From Carrying Bricks to Having Her Own Store

Janu Maya Thapa Magar, a 35-year-old Nepali woman, spent her youth carrying bricks for a living due to the lack of support and opportunities to lead a good life. She got married early and came from a laboring family. Her husband was illiterate, and they had three children, leaving her no choice but to carry bricks as their main source of livelihood. This had a significant impact on her emotional state and left her feeling fragile.

One and a half years ago, Janu Maya became a member of the My Business My Freedom (MBMF) program as part of a MBMF women’s group in Pokhara. She took out a loan with the hope of starting her own business. With an initial loan of NPR 60,000 (US$ 449), she set up a small tin hut at the side of the road. She kept a small wooden table and started selling chatpate (a spicy and tangy snack or street food popular in Nepal) and maize grilled in coal. She also bought a few goats with the remaining money.

Currently, Janu Maya is busy running her business and has recently taken an additional loan of NPR 35,000 (US$ 262). She now has six goats to take care of and hopes to add more soon. She opens her snack hut in the afternoon till late evening and earns around NPR 1000 (US$ 7.5) per day as profit. We are excited to see more women progress in their lives through our program by empowering them to start their own businesses.

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Help stabilize Nepali women with a small business loan. Your donation of US$200 will go a long way. Click on the links below to know more.

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