Mrs. Indira Biswakarma age 38 is from a dalit community. A widow, she has two sons and at the same time is looking after her elderly mother in law. When BNMT came into contact with Indira, she was working as a daily wage labourer since she has a heavy debt on her shoulders as well as a family to look after.
Indira participated in a three month tailoring training organised by BNMT Nepal specifically targeted towards individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. She was one of the best performers in the training. After completion of the training, she was supported with the necessary tools to start her own business. At present she earns about Rs. 6000 (approx. US$ 67.00) per month which is just enough to fend for herself and her family. When BNMT Nepal staff visited her recently, she expressed the hope to expand her business soon. She also hopes to take in some fee paying trainees.
Today, Indira has become a role model for women in her community and – a far cry from the person that we had first encountered.