I am a street vendor in Kathmandu. I sell a snack called ‘pani puri’ which is a favorite among Nepali young ladies. Unfortunately, due to the increased dust on the streets of the city, my business has been suffering. I don’t have the money to rent a shop, and I was getting worried because I had no other means to feed my family.
I started noticing two women on my street working with beads. I was curious, and finally got the courage to ask them what they were doing. It turns out that they were making bead ornaments. I told them that I would love to learn such skills. It was my great privilege to attend a week-long jewelry-making training at Hope for the Future Nepal. I was so excited.
After the training, I made some samples and put them on my cart alongside the pani puri. When girls and women came to eat pani puri, they saw my bead products and they liked them! They even gave me more money than I asked them to pay. They said that It was for my encouragement. Now I am happy to sell both pani puri and bead jewelry, and I am earning better money than before. I am selling jewelry not only to my pani puri customers, but also to my neighbors and relatives. It has given me new hope for my future.
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