vue - READ Impact Story — Creating Livelihoods: Mushroom Farming and Beekeeping

Somlal Chaudhary and his wife Indira, are both members of the Jhuwani READ Community Library and Resource Center in Chitwan, Nepal. In 2001, they participated in READ livelihood skills trainings in beekeeping and mushroom farming. Since then, both have created their own businesses and are even conducting their own trainings. Indira became a member of the women's savings and credit cooperative at the Jhuwani center, and after receiving a loan she began her own mushroom business. She has successfully sold multiple harvests, and has also learned to keep a written record of her accounts. Somlal started a beekeeping and honey production business, and now has 43 beehives. He is now the primary trainer for beekeeping and mushroom farming at the Jhuwani Center. With their businesses, Indira and Somlal no longer have to rely on anyone else to support their family.