Kusum’s Journey of Empowerment
Kusum, a resident of Shahidnagar Municipality, became a participant in the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Development (YEED) Project after meeting the participant selection criteria. Through life skills and entrepreneurship development training, she began to see opportunities that she had never considered before. Her mother-in-law had traditionally purchased ready-made brooms from shops and sold them at the local weekly market. During the training, Kusum realized that by purchasing raw broom materials (khar) and making brooms herself, she could reduce costs, increase profit margins, and expand beyond the two days of weekly market sales. With this new vision, she presented her business plan to the project team and, after receiving start-up support, began producing and selling brooms herself. Alongside selling at the local market, she started supplying small shops. Gradually, her business attracted another customer—a bicycle vendor who purchases brooms from her and resells them in nearby villages. What began as a small family activity has now become a growing livelihood, with Kusum and her mother-in-law working together to produce and sell brooms and generate a more regular household income.
Reflecting on her journey, Kusum shares that she is still amazed by how much has changed, because before participating in the training, she had never imagined that she could build a business of her own on this scale. Today, the income she earns helps pay her child’s school fees and cover household expenses, while her husband’s hard-earned money from foreign employment can be saved for future investments and asset accumulation. For Kusum, this change is about more than earning money; it is about discovering her own potential, contributing to her family’s well-being, and building greater financial security through her own efforts. With the support of the YEED Project, a familiar family trade has become a more promising source of income—and Kusum has gained something equally valuable: the confidence to imagine a better future and take practical steps towards achieving it.
