Four women, all members of a local women's cooperative, are all looking for a way to increase their family income. They all are living in Machhegaon village in Chandragiri Municipality, right at the edge of the mountains surrounding Kathmandu Valley. All women are skilled tailors, but all face the same problem: They do not have the tools, and do not have access to loans for investing in equipment.
Nanda Laxmi Shrestha, 35, is living in a temporary shelter with her husband and two daughters. The family lost their home and their belongings in the 2015 earthquake. Her husband earns some money as electrician but it is not enough to meet their daily needs. Nanda would like to work as a tailor but she has no tailoring machine and no access to credit.
Meena Gopali, 32, married with two sons, is a skilled tailor but has not been able to work since the earthquake. She wants to start a small tailoring shop but she as well cannot afford the purchase of a tailoring machine.
Manju Shrestha Karki, 36, is a single mother of two. Since her husband died in an accident, she has no regular income. She has rented a single room for her family to live in. On occasions, she can earn a little bit by doing tailoring work.
Ujheli Gopali, 26, is living with her husband and son in Machhegaon. Her husband’s small income as a driver is not enough to pay for all the bills. Ujheli is a skilled tailor but without a tailoring machine she cannot start any business.
The local women's cooperative has been exploring ways to help these women with space to start their tailoring business. The cooperative also has contacts with garment industry and can bring tailoring work to this group of women. What is missing is the capital to purchase the tailoring machines, and here Jhigu Palaa can help. Jhigu Palaa and our partner organization Mitra Path have recently donated funds for purchasing equipment for these four women, so that they can expand their small tailoring business and and create income for their families.