Bhawani Damai

July 2026

My name is Bhawani, and today marks three months since I became part of the SLISHA’s  WAWCAS Program. Although it has only been a short time, these three months have brought remarkable changes to my life. The knowledge, encouragement, and practical skills I have gained have transformed me personally, strengthened my family, and inspired me to contribute positively to my community.

As a single woman, life was not easy. I used to be afraid to speak with people because I constantly worried about what they might think or say about me. I kept my feelings to myself and lacked the confidence to express my opinions. Today, I proudly say that I have overcome that fear. I can now speak confidently with anyone, express my thoughts openly, and participate actively in discussions. This change has not only transformed how I see myself but has also changed how others see me. Even people who rarely spoke to me before now greet me with respect and appreciation. I have realized that confidence begins from within, and changing my mindset has changed my life.

 

During the past three months, we participated in learning sessions on hygiene, nutrition, and child development. These sessions opened my eyes to many things that I had never considered before. I understood that real change begins at home, so I started by improving my own daily practices.

I now clean my house, surroundings, and animal shed every day. I separate biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste and manage household waste more responsibly. In my kitchen garden, I grow organic vegetables and fruits, and before eating them, I wash them carefully with salt water. I have also started sprouting beans and including a variety of nutritious foods in our daily meals. These may seem like small changes, but together they have made a big difference in the health and well-being of my family.

One of the greatest joys has been sharing what I learned with my two daughters. They have embraced these new practices and are now teaching the same lessons to their own children. Seeing my grandchildren grow up with healthier habits fills my heart with happiness. Even more encouraging is the positive change in parenting within our family. There is now more patience, understanding, and positive communication with children instead of constant scolding. Watching these changes unfold has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Through the project, I received seed capital of NPR 25,000 to start a small livestock business. With this support, I purchased one mother goat and two young female goats. The mother goat was pregnant, and I eagerly hoped she would give birth to twins. When she delivered only one kid, I felt disappointed. Later, my goats became sick and started losing weight despite my best efforts to care for them. There were moments when I felt discouraged and questioned whether my hard work would ever succeed.

However, the four-day livestock training gave me knowledge that became my strength. Instead of giving up, I prepared homemade herbal medicine based on what I had learned during the training and treated the goats myself. Slowly, they began to recover. That experience taught me an important lesson: every challenge is an opportunity to learn, and knowledge gives us the confidence to overcome difficulties.

I now have a clear vision for the future. Once my goats reproduce, I plan to sell some of the offspring and invest in an improved breed to expand my business. Alongside goat farming, I also earn additional income by making and selling cotton wicks during my free time, which helps support my household expenses. My next goal is to start raising local chickens to diversify my income and make my business more sustainable.

As my income slowly grows, so does my confidence. I no longer believe that my age or my circumstances define my future. I firmly believe that anyone who is willing to work hard and continue learning can build a better life. I now dream of expanding my business, becoming financially independent, and creating a secure future for myself and my family.

Looking back, I realize that this journey has been about much more than increasing income. It has been about discovering my own strength, rebuilding my confidence, and believing in my potential. Today, I am not only improving my own life but also sharing my knowledge with others in my community. Being able to inspire and support other women gives me immense pride and purpose.

SLISHA has helped me see possibilities where I once saw only limitations. The changes I have experienced in my personal life, family, and livelihood have given me hope for a brighter future. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, and I am committed to continuing this journey of learning, growing, and helping others.

This is only the beginning of my story. I believe the best chapters are still ahead.

Thank you.

My name is Bhawani Damai. I am 69 years old, and I live in Bhanu Municipality Ward No. 4, Chuditar. For the past two years, I have been living alone. Both of my daughters are married, and since my husband passed away, life has felt like a continuous battlefield that I must face on my own.

After my husband’s death, managing household expenses became extremely difficult. The government provides me with 8,000 rupees every three months as a single woman allowance, but that amount is not enough even for basic daily survival. On top of that, I was burdened with debts from my husband’s illness and death, which made my situation even more fragile.

In the past, when I was physically stronger, I worked hard to support my family. But now, my body has become weak. I can no longer carry heavy loads or do labor work. Even working on other people’s farms has become very difficult. I thought about starting a small business from home, but I had neither money nor land. Life was becoming increasingly challenging, and I often felt helpless.

One day, I went to my younger sister Gyanu’s house. There, I saw a few women sitting together and talking. Gyanu told me, “An organization has come to our village. They are forming a group of 25 women and providing 25,000 rupees to start a business. Would you like to join?”

Hearing about groups and money made me afraid. In the past, cooperatives had come to our area, collected savings, and disappeared without returning the money. I feared this might be the same. But my sister encouraged me to attend a meeting the next day and listen for myself.

The following day, I attended the meeting along with other women. The facilitators introduced themselves and explained about the organization and a program called Women at Work, Children at School. They shared how the program supports financially vulnerable women to move forward in life. Although they explained everything clearly, I still had doubts, especially about the contribution system. I felt shy to ask questions, but others did, and gradually things became clearer.

That night, I could not sleep. My mind was full of questions; what if I could not repay the loan, what if I faced problems again? Fear and uncertainty made me restless.

The next day, the facilitators visited my home. I felt shy inviting them into my small, simple house, but they sat with me comfortably and spoke kindly. They explained everything again, and this time I understood better. I shared my situation openly, even painful memories of my husband’s behavior—his drinking, violence, and the hardships I had endured. Speaking about these experiences made my heart feel lighter, as if I was talking to my own daughters.

When they asked about my business plan, I shared that I wanted to raise goats, as I could not do heavy labor. They supported my idea and encouraged me to move forward.

Soon after, we gathered again for another meeting where we discussed wealth ranking. I learned about different economic categories such as ultra-poor, poor, medium, and well-off. Realizing my own situation was painful. I felt emotional, wondering what others might think. But when the facilitators announced that everyone present was selected for the program, my heart filled with happiness. It felt like a blessing had entered my life.

Not long after, the 7-day training began – something I had been eagerly waiting for. On the first day, I woke up early, completed my daily chores, and went to the training with excitement and nervousness.

The training started in a unique way. Instead of introducing ourselves directly, we paired up using proverbs and introduced each other. This was completely new to me. I had never spoken in front of so many people before – not even confidently saying my own name. Now I had to introduce someone else. My heart was full of fear, but somehow, I managed to speak. Despite my nervousness, I enjoyed the activity because it helped us understand each other more deeply.

As the days passed, we set rules, shared responsibilities, and learned about leadership. I was assigned the role of manager on the third day. I felt extremely nervous, but with encouragement from the facilitator, I was able to perform my role. That moment gave me a new sense of confidence and happiness.

 

One of the most touching lessons for me was about saving, shared through the story of the “old woman’s box.” It made me reflect deeply on my life. I realized that if I had saved even a small amount in the past, I might not be struggling so much today. From that day, I made a strong decision to start saving, no matter how little.

Another activity, the “leaking pot,” taught me about unnecessary expenses and how small daily spending can weaken our financial condition. I returned home that day determined to reduce wasteful expenses.

I also shared these lessons with my daughters over the phone, encouraging them to save and be mindful of their spending so they would not face the same struggles.

Throughout the training, I learned many new things through games and discussions. Activities like “Small Fish and Big Fish” taught me how habits formed early in life are difficult to change, but with effort, change is possible. “Touch the Color” showed how blindly following others can lead to problems.

I also learned about my strengths and weaknesses, about business planning, profit and loss, loans, and maintaining financial records. Earlier, I had never paid attention to these things, but now I understand their importance.

While filling out my business plan, I could clearly imagine my future – where I want my business to be in the next three years. For the first time in a long while, my dreams felt real and achievable.

This training has brought a significant change in my life. I used to be afraid to speak in front of others, but now I can express myself with more confidence. I have built strong relationships with other participants and facilitators, and I feel supported.

At this stage of my life, I never imagined I would get such an opportunity to learn and grow. I feel proud of myself. With the seed capital support, I am committed to starting my goat-raising business and moving forward.

Today, I feel hopeful. I will continue to apply what I have learned and share these lessons with others.

For me, this program came into my life like hope – at the time when I needed it the most.