Jaisara improved her nutrition and her family’s situation by learning to raise chicken. Photo: LWF/ D. Lamsal
Economic empowerment for women affected by labor migration and HIV
(LWI)— The Karnali province in midwestern Nepal is known for its natural beauty, wildlife tourism, and rich folk tradition. However, behind all the beauty are some hard facts. Karnali is one of Nepal's least developed provinces, facing challenges in infrastructure, healthcare, and education. More than a third of the people in the province are considered poor by national standards.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), which has worked in Nepal for four decades, started supporting communities in Karnali in 2011. One of them is the Chaukune municipality in the Surkhet district.
Hardship and social stigma
The entire district around Chaukune has Nepal's lowest human development index (0.375). Climate change has made it impossible to use traditional farming methods because of changes to rain patterns and temperatures. For this reason, men and youth are going abroad for employment. "In Chaukune, almost all Dalit households have their men working as seasonal migrants in India or other countries due to lack of employment opportunities," explains Dipendra Lamsal, LWF Nepal Communication Officer. There are numerous reported cases of HIV within the community. Three out of ten women in the community are widows.
One of these women is Jaisara. She was married and her husband worked in India, but he rarely visited or sent money. She was alone in providing for eight children. When her husband died of HIV/AIDS, she lost that small source of income. Facing severe social stigma and isolation, her family was all that Jaisara had left – and she was determined to keep them together.
The project team of LWF's Nepal's local partner met her in this situation. "She did not have the means to buy medicine or nutritional food," reported Social Awareness Center (SAC) staff member Kabita Regmi. Her health was fragile. LWF and SAC included her in an economic empowerment program, teaching women to raise livestock and starting them off with a coop and some chickens.
It started with some chicken and a coop – and a lot of training. Today, Jaisara dreams of expanding her business. Photo: LWF/ D. Lamsal
Valuable training
The widow started a poultry farm with NPR 10,000 (ca 75 USD) worth of resources, including a coop and chicks. Jaisara had no previous experience, but LWF Nepal's entrepreneurial training gave her the skills to manage her farm effectively. Today, her poultry business sustains her family and offers hope for the future. With a steady income from selling chickens and eggs, she plans to expand her business.
"I now eat two eggs daily, feeling better and more energetic. The additional food and the income from selling the eggs have improved my quality of life", she says. "I never thought I could turn my situation around. But with the support I received, I was able to provide for my children and begin rebuilding our lives."
Five hundred people participated in the project, more than half of them women and girls, and 30 people with disabilities, who are among the most marginalized in Nepal. Indirectly, LWF Nepal estimates that approximately 2300 people, usually the families of the project participants, benefitted from the economic empowerment. For 70 percent of the project participants, the project has improved their lives.
Community organizations to take over
"The entrepreneurship, vocational and life skill training will equip the targeted communities in increasing farming diversification and utilization of improved gender-friendly technologies so that the family's economy is not solely dependent upon men," shared Mr. Subash Gurung, Program Manager of LWF Nepal.
Jaisara is the head of her family – her husband went to work in India, and died of HIV/AIDS. Many women in her village are in a similar situation. Photo: LWF/ D. Lamsal
The women empowerment project will end in December 2025. LWF Nepal and its local partner have been facilitating community organizations like women's groups and cooperatives, which will self-organize independently and provide feedback to the LWF team where support is needed and be part of a follow-up project. LWF Nepal also continues to support them through digital tools such as GeoKrishi apps on their mobile phones so that they get regular information for their agricultural work.
Lamsal says this story powerfully reminds us of the transformative impact of support and training. "This is an example that a small amount can also bring impactful change if invested in the right place at the right time," he concludes.
The project “Socio-Economic Empowerment of Marginalized People in Surkhet district” in Nepal is funded by The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) and locally implemented by the Social Awareness Center (SAC) Nepal.
