Apsara Timilsina resides in Ari Chowk, Birendranagar-10, Surkhet district, Nepal, and is a skilled agriculture mechanic. Her primary role in the family business was selling spare parts for various machinery items.

Kalpana Sharma, a former staff member at Sahara Trade Center, inspired Ms. Apsara. In 2022, Ms. Apsara received a mechanics training program facilitated by the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA). The training allowed her to understand mechanical parts and suggest repairs for many mechanical errors to customers. Her father-in-law, Tulbir Bista (the proprietor of Sahara Trade Center), supported her, recognizing her skills and determination to work there. Ms. Apsara’s annual earnings have reached from Nepali Rupee (NPR) 60,000 ($461) to NPR 180,000 ($1,384). The hard-earned money covers her daughter’s education, medical expenses and clothing. Ms. Apsara says, “I am deeply thankful for the opportunity provided by CSISA through their mechanics training program. It has changed my life and allowed me to support my family in ways I never imagined. The knowledge and skills I gained have increased my annual earnings and empowered me to serve my community better.”

This initiative is supported by the Feed the Future for Global Hunger and the Food Security Initiative under USAID/Nepal, implemented by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), in association with CSISA response and resilience partners iDE Nepal, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Cornell University and Texas A&M University (TAMU), and aligned with Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA).