From Stitches to Success: Purna Radi Magar's Story of Empowerment

Purna Radi Magar, a resident of Birendranagar–12, Surkhet, lives with her family of five, including her husband, son, and in-laws. With her husband working in Saudi Arabia for the past 12 years, Purna has been independently managing household responsibilities and raising her son. To support her family, she worked as a home-based tailor, earning an irregular income of NPR 6,000–8,000 per month. However, limited tailoring skills and lack of business knowledge restricted her business growth.

Despite her determination, Purna lacked confidence to expand her tailoring business.Orders were occasional, income inconsistent, and she had no exposure to financial management or market understanding. Financial constraints prevented investment in business expansion. After migrating to Birendranagar, her limited skills were not competitive in the urban market, compelling her to focus mainly on household responsibilities.

Determined to earn a better living, Purna joined the Skill Up project and enrolled in the Advanced Tailoring (Garment Fabrication) training. Though she had basic tailoring experience, she lacked garment fabrication skills. With strong dedication, she completed the training, learning to stitch various garments with improved quality and precision. She also gained life skills and basic business knowledge, which strengthened her confidence and entrepreneurial understanding."There were times I felt helpless and uncertain about my future. The Skill Up training became a turning point in my life. Today, I earn on my own and support my family with hope and dignity." she shares.

Today, Purna works at Jaymata Hojiyari Garment, Birendranagar–11, on a piece-rate basis. Her monthly income has increased to approximately NPR 18,000 - 20,000, a substantial improvement. This stable income has strengthened her financial independence, enabling her to support household needs, her son's education, health, nutrition, and even save regularly."I want to improve my skills further and start my own garment business. My long-term dream is to bring my husband back to Nepal and build a self-sustaining family enterprise. I also hope to create jobs for skilled people in my community and support other women like me to become economically independent," she adds.