22-years-old Gulnaj Khatun, an inhabitant of Malangwa 4, Muslim Tol is the daughter of Gobair Ansari and Aamana Khatun. The settlement lies in the nearby Malangwa market of the Sarlahi district, where people’s only source of income is selling vegetables and has a poor source of income. Md. Ansari and Mrs. Khatun have a total of 5 children including Gulnaj.
Intervention and Support:
Empowering a new generation of Adolescent Girls through education (ENGAGE) in Malangwa municipality run by Prerana Organization funded by UK AID with the technical assistance of VSO NEPAL and HI, this project started its intervention by initiating its baseline survey which focuses on the marginalized, poor and children with disability of age group 10-19.
Gulnaj is nominated as a primary actor because of the marginalized community and got enrolled in bridge class. Because of her regular attendance, her learning achievement was quick, was also a hard working student and had shown high interest in calculations. Because of the poor economic condition, Gulnaj helped her mother to sell vegetables in the market and had stopped her education.
ENGAGE Project enrolled primary actors to bridge class for 9 months which aims to provide formal education to the children with the age group of 10-14 and livelihood training to the age group of 15-19 who are not interested to study and to make them self-independent.
Likewise, Gulnaj also chose livelihood training (Vegetable selling) and got a one-day orientation of the business plan (investment and capital, profit, and loss). After the completion of a business plan, selected primary actors got grant support from the project, Gulnaj was happiest among them and started her vegetable shop. In the past days, she used to support her mother but now she owns her shop and helps her family and siblings to study.
Outcome and Positive Change:
Gulnaj is recently selling vegetables in malangwa municipality 5 days a week. She is investing Rs 2500 – 5000 per market and has returneda profit of Rs. 500-600. She again invests her profit for the next market. She has a total saving of Rs. 10,000 till today.
Gulnaj, “I am so happy that I chose this vegetable selling skill. This has supported me to run my family. I have been saving Rs. 100 per day since the day 1st in my account. I would like to thank this project which has supported me to be an independent girl”.
Her mother adds, “My daughter has been supporting me and helping me to run the family. Our life has been easy because of this project.”.
Written by –Kunti Sah (CM)
English translation by- Pooja Rgami (VSO Nepal NV Sign)
