleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organization for the initial Professional Drivers project in Kathmandu. Assigned project manager Ashim for pilot driving training program.
• TrikayaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNepali supplier providing scarves and blankets for corporate gifts campaign and Royal Christmas Fair. Located in Kathmandu.
• JamarkominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNepali partner producing handmade scarves, blankets and notebooks sold at events and through 6 Degrees.
• Get Paper IndustriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKathmandu-based company making packaging material from recycled paper and farm waste. Producing packaging for soaps and gift boxes, as well as business cards for 6 Degrees.
• Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation (KRMEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for field trips and natural compost training. Bought first rice harvest from Eco Farm. Discussing potential partnership for Soap Studio and Eco Farm development.
• Dhaulagiri Integrated Rural Development Centre (DIRDC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborated with Medora Foundation for 500-piece soap order. Nepalese organization with mission of improving health of poor children.
• Sapana DesignminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvided jobs to Rinku, Sukamaya and Rita from paper mill transition, making handicrafts after 6 Degrees decided to stop paper mill operations.
• aQysta (Ramila Dhakal)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Eco Farm development by teaching natural fertilizers and pesticides, creating planting plans, and helping make the farm more profitable and sustainable.
• NIDISIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMet with NIDISI and Sparśa team who visited projects. Their sanitary pad factory opening in Bharatpur; exploring collaboration for women empowerment and job creation.
• Baha Spatial Agency (Saurav Shrestha)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for eco soap factory setup discussions, progress meetings for supporting Musahar community in Chitwan.
• Sustainable Future (Narayan Acharya)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for progress meetings on eco soap factory setup supporting Musahar community.
• GO Nepal (Alpa Badani)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMet during November 2021 progress meetings for eco village setup.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• FeltSoGood: Australian social enterprise sourcing felt and textile products from Nepalese artisans with transparent fair-trade supply chain; comparable as a Nepalese fair trade handcraft brand operating in a different retail geography.

Direct peers

• Pacha Soap Co. US-based fair trade, organic cold-pressed soap company operating a similar buy-one-give-one model with ethically sourced ingredients and producer-support programs; the closest commercial analog to 6 Degrees' Soap Studio + Hāāmī brand.
• Sapana Village Social Impact: Core local implementation partner in Chitwan that delivers the women's vocational training programs (driving, wildlife guiding, barista) which 6 Degrees funds and brands. Operates the same social-enterprise model in Nepal targeting marginalized women.
• Eco Femme: India/South Asia social enterprise producing ethical, reusable menstrual products with a women-empowerment and education mission; comparable as a South Asian fair-trade producer brand targeting women's health/independence outcomes.

Broad incumbents

• Ten Thousand Villages: Large fair trade retailer of handcrafted artisan products with a long-established presence in The Hague and other European markets; comparable broad-incumbent peer selling ethically sourced home and gift products similar to Hāāmī's range.
• Dr. Bronner's: Large established fair trade, organic soap and personal care company with global supply chains and Fair for Life / Fair Trade certified ingredient sourcing; represents the scaled, commercial version of what 6 Degrees' Soap Studio aspires to.
• The Body Shop: Iconic fair trade personal-care retailer (now under Natura) known for Community Fair Trade ingredient sourcing; comparable broad-incumbent peer shaping the global ethical-products category where Hāāmī competes.
• Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics: Global handmade cosmetics and soap retailer with long-standing ethical buying program and community grant-making; comparable as a broad incumbent operating where 6 Degrees is a niche ethical-soap producer.

Others

• Women for Women International: Large international NGO providing vocational training, microenterprise support, and rights education to marginalized women in conflict-affected countries; comparable mission and donor-driven funding model rather than direct product competition.

Emerging players

• Nest Artisan Guild: Fair Trade-licensed artisan marketplace connecting artisans (many from South and Southeast Asia) to US wholesale buyers; comparable as a fair trade producer-network intermediary selling handcrafted goods similar to Hāāmī scarves, blankets, and notebooks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/6degreesnetworkforwomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6-degrees-network-for-women

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 6 Degrees Network for Women