With the right skills and a little encouragement, every woman can become the hero of her own story. In Monggar’s Ngatshang Gewog, a group of determined women is doing just that, transforming simple kitchen ingredients into opportunities for self-reliance and change.
25-year-old Sonam Lhamo is among ten women who recently completed a 14-day training in making pickles and candies. Today, she proudly shows off the skills she gained over the past two weeks with a jarred pickle made of chilli, radish and ginger.
Sonam had to leave school after class four to care for her ageing parents and younger siblings. Cash was always scarce, so she often worked on a daily wage. But now, with new skills and produce from her own garden, Sonam sees a future she can build herself.
“I had no experience in making pickles. Now I can make them from different chillies: big, small, and spicy and even candies from ginger and gooseberry. Before, our vegetables would rot because we had no market. Now, I can make pickles and sell them.”
After two weeks of hands-on learning, Sonam and her friends can now make and package more than ten varieties of pickles and candies, each using ingredients from their own gardens.
For many of them, this training opened doors they never knew existed.
“Before, we didn’t have exposure to such skills. We worked on daily wages when we needed money. But now, we can make pickles and earn from them. We will be able to support our parents, too,” said Pema Lhamo, a participant, Monggar.
“It was eye-opening for us. We didn’t know candies could be made from gingers or gooseberries. We learned nine types of pickles, nothing like what we used to make before,” said Tashi Choden, another participant, Monggar.
The training was organised by RENEW with support from the Finnish NGO, Fida International.
A study by RENEW earlier this year found that Monggar’s Ngatshang Gewog had one of the highest vulnerability rates among the four districts studied: Monggar, Trashigang, Zhemgang, and Sarpang. This inspired RENEW to design livelihood training that helps women turn locally available vegetables and spices into sustainable income sources.
The participants represented various vulnerable groups, including unemployed women, individuals with disabilities, and those who are divorced.
“In general, this kind of skill is provided for women in the community. Basically, in English it is called empowerment, but if we go in the Bhutanese context, it is basically to help them work on their own product and then sustain themselves in their own community. So that their well-being is ensured and sustained,” said Dolma, Director, Coordination and Operation, RENEW.
“After the completion of the training, we don’t stop there. We will register these participants with micro microfinance member bank. We have RENEW Micro Finance Bank Limited. We work very closely with them; there is a branch in Monggar. So we will link them, and we will also explore market access for them,” said Tashi Wangmo, Trainer/Project Coordinator, RENEW.
For Sonam and her friends, holding their certificates was a moment of success and hope.
From simple ingredients and shared determination, these women are making more than just pickles, they are shaping new futures for themselves and their families. One jar at a time, they are proving that empowerment begins right at home.
Namgay Wangchuk, Monggar
Edited by Kipchu
