– Deu Kumari Chaudhary (41), lives at Rapti Rural Municipality, ward No. 6, Sagarapur. She has three family members including her. She has 2 daughters of 15 and 20 years. Her husband was passed away about 14 years ago when her younger daughter was only 6 months. She has only 2Kaththa land. She has not her own house for shelter. She is in house of rent now.

After the death of her husband, she has to work hard for the fulfillment of family need. She works hard from morning to night in others house. She sent her older daughter to work in other landlord’s house as a Kamlari. After sometime, her daughter rescued and rehabilited. Then, about 7 years ago she was enrolled in Women Self Reliance Group promoted by SWAN and started to saving. She is also a share member of Jaya Guru Baba Baba Agriculture Cooperative.

Although, she was in the Self Reliance Group and Cooperative, she has problem of hand to mouth because she has not any sources of income. Therefore, she took 10 Kaththa of her neighbor’s land in lease and started vegetable farming. In the first year she has not able to get profit as her wish. In another year, SWAN launched POWER program in her village with the support of IM Swedish Development. She got a opportunity to attend the Diversified Modern Farming Techniques training provided by SWAN and facilitated by Agriculture Extension Officer of Agriculture Service Centre, Lamahi. She learnt how to cultivate crops by modern techniques to produce more to get more income. After the training, she also got support of Cauliflower, Chili and Tomato seed. She cultivates the vegetable crops as she learned in the training and able to earn NRs 45,000 in one season only.

Now, her older daughter helps her in vegetable farming and younger daughter is studying in grade 9. She is very happy now and said- “Many thanks to SWAN and the program. She wants to increase the volume of vegetable farming in the coming days.”