Unwrapped in action: Turning business dreams into reality in Nepal

This month’s example is ‘Empowering Her’, a project supporting women in countries including Nepal to develop new skills, build more secure livelihoods and take on leadership roles in communities affected by the climate crisis.

Oxfam Unwrapped supporters contributed £220,000 to the project, helping to secure more than £1.1 million in additional funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Through training in business management, financial literacy and advocacy, women are gaining the knowledge and confidence to pursue their ambitions and have a greater say in decisions affecting their communities.

And in western Nepal, one woman is putting all of this into practice. Meet Gita Luhar, who’s turned her long-held dream of opening a shop into reality, while joining forces with other women to bring positive change to her neighbourhood.

In this edition, we’d like to share more about the ‘Empowering Her’ project in Nepal, which is helping women build more secure livelihoods and take on leadership roles in communities affected by the climate crisis.

Thanks to Oxfam Unwrapped supporters, £220,000 was contributed to the project, helping to unlock more than £1.1 million in additional funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Through training in business management, financial literacy and advocacy, women are gaining the knowledge, skills and confidence to pursue their ambitions, support their families, and have a greater say in decisions affecting their communities.

One of those women is Gita Luhar from western Nepal. With support from the project, she has turned her long-held dream of opening a shop into reality. She’s also working alongside other women in her community to create positive change and inspire others to do the same.

A business dream worth pursuing

For Gita, who lives in Bhimdatta Municipality in western Nepal, opening a shop had been a dream for years. But with limited opportunities to earn money and a family to support, getting her business off the ground hadn’t been easy.

Before opening her shop, Gita earned a little money tailoring clothes for her neighbours. But work was hard to come by, and most of her earnings were concentrated around festival seasons.

Her husband works at a hotel in neighbouring India, sending money home to support Gita and their two children. But his earnings weren’t enough to cover the family’s everyday expenses and their children’s education.

Gita explains. “I used to do tailoring, but my earnings were very low and seasonal, mostly around festivals.”

Growing food on the family’s plot of land wasn’t always possible either. Frequent flooding meant they could only cultivate rice once a year. And four years ago, a particularly severe flood destroyed their entire harvest.

Despite these challenges, Gita had an ambition she was determined to pursue, opening her own retail shop.

The problem was finding the money and support to get started.

A step closer to her dream

With new knowledge, practical skills and support from the ‘Empowering Her’ project, Gita finally opened the retail shop she’d dreamed about for so long.

Within just two months of opening, Gita's shop was generating NPR 50,000 (around £250) in monthly sales, which is enough to live on for around 1.5 months.

It’s a promising start for Gita, whose previous tailoring work brought in only a small and irregular income.

She’s now putting everything she’s learned into practice, from managing her finances to using mobile banking for her business.

And while she’s busy establishing herself as a shop owner, Gita is also finding ways to make a difference beyond her business.

Using her voice to help others

One of the unexpected benefits of joining the Women’s Empowerment Centre has been the opportunity for Gita to connect with other women who want to make positive changes in their community.

As well as learning about business and financial management, the women have developed skills in advocacy: speaking up about local issues and asking decision-makers to take action.

And they’ve been putting those skills to good use. When two members of the group needed medical treatment, Gita and her fellow members approached the local Ward Office to request financial support.

They also successfully campaigned for five streetlights to be installed in their neighbourhood. And when the group wanted access to different vocational training opportunities, they made their voices heard. Their request led to soap-making training for seven women.

“We also raised community issues such as caste discrimination and child marriage,” Gita explains.

These achievements mean a great deal to Gita and the women she’s been working alongside. They’re not only developing new skills for themselves, but also finding ways to improve life for others.

Gita received support through ‘Empowering Her’, a project supported by Oxfam and its partners, including NEEDS Nepal and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Her story shows how access to training, financial knowledge and opportunities can help people turn their ambitions into reality.

Oxfam Unwrapped charity gifts help support Oxfam’s wider work alongside communities around the world, giving more people opportunities to build secure livelihoods and shape their futures.

We’re grateful for your support and hope you'll continue to be part of this journey. Together, we can turn thoughtful gifts into lasting change for communities around the world. We can’t wait to share more inspiring stories with you soon.