Phulmaya Gadharva, like many Gandharva, used to limit herself within the four walls of her house and spend a miserable life as she did not have any information about what was going outside, but now she is leading the transformation process of her society.

The main occupation of the Gandharva community is to entertain people by playing traditional music but the income was not enough to feed their family and also meet their emergency needs. Being the so called lower caste people, it was very difficult for them to raise their issues in the community and voice about their rights. It used to be a dream for Phulmaya to talk in the community and this became possible with support from project implemented by Sahakarmi Samaj. The organisation lent support for uniting the community and facilitated for their empowerment. Initially, the empowerment process seemed impossible to many including Phulmaya, who was more worried about livelihoods of her family including three children, but they gradually noticed the change. The project united them into groups and provided awareness about their rights and duties including social mobilisation. “I used to shiver in anguish when I had to confront any outsider. I even used to be flustered when I was asked my own name”, recalls Phulmaya Gadharva. But now she comfortably tells her story to anyone and shows her active participation in monthly meetings and other programs organised in the community groups she is affiliated with. Her husband used to work in India and she had to live separately in despair and poverty. It was a struggle to feed three children and afford them a good schooling, she shares. She was economically vulnerable even after holding a piece of land, as the income from the agriculture production was NRs 50,000 (approx. 400 USD) per year, which covered the expense for less than six months .Whereas, the money brought by her husband from India was never enough to fulfill the basic need of all her children and she was in debt with no hope of repayment. 

After being involved in the group, she participated in entrepreneurship development training organised in the community group, through which she understood and realised the importance of being self-reliant. She showed her interest in starting micro-enterprise and that was made possible with the revolving fund support. Initially, she started fish farming at her own premises and simultaneously started another business: a retail shop at her own house. Within the span of one year, her income reach NRs 150,000 (approx. 1200 USD) per year as net profit through two businesses.  As she became confident that they can economically transform their lives through enterprise, she called back her husband from India and purchased an auto-rickshaw for him. Now he is also making good income from it and the family is quiet happy to provide quality education to their children apart from meeting household expenses. They do not have to worry for what will happen if they became sick or face some family emergency as they have made some savings as well. 

 “I am now able to prove ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ as my will power and back support from Sahakarmi Samaj helped me increase my income and made me independent as well and finally helped me enhanced my livelihood,” she shares.