Purna Radi Magar resides in Birendranagar–12, Surkhet, where she lives with her family of five members, including her husband, son, and in-laws. She has completed primary education. Her husband has been working in Saudi Arabia for the past 12 years, while her in-laws live in the village. As a result, Purna has been independently managing household responsibilities and raising her son. To support her family, she previously worked as a home-based tailor, stitching clothes on customer orders. Her income was seasonal and irregular, ranging from NPR 6,000 to 8,000 per month. Despite her efforts, limited tailoring skills and lack of business knowledge restricted her ability to increase income and expand her work.
Although engaged in self-employment, Purna lacked confidence to grow her tailoring business. Villagers occasionally placed orders, but the income remained modest and inconsistent. She had limited technical skills as well as no exposure to financial management, market understanding, or customer handling. Financial constraints further prevented her from investing in business expansion. Despite strong determination, she could not achieve meaningful progress in her livelihood. After migrating to Birendranagar Municipality, her limited skills were not competitive enough in the urban market. As a result, she was compelled to focus mainly on household responsibilities and childcare, reducing her engagement in income-generating work.
Purna later joined the Skill Up project, implemented in Birendranagar Municipality, Surkhet. Motivated to improve her livelihood, she enrolled in the Advanced Tailoring (Garment Fabrication) training course and was selected among 20 participants. During the training, she showed strong dedication and eagerness to learn. Although she had basic tailoring experience, she lacked knowledge in garment fabrication. After completing the training, she became able to stitch various garment products with improved quality and precision. She also gained life skills and basic business management knowledge, which strengthened her confidence and entrepreneurial understanding.
After completing the training, Purna’s life changed significantly. She is now employed at Jaymata Hojiyari Garment, Birendranagar–11, Surkhet, working on a piece-rate basis depending on production. Her monthly income has increased to approximately NPR 18,000–20,000, a substantial improvement compared to her previous earnings. This stable income has strengthened her financial independence and improved her ability to support her household. She now spends her earnings on household needs, her son’s education, health, and nutritious food, and is also able to save some amount regularly. Along with income improvement, she has gained technical skills, confidence, and basic business knowledge, contributing to her overall e mpowerment.
“There were times I felt helpless and uncertain about my future, struggling with limited skills and no stable income. The Skill Up training became a turning point in my life. Today, I earn on my own and support my family with hope and dignity.” She shares.
“I want to improve my skills further and start my own garment business. My long-term dream is to bring my husband back to Nepal and build a self-sustaining family enterprise. I also hope to create jobs for skilled people in my community and support other women like me to become economically independent.” She further adds.
Story & Photo Collection: Archana Gautam
