Her eldest daughter, now 26, has a severe physical disability and requires constant care. Sumi’s sons were still children when their father passed away. With no income, no livestock, and no savings, Sumi struggled daily to feed her family. They lived in a makeshift shed, spending half the year in a remote cattle shelter high in the hills, where rain leaked through the roof and nights were cold. Without support, Sumi’s daughter endured isolation. There were times when Sumi had to tie her daughter outside while fetching water; walking over an hour to the river returning to find her hungry, soiled, or injured. Despite these hardships, her daughter’s intelligence and potential shone through, waiting for an opportunity to be realized.

In 2024, INF Nepal arrived in Sumi’s village with a resilience and disability inclusion project. The initiative revived the inactive community forest user group and formed a new self-help group (SHG), prioritizing households affected by disability and food insecurity. Sumi and her daughter were selected as members.

INF encouraged direct participation of persons with disabilities in community meetings. To enable her daughter’s involvement, the group decided to hold a meeting at Sumi’s home. That day changed everything. When her daughter realized the group had come to listen to her, she first cried—but then smiled. For Sumi, it was the first time in 20 years she had seen her daughter’s smile, and it gave her a renewed sense of strength and purpose.

Following the visit, Sumi was proposed for an income-generating initiative. She chose goat farming a livelihood she could manage while caring for her daughter. With a revolving fund of NPR 15,000, Sumi bought two hybrid goats. Within a month, one goat gave birth to twins, increasing her herd to four. She also received ten fruit saplings as additional support.This small beginning transformed her life. Sumi now plans to grow her herd, sell goats, replace her leaking thatch roof with corrugated iron sheets, and buy new clothes for her daughter. More importantly, she has regained her dignity and her family’s place in the community.

Today, Sumi’s daughter participates actively in community activities, and their SHG continues to support vulnerable households like theirs. Sumi reflects, “INF Nepal didn’t just support a livelihood. They restored our dignity, resilience, and hope. We are no longer just surviving we are living with purpose.”

This story shows how targeted, and inclusive interventions can transform lives providing not just material support, but also emotional strength, social inclusion, and a sustainable path toward independence.

*Name changed for anonymity

*Babita Budha is 22 years old and lives in Sipa village, Ward No. 7 of Soru Rural Municipality, Mugu. Like many young women in remote Karnali, her life once seemed limited by geography, poverty, and deeply rooted social norms.

Babita completed her higher secondary education (+2) in her own village. Yet, despite her education, opportunities were almost non-existent. There were no local jobs, and as a young woman, she faced constant discouragement. “Our society believed that women were only meant for household work,” she recalls. Women were rarely included in meetings, decision-making spaces, or community committees.

At just 19, Babita was married. Poverty and lack of awareness pushed her parents toward early marriage, seeing it as a way to reduce their financial burden rather than invest further in their daughter’s education. “Only later did I truly understand why so many girls are married early,” Babita reflects. “Now, I feel a responsibility to raise awareness so other girls do not face the same fate.”

When Babita was still in Grade 10, INF Nepal launched its project in her village. Her mother became a member of a Self-Help Group (SHG), and Babita occasionally accompanied her to meetings. Listening quietly from the side, Babita was deeply inspired by discussions on social change, women’s rights, and collective strength.

After her marriage, Babita moved to her husband’s family home. A year later, she gathered the courage to ask her mother-in-law if she could take over the SHG membership. With her support, Babita officially became a member of Karnali SHG at the age of 20 the youngest in the group.

With regular facilitation from INF project staff, Babita began learning leadership, meeting facilitation, and decision-making skills. Over time, her confidence grew. Today, she can independently facilitate SHG meetings without external support.

Women Leading Financial Change

In 2022, members from multiple SHGs came together to form a women-led cooperative to ensure long-term financial sustainability and income generation. They made a bold decision: the cooperative would be exclusively for women.

During the second general assembly, Babita was elected as a member of the cooperative’s leadership team. She now carries dual responsibilities—strengthening the cooperative and continuing her work with the SHG to raise awareness on social and economic issues.

Today, Hamro Milijuli Cooperative stands as a powerful example of women’s collective strength with the Total fund of NPR 3,617,798 with 407 women as shareholders and providing loans to 81 women just last fiscal year. These loans have enabled women to start and grow small businesses such as poultry farming, goat rearing, tailoring, grocery shops, furniture making, and other income-generating activities.

Through her journey, Babita has learned a powerful truth: financial independence is the foundation of women’s empowerment. “When women have access to money and control over financial decisions, they can educate their daughters, delay early marriage, and break cycles of poverty,” she says.

Her dream is to expand cooperative-led income generation, including agriculture-based enterprises, so more women can achieve financial security while staying in their communities.

“I would not be who I am today if INF Nepal had not started this project in our village,” Babita says with gratitude. “INF didn’t just support us they taught us sustainability, leadership, and belief in ourselves.” Today, Babita Budha is no longer a silent observer. She is a leader, an advocate, and a role model for young women across her community a proof that when women are trusted, trained, and supported, they can transform not only their own lives but the future of an entire generation.

*Name changed for anonymity

She grew up in Sunchahari-4 Suri in a family that struggled to make ends meet. Their small farm produced enough food for only four months, and the rest of the year was spent doing temporary labor work for income.

While working with her father in India, Bhim Maya met her husband. They got married and returned to Nepal, but life remained challenging. With little land, farming only provided enough for a few months, so they worked other jobs to support their family of six children.

Seven years ago, Bhim Maya’s husband passed away unexpectedly. This left her as the sole provider for her family, with no property or savings to rely on. Managing the household became harder, and she also faced unkind comments from people in her community.

During this time, INF Nepal’s Rolpa branch introduced the EDUCATE project and formed the Lumma Debi self-help group. Bhim Maya joined the group, which included 17 members, to learn ways to improve livelihoods through farming. In the group meetings, members shared their challenges and found ways to support each other.

Through the project, Bhim Maya received Rs. 15,000 to start goat farming. She bought two goats and, with her care, now has six. By selling two goats, she earned enough money to support her family. Goat farming has given Bhim Maya a steady source of income, making it easier to manage daily expenses.

Being part of the self-help group has also strengthened her ties with the community. Neighbors who once judged her have become more supportive, and she no longer needs to take high-interest loans to meet her needs.

Today, Bhim Maya is proud of her ability to provide for her family. She is grateful to INF Nepal for their support and hopes more women can benefit from similar initiatives in the future.

For women like Bhim Maya, who face immense challenges in providing for their families, even small support can lead to significant changes. Beyond financial impact, this kind of support promotes dignity and empowerment. It gives women like Bhim Maya an opportunity to, earn their own income, and make decisions for their families. It also shifts how the community perceives them. In Bhim Maya’s case, the support helped change her neighbors’ attitudes, turning judgment into encouragement. Small interventions like this also break cycles of poverty and dependence. Over time, these efforts ripple out, creating stronger families and more supportive communities.