Success Story

Mrs. Sita Chaudhary Success Story

A Family’s Battle with Poverty

Mrs. Sita Chaudhary is a 28-year-old resident of Govind Tole, a part of Model Village located in Ward No. 3 of Baijanath Rural Municipality, Banke District, Nepal. She lives with her family of eight members, all of whom depend on the income from a small piece of agricultural land.

From a young age, Sita dreamed of achieving financial independence and prosperity. However, fulfilling that dream proved to be an uphill battle. Her family owned only 10 Kattha of farmland, which was barely sufficient to meet their basic needs. The family’s poor economic condition further limited their opportunities for growth and self-sufficiency. Despite these challenges, Sita remained determined. Her story reflects the struggle of many rural women in Nepal who face systemic economic and social barriers but continue to hope for a better future.

There is no reliable source of irrigation or water, so the land depends entirely on natural rainfall. As a result, they were unable to successfully harvest their seasonal and off-season vegetables and fruits. They have no other sources of income, and the entire family lives in poverty. Her husband used to travel abroad each year for work, and he was preparing to do the same again this year.

Past Experiences and Challenges: She faced immense hardship in getting her children to attend school due to extreme poverty and a lack of resources. Affording even the most basic necessities—such as uniforms, school bags, and stationery—was a constant struggle. The financial strain was so severe that she was never able to take her children to a hospital, not even once, to check on their health or well-being. Reflecting on those difficult times, she expresses deep regret for how she responded to the pressure. In moments of desperation, she would scold or even beat her child over school expenses, and at times, threatened to leave them. These memories continue to weigh heavily on her, as she now understands the pain and fear her actions may have caused.

Both the husband and wife worked as laborers, earning very little by working in other people’s homes and farms. Their meager income was just enough to cover basic day-to-day expenses such as groceries, utilities, clothing for their children, and medicine. The local community, being largely unbelievers and struggling with poverty themselves, refused to offer any financial or practical help.

Actual situation and changes: As soon as the Improve Quality of Life and Sustainable Development Project was launched, Community Partnership International (CPI) and the Women and Child Development (WACD) Nepal provided technical and financial support to establish a Model Village.

The Women and Child Development (WACD) Nepal has established the Pragatisil Women Group, with Mrs. Sita Chaudhary nominated as a member. WACD Nepal organized various training sessions for the group members, including program introduction and orientation, micro-enterprise training, healthy home and healthy garden practices, and community-based health care and services.

Additionally, she received financial assistance of NRS 30,000 (approximately $231.00) from WACD Nepal to support a women’s group in starting a small business. WACD Nepal also provided technical support in developing a business strategy, maintaining accounts, and navigating the legal processes required to register and affiliate the business with the government.

She started her own business, Fresh House, a chicken meat shop, on August 25, 2023. Since then, she has been earning between 2,000 to 2,500 Nepali rupees daily, with a net profit ranging from 500 to 1,000 rupees each day. Meanwhile, her spouse, Mr. Laxman Chaudhary, had his overseas trip canceled.

Her entire family is now very happy and actively helping by bringing chicken from the market and poultry farms. They are also currently growing vegetables and selling them in the market. However, cultivating the vegetable farm remains challenging due to ongoing irrigation and water issues. Despite these difficulties, she is now able to manage her basic needs, pay her school tuition, and afford school outfits and stationery with ease.

She expresses gratitude to WACD Nepal and CPI for their financial and technical assistance, which opened her eyes to starting a business. She claims that today, her entire family is mentally free from economic burdens and experiences joy in their daily lives. The whole community has been inspired and motivated to establish their own unique businesses. As a result of her pioneering role as the first woman entrepreneur in the Model Village of Govind Toll, the group members are now dreaming of launching a joint entrepreneurship venture in the village. Possible business opportunities in the area include farming seasonal and off-season vegetables, raising pigs and goats, and gardening.

Recommendations and Suggestions: She intends to continue leading the project and providing ongoing support to the other women members, enabling them to diversify and enhance their income sources. This approach will contribute to sustainable development and support the goal of building a Model Village in Banke District.

Mrs. Sita Chaudhary packing chicken meat for the customer