Empowerment
Once upon a time, Rina was confined to endless household chores and working as a daily wage laborer on other people’s farms. Today she says that, because of the intervention and support of local partner SAHAS, “I’m able to grow my own vegetables on my farmland and support my family.”
She’d always had a strong interest in vegetable farming, but her lack of knowledge and technical guidance kept her from pursuing it. That is, until she became an active member of a SAHAS-facilitated Women’s Farmer Group in her village in 2022. She received training in home gardening, seasonal and off-season vegetable farming, worm composting, group strengthening, leadership, and gender awareness. These trainings significantly enhanced her knowledge, skills and self-confidence.
Rina now grows her own vegetables to nourish her family and earn an income. She started vermicompost production to enrich her own soil and bring in extra cash. Because she now has a steady source of income, she is able to educate her children, manage household expenses, and even save money every month.
Her journey from drudgery and wage laborer to empowered agroentrepreneur is an inspiring example of how targeted training and community support can unlock the potential of rural women, transforming not just livelihoods but lives. Her transformation has extended into community leadership. She now holds the position of general member on the School Management Committee, showing that the training not only enhanced her technical skills but also built her capacity to take on roles of responsibility.
As Rina herself says, “I’m now confident enough to seek government services as I’ve also received training in commercial vegetable farming and awareness of chemical-free food from the agriculture knowledge center of the government.” Rina plans to keep expanding the size and variety of her vegetable farming, further strengthening her family’s financial stability and contributing to her community’s agricultural development.
Nepal Jahada Program
Led by Mennonite Central Committee and Local Partner Group of Helping Hands (SAHAS) Nepal