A year after the November 3, 2023 earthquake struck Karnali Province, a group of women from Chaurjahari Municipality in West Rukum is working to build their community back stronger while empowering local women with the tools of entrepreneurship.

With funding from Tewa, Nepal’s Women’s Fund, which provides grants to women’s group, Shanta Nepali and Kamala Pariyar of Chaurjahari Municipality, West Rukum have formed a group—Ratamata Mahila Krishak Samuha (or, women’s farming group of Ratamata)—to help community women improve their lives and livelihoods after the disaster.

“Before the earthquake, a lot of women didn’t know about women’s empowerment,” Tewa’s communication and documentation officer Suhani Shakya said. “But after the earthquake, they have realised that they should work and earn independently.”

The Karnali government recently allocated funds to rebuild 34,501 houses in Jajarkot, 16,909 in Rukum West, and over 4,600 in Salyan that were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake. But Pariyar and Nepali have been working ever since the disaster to help their community.

The homes of both Pariyar and Nepali survived the earthquake with only a few cracks, but other members of their community were not as lucky.

“The earthquake rendered many people homeless,” Pariyar said. “Some are still missing. Many others are jobless and without a home now.”

In order to receive disaster relief funding from Tewa, the local mayor suggested that Pariyar and Nepali form a women’s group. They took the opportunity and brought together 12 women to form the farming group.

The group initially received Rs115,000, with which it purchased a lamb for each of the 12 women in the group. “They will be bred again and again, and we can sell the lamb,” Pariyar said.

Nepali now earns money by herself, and she can spend it independently on things for her own health and for her 19-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son.

Pariyar wants to continue to grow the lamb business through breeding. She hopes that if they generate enough revenue, she will be able to donate to other women’s groups as well. “Even if it is a small amount, I want to give it to another women’s group,” she said.

Pariyar hopes that more women will join her group and will learn about women’s leadership and empowerment. “Women should not shy away from speaking out,” she said. “They should come forward with what they think is right and stand up for themselves.”

Tewa has also connected Pariyar and Nepali with leaders of various women’s groups across Nepal. Pariyar said that through interaction with other female leaders, she has learned about budgeting, organisation and women's leadership. And she hopes to continue to meet other women leaders. “I want to become more aware and empowered,” she said.