Homecoming: Journey of Empowerment and Resilience
Chhinchu, a bustling small town, 30 KM away from the Province Capital of Karnali is one of the busy hub of public transport on Ratna Highway which connects the eastern part of Karnali province to western Karnali Province. Just 5 min away from the Chhinchu, lived Rupa Devi Dhami struggling with life and challenges. She is living in six membered family together with two daughters, two sons, and her husband. The family’s livelihood was solely dependent on income of her husband’s daily labor, whereas Rupa worked as housewife and confined within the house taking care of her family.
In the meantime, Rupa hears about the SAHAS Nepal CRV project being implemented in Bheriganga-12. But fear triggers as she was aware of her friend’s burden of loan from the microfinance and thought SAHAS as one of them. But after understanding about the SAHAS Nepal and CRV project she became member of Srijansil Mahila Krishak Samuha. She participated in monthly meeting and regular discussions on empowerment and other social issues. Rupa wanted to do something for her family to improve their livelihood and she expressed her request to engage in income-generation activities through leasehold farming. Through her request, project supported her in land renting and the initial starting of the farming through the support of plastic house, seeds, and farming equipment.
A sign of hope was arising through the initiation of leasehold farming but the daily demands of raising four children, coupled with limited resources, left Rupa and her family in constant hardship. As the financial burden grew, her husband made decision to go abroad in search of better opportunities and income. As her husband left to Gulf countries for a better future, Rupa back in Nepal was left alone with four children and a debt of NPR 250,000. Although Rupa was struggling with the challenges, she continued leasehold farming in the hope of a better future to her family.
Months passed by and from the vegetable cultivation Rupa started to earn by selling the vegetable. She don’t need to buy the vegetable to fulfill nutritional benefit for her children. Through the off season vegetable cultivation in plastic house, she started earning around NPR 20,000 to 30,000 in one season. The project also facilitated different training on agriculture practices like nursery management, and intercropping and she applied all her knowledge in her leasehold farming and started making income of NPR 30,000-35,000 from selling vegetable saplings, leafy vegetables and seasonal vegetables outside the plastic tunnel. Rupa along with other CBOs member of leasehold farming requested for flower cultivation targeting the festive season of Tihar. She cultivated the marigold flower. With every flower she plucked from her field to sew into the garland, she was saw seeing her hard work taking shape and her dream turning into reality. She earned around NPR 14,000 from flower cultivation and celebrated the festive season with her family with joy and prosperity.
Rupa was dreaming of better future to her children and her family but the destination was different than her dream. As soon as festival end, Rupa learned that her husband in gulf country was stranded in a foreign land without work or money and was unable to return home. Rupa was devastated with the news and found herself at a crossroads wondering which way to turn and how she could support her family and her husband in the face of such overwhelming challenges. Rupa tried her best to bring her husband back to Nepal but all her effort was doing nothing. She then went to Kathmandu all alone and fought with her whole spirit with the company to bring her husband back to Nepal. Her efforts did not went waste and finally her husband return to Nepal.
In a bittersweet twist of fate, Rupa shares that, “If I was not empowered through leasehold farming, I would never have the courage to call my husband back to Nepal.” She further added, “SAHAS Nepal did more than just support landless and marginalized families like mine; it gave us the strength to advocate for ourselves and fight for our rights. If I was not the part of CBO formed through SAHAS Nepal CRV project, I would probably have been helpless and blaming my fate. But now, I have the confidence that I can be whatever I want to be through hard work and dedication.” Rupa’s hard work paid off in ways she had never imagined. After returning to Nepal her husband said, “I was helpless in the foreign land and had lost all the faith and courage from my life. Only if Rupa was not there for me standing tall and strong, I had never imagined I will unite with my family again.”
Today, Rupa continues to earn a steady income of NPR 30,000 to 40,000 each season from her leasehold farming. She and her husband now work side by side on their leased land, committed to continuing their farming journey together. Her Journey from housewife to the support system of her family have inspired others to follow in her footsteps. Rupa encouraged other CBOs member to believe in their own strength, to work hard, and to build a livelihood right in their homeland.
