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Key Person: Rajan Sunar
A team from BHW visited Bharatpur from 23-25 November 2025.
In May 2025 BHW agreed to fund the sewing project that was proposed. This came after several attempts to find a suitable project. As well as agreeing to this, BHW had to provide a written agreement stating the financial support amount and the timeframes for support. This agreement is a requirement for obtaining prior approval from the Nepal Social Welfare Council (SWC). In July 2025, Jyoti received approval from the SWC and the funds were sent for the operation of the training programme. On the 1st of August 2025 the project was inaugurated with a ceremony. Programme stakeholders participated, the chief guest was the Deputy Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan area.
The women come in three, 3-hour shifts per day for 5 days a week.
In early December BHW sent the final amount to complete the funding for the project. This was to provide sewing machines for the graduates and to establish the small business that would emerge from the training. In early January the 5-month sewing course was completed. Following that they held a gathering with the women who completed the sewing course. Together with the community chairperson, they discussed the closing ceremony, the business setup, and plans. Previously, there was no formal group among them, but now a women’s group has been successfully formed.
They are now preparing for the closing ceremony, along with a joint business setup for three women. Representatives from the municipality will participate in the programme set for the last week of January.
New ProfilesJohn, their eldest son, works in the office taking care of compliance and administration. He seems to be very meticulous and keeps good accounts. Mind you, they have to as the government is constantly monitoring the use of funds.
Joseph, their second son, is in charge of the education projects and moves around the various projects.
Both of them are musicians and play in a Christian band and lead worship.
It is still too early to have any real stories of change from this programme. However, when the team was there, we spent some time with the whole group asking questions. They were very forthcoming with their responses.
They never expected to get this sort of opportunity as adults and were so excited to be part of the programme.
This type of programme has never been seen in their community.
Only three of them had completed secondary school and only a couple weren’t married. Some of them couldn’t read well, but they had to be able to understand maths for the measuring.
Their husbands and families were very proud of them being involved in this programme.
They are hopeful that they will be able to make an income to support their families in the future and will be recommending that another course be run as they all know people who want to come.
Almost all of the women are from Hindu backgrounds. They are very excited that they have made new friends with people they share an interest with.
Partnership's Influence within the CommunityThe women’s group and the community chairperson were very happy with the sewing project. The municipality is also pleased, and they have requested another five-month sewing training project for their area. We will receive a project proposal about this.
Several community leaders attended the meeting we had with the women and were very appreciative of Jyoti’s initiative. They loved it that there were international people involved as it made them feel like they were not stuck in a backwater where no one knew about them.
The cost of living is increasing at an alarming rate
Establishing a new enterprise has significant risk and unforeseen compliance costs
They are under extra scrutiny because they are Christians
Three new projects have been submitted, and which need to be discussed:
1) They want to do another 5-month sewing programme. We are waiting for confirmed details, location, number, structure and budget.
2) They want to start a goat lending programme in a community. They have summitted the proposal with a budget of US$2,939. This will provide 25 goats in two communities to help poor families become self-sustaining.
3) To commence a weaving project in one of the villages we visited on the trip. This will set up 8 women to weave traditional cloth. They have been trained already and markets have been established. The budget in US$1,384 and is ready to begin. It will be a real boost to the people involved and the local community including the people from the small local church.
1) The course has been very successful and from the leader’s perspective, has achieved better than they hoped in terms of the impact on the community
2) By running the programme, they have developed good relationships with the leaders of the municipality. This is not always easy as a minority community
3) The women have become good advocates of Jyoti and good relationships have been developed with their families
4) That the team will be able to continue ministry to the families now that they have relationships with them
5) Pray that the new business that will emerge from the sewing course will be successful at help 3 families become self-sustaining
These guys make things happen and I think it is worth developing some of the new opportunities that come through them.
Their record keeping is outstanding. They communicate well and they are engaged in many communities. They understand development and have stringent monitoring and accountability processes.