One Door Opens: The Story of Ram Kumari Shrestha

Nala, Kavrepalanchowk District, Bagmati Province

Ram Kumari Shrestha is 50 years old, lives alone in Nala, Kavre, and has chosen to remain unmarried — a decision that places her firmly outside the norms of the society she lives in. She received no formal schooling, though she can read and write thanks to informal education. By most conventional measures, her circumstances leave little room for opportunity. And yet, she has built something entirely her own.

“I am unmarried and living all by myself — something that society does not accept. I never wanted to marry and this is how I chose to live. But sometimes, when I don’t have money, I wish I had a family who could provide me basic things. However, when one door locks, another opens — SABAH’s project opened the door to me in many ways.”

When SABAH Nepal selected Ram Kumari for food processing training, it was the first time anyone had formally recognised her potential. She had no prior knowledge of food processing, no background in business, and no safety net. The training introduced her to lapsi candy processing and gradually expanded into fruit jam production.

For Ram Kumari, each new skill was not just a technique but a piece of evidence that she was capable of far more than she had ever been told. The training tapped out a potential she had not known she possessed and gave her the means to earn her own livelihood.

“When I was part of this project, I learnt to process food — it was entirely new to me. Slowly, I understood how lapsi could be processed and later I also learnt about fruit jam. With the training I realised I had potential in me to do something. It tapped out that potential and helped me use it to earn for my livelihood.”

Today, Ram Kumari works as a leading member of the Jagaran Lapsi Candy group, a collective of four women who produce and sell lapsi candy and fruit jam together. She is a firm believer in the strength of group work, recognising that collaboration not only expands business networks but also provides the emotional scaffolding that a single woman navigating commerce alone often lacks. The group approach has helped her manage finances, plan production, and build a consistent presence in the market.

SABAH Nepal’s support extended well beyond the training room. Individual and group counselling sessions helped Ram Kumari and her peers understand how to move their products from production to market, including how to access national-level market networks. For someone who had previously lived on the margins of economic life, this knowledge was transformative.

“SABAH not only taught us the skills but also guided us through the process from production to marketing, which really helped us set up our business. It linked us to a market where we can directly sell nationally. All this while, I gained so much confidence. I can now interact with people openly and establish relationships by building a rapport.”

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her supply of raw materials and cut into her income, but it did not break her spirit. Ram Kumari accepted the uncertainty with steadiness, preparing herself mentally to adapt rather than retreat, knowing the work would continue when conditions allowed. She has noted that despite such difficult times, she remains mentally prepared to face whatever the situation demands and continue working.

Looking ahead, Ram Kumari’s ambitions stretch well beyond lapsi candy. She wants to begin producing pickles, hire others who need work, and build a small enterprise that gives back what was once given to her. Having experienced vulnerability firsthand, she understands deeply what it means to need a helping hand — and she is determined to become that hand for others.

“I don’t want to make only lapsi candies. I want to start making pickles now — slowly I will learn that and do it. I want to give employment to other people who are in need. When I was vulnerable, this project helped me — similarly I also want to be their helping hand by giving them opportunities.”

Ram Kumari Shrestha’s story is one of quiet, relentless courage. It is the story of a woman who was handed very few advantages and chose to build everything herself anyway. What SABAH Nepal gave her was not charity — it was a door. She walked through it, and she has been walking forward ever since.

Ram Kumari Shrestha is a participant of SABAH Nepal’s Women in Value Chains project, implemented in Kavrepalanchowk District, Bagmati Province.