May 30, 2023
“Initially, my involvement in agriculture was limited to cultivating spinach, onions, and few vegetables solely for personal consumption. I viewed it as a challenging and burdensome occupation. However, little did I realize that it would ultimately become a transformative experience that would significantly impact my life,” says Gyanu Adhikari, a farmer from Melamchi Municipality sharing how PIWAAI changed her life in a matter of time.
Before PIWAAI, Gyanu used to cultivate vegetables in the traditional way lacking technical knowledge. After joining ISAP's Radha Krishna farmers group, she became its vice-chairperson and ever since has been actively involved in the group's savings and loan investments. She has now adopted agricultural technologies after attending numerous technical training provided by the project and eventually also became the leader farmer of her farmer’s group.
Gyanu had received 1 plastic tunnel along with seed support from the project from which she earned Rs. 23,600 by selling tomatoes and Rs. 12,000 by selling other vegetables in the first two years of the project. This year, she expects to earn Rs. 35,000 from tomato production and Rs. 15,000 from other vegetables. “Because of the bookkeeping training we received from the project, it has helped me in maintaining accurate records of income and expense, keeping track of profits and losses, and making sound financial decisions, improving my farm management practice, and optimizing my overall agricultural operation,” says Gyanu. Gyanu has been taking her produces to Palpali Chowk Collection Center and now plans to take them to the newly established collection center at Sunkhani by the project. She also plans to add more plastic tunnels in the near future.
Gyanu adds, “When my husband began to ask money for household expenses, it really made me realize how the income from the vegetable farming has changed the dynamics in my family. More so, I feel secured as a mother to be able to feed healthy vegetables to my family.”
The PIWAAI project has played an impactful role in changing the economic, social, behavioral, and family conditions of many middle-class women like Gyanu. Gyanu who is also known as ‘कृषिको ज्ञानले भरिएकि ज्ञानु ’, meaning ‘Gyanu with knowledge of agriculture’, the upsurge of women leaders like her is envisioned by the project.
Read more success stories at https://isap.org.np/impact-stories