05/13/2026
Meet Gibi, one of the newest homeowners in western Nepal.
For years, her nights were filled with fear rather than rest. A leaking roof, cracked walls, and the constant risk of intruders and wildlife made her crumbling home unsafe, but it was all she had.
Three years ago, Gibi lost her husband—and with him, her home, her place in his village, and the life she'd spent years building. She returned to her maternal village with nothing but her two children and the determination to start again.
She began doing labor work and cutting firewood to make ends meet. Yet when work was scarce, there were days she had to ask neighbors to feed her children.
Determined to create a better future for her family, Gibi partnered with NIVAS and the Rural Women Development Center (RWDC) to build a safe, disaster-resilient home.
Now, with a secure roof over her head, Gibi is focused on what comes next. Through community programs and livelihood support, she has started goat farming—building stability step by step.
"If my children can study, maybe they won't have to suffer like I did," she says. "I don't want to have to beg. I just want to live with dignity."
For Gibi, this home is more than shelter. It marks the end of survival and the beginning of a future she is building for her family on her own terms.
