Indira Bhuju is president of the Jagriti Nari Multipurpose Women's Co-operative, registered in 1999, which has 360 women shareholders. She also serves as a village health worker. She chose to link the activities of the co-operative with women's health. She established a connection with Community Service Forum based at Panchakhal VDC of Kavre District. This group treated about 60 women from the Jagriti co-operative who were suffering from prolapsed uterus. Half the women were treated, the other half, at advanced stages of the problem, had their uteruses removed. Prolapsed uterus is a common problem for rural women in Nepal because they return to heavy physical labor immediately after delivering children. Only in recent years have women begun to discuss issues such as this in the co-operative forum, leading to such efforts regarding treatment. WACN will pursue replication of this program, together with better education on the subject, in its various co-operatives.

Ganga Thapa, 33, of Ugratara VDC is a member of Shree Bhakteshwori Nari Chetana Savings and Credit Co-operative Ltd., a leader farmer and mother of three. Her husband used to be jobless and addicted to alcohol, and she struggled to run her household and send her children to school. After the formation of a local savings and credit group by WACN, she started saving Rs. 50 every month. After 6 months she borrowed Rs. 5,000 to raise goats. She was chosen as a leader farmer and was provided with training on vegetable cultivation, management of farmyard manure/compost, nursery management, etc. After the training she took another loan of Rs. 5,000 for vegetable cultivation, preparation of a shed for FYM management and maintenance of a cow shed. She was timid about selling her vegetables in the market, but was forced to do so due to financial problems. She quickly developed a following because of the extraordinary quality and freshness of her vegetables. The local farmers in the program now run a shop. Her husband helps her with vegetable cultivation. He is no longer addicted and is happy with the farm work because he is busy and making money. Recently they have taken a loan of Rs. 10,000 to buy a cow. They have well-managed FYM, an improved cow shed, a drip irrigation set, a water harvest tank for drinking water and irrigation, and a waste water collection pond in their field. She is now earning Rs. 10,000 a month selling off-season vegetables and milk. She charges Rs. 200 for farm demonstration lectures and her time. She is very happy and satisfied as she is now able to send her child to boarding school though she did not get opportunity to go to school herself.

Bamiya Chaudhari is a shareholder of Bachhauli Nari Chetana Co-operative. She was the one of two women that WACN sent for Biogas Plant training in Dang District. At that time, society didn't permit women to travel distances. But with the support of women’s groups, she participated in the training and now she is an established technician, a job traditionally reserved for men. She now travels as far as Kathmandu to install biogas plants. To date, she has installed about 300 plants, producing a steady income. She is proud of her ability, her self esteem is high and she is now facilitating training for other women.

Netra Kumari Shrestha suddenly became sick while spreading pesticides. The story she tells is that she was preparing her land for potato cultivation. To protect the potatoes from insects, she mixed cronix and matasit pesticides in water. She made ninety liters of the mixture in a bucket. She spent a whole day putting the mixture on the potato field. The next day she felt pain in the joints of her hands and legs. She first thought the pain was from working hard in the field, but the pain grew. She contacted a jhaakri, but the jhaakri's treatment didn't work. Her whole body became black and blue, and after four days she was taken to the hospital. In the hospital she was given many medicines but she was still not relieved of the pain, so she was brought home. Three months later she needed help to eat. The villagers of Shankhupatichour VDC of Kavre did not expect Shrestha to get well. She tried herbal products and cow’s urine, but they didn't work either. She experimented with many other medicines and she doesn’t know which one actually cured her. Her quest for a treatment cost 200,000 rupees. She knows she spent a lot of money and suffered a lot. Following WACN’s introduction of a sustainable agriculture program in her village she began working as an activist against chemical pesticides. Now Netra Kumari is facilitating training on soil management and sustainable agriculture. She is making a case for organic vegetables throughout the village, and she prepares her organic pesticides in big vessels in her yard. In the past, she cultivated potatoes on half a ropani of land. This year she plans to cultivate vegetables on two ropani of land. Non-seasonal vegetable cultivation requires more pesticides, so she is busy preparing organic pesticides from cow urine and plants that she collects in the village. She is not willing to go near chemical pesticides. Not only Netra Kumari, but all of the villagers have accepted sustainable agricultural practices, which produce tasty vegetables that don’t harm the health. They also find that it saves money and time and increases productivity.