Manju Devi from Loharpatti Municipality, Mahottari represents the Dom community of Madhesh Province. In the past, Manju and her husband generated income by selling handmade baskets, fences, and various bamboo products. These items have been integral to their culture for years, especially during festivals like Chhath. However, the growing demand for modern construction materials, plastic, and metal wares has compelled them to seek alternative means of income.
Currently, Manju works as an agricultural laborer while her husband works at different construction sites to make ends meet. She learned about the temporary employment program supported by the Youth Employment Transformation Initiative (YETI) from her neighbors. Both she and her husband applied in 2021; however, only she was selected. Under the program, she has mainly been working in the maintenance and cleaning of sewage and canals.
Despite this employment opportunity, Manju's income is insufficient to support her family of five fully. She often buys groceries on credit and repays when they earn some money but has no savings left. "I want to save money to send my children to a better school," she says. "If they have quality education, they will be able to have a better life in the future." She adds: "I appreciate this program and the opportunity but wish there were more than 100 workdays. Also if we could learn additional skills from this program, we would be able start something by ourselves in future."
Sangita Shivabhakti from Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot faced significant challenges after her husband's sudden death in 2021 while he was working as a driver transporting construction materials across Nepal. Left with a small family consisting of her father-in-law and two-year-old daughter, Sangita had to stay strong despite being shaken by the tragedy.
Before joining YETI in 2022 as a caretaker and gardener for various parks in Nuwakot, Sangita worked in paper-making factories and construction sites with unstable incomes. Her family's small plot of land for cultivation and few buffaloes were not sufficient for their needs.
Tending parks from 9 am-4 pm provides Sangita some peace amidst greenery. "The responsibility of my daughter and parents are the only motivation to work and live on," she says while focusing on providing early education for her daughter enrolled in kindergarten.
"It’s extremely difficult to go through all the trauma but I am taking it one day at a time," Sangita states about coping with her situation through participation in YETI's employment program.
Manju Devi and Sangeeta Shivabhakti are among 135,000 beneficiaries of YETI Project implemented by Nepal’s Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security with financing from World Bank Group’s International Development Association (IDA). The project aims at strengthening Nepal government’s Prime Minister Employment Program focusing on improving employment services particularly benefiting youth including women from poor marginalized communities.
During COVID pandemic times YETI extended temporary employment support benefiting an additional 44,000 people who lost jobs due lockdowns enforced across nation impacting livelihoods severely globally affecting economy drastically overall socio-economic structure widely varying degrees regions localized specific sectors varying extent periods sustained prolonged effect cumulative impact widespread repercussions long-term foreseeable immediate short term future considerations addressing potential mitigating risks proactively planned strategic interventions ensuring sustainability resilience adaptability dynamically evolving scenarios contingent emerging circumstances unpredictable volatile situations necessitating continuous monitoring evaluation feedback mechanisms iteratively refining policies procedures optimizing resource allocations maximizing benefits target groups inclusively equitably transparently effectively efficiently accountability transparency paramount importance guiding 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