Like many of the poorest people in Nepal, Dalla’s family owned a small piece of land which provided them with food to eat, but nothing extra to sell. Her husband worked in a school office on a small wage, and Dalla had to take on day labouring work to make ends meet and keep their two children in school.

One day, Dalla was invited to join a new self-help group in her community – part of the RISE project run by INF Nepal. It was a turning point in her life. First, she learned more about health, sanitation, and how to gain credit to improve the farm.

Then, INF chose Dalla to take part in a five-day entrepreneurship training programme. She was given some funds to start up a new business – together with her husband, she decided to start a poultry business with chickens.

The birth of a brand-new business

The family, now equipped with business knowledge, talked to traders to find out how much of a market there would be for the chickens. Then they took an appropriate bank loan to build a large shed for 2,000 birds.

Dalla has so far reared and sold three batches of chickens. Despite flooding and a harsh winter which threatened the business, she still made a profit of around £1,300 each time. She is now rearing another 1,000 chicks, planning to gradually expand the business and pay off the bank loan.

Reflecting on her journey, Dalla told us:

“INF Nepal encouraged my hopes at a time when I was confused about how to become independent. Today, INF Nepal has guided me to become a self-reliant woman. I am hopeful that I will succeed in my dream and become an example for women who still believe that women cannot be entrepreneurs.”

Dalla and her family thought they would always struggle to make ends meet. But with the right support and advice, Dalla has been able to transform her life and her family’s future. Now she’s so confident in what she can achieve that she’s inspiring other Nepali women that more is possible.