Woman-to-Woman Emergency Relief Fund for the women in Nepal

Nirmala Pariyar, from Hetauda, Makwanpur District, was unable to leave her home for work when the Government of Nepal implemented the first statewide lockdown beginning in March 2020 to stop the spread of COVID-19. Pariyar, age forty, supported her family by working as a daily wage farmer in her area, earning an average monthly salary of NPR 7,500 (US$64).

Before the pandemic, Pariyar was able to borrow food and other necessities from her village’s stores and pay the bills, but things got harder for Pariyar and her family during the lockdown.

“Without a daily salary, my obligations grew. Without money, the stores were hesitant to give me additional food, so my family started eating less, says Pariyar.