Urmila’s unceasing struggle affords her a decent life

By Anita Bhattarai,Kathmandu, Nov. 4: Every morning, Lagankhel wakes up before Patan city is fully awake. A woman settles at the market roadside with baskets filled with fresh, colourful (green, yellow, and red) round habanero peppers – Akbare khursani. Her eyes are watchful as people begin to bustle past.

Urmila Phuyal, 53, is a hardworking woman who has spent years turning struggles into strength. For Urmila, selling vegetables is not just a way to earn a living, it is her way of standing tall, proud, and independent.

Yesterday, she bought seasonal organic peppers in her village. She gave much required cash to families. What she bought from them, she sold this morning between 6 to 8, and in the evening between 6 to 9. 

Her customers include local residents, office workers, and students. She has established a regular client base. They trust her and know what she is selling and it is good! Yes, the hours are long and the weather is uncertain, yet she has determination and a warm smile.

Her story is interesting. Phuyal was given away in traditional marriage at the age of 13 by her parents and grandparents. Her husband’s side of the family often had trouble affording food, clothing, health care, and education. She had two sons. Through persistence and dedication, she brought up a good family.

Then her life took an unexpected turn. She felt she had to build a home for her family. This is a dream she worked hard for and spent her whole youth and adulthood working towards. She borrowed money from people she knew and a few loan sharks. The house was constructed. She worked desperately, saved everything she could but, slowly, found that she could not repay the loans and the crushing interest.

Her younger son had to go to Malaysia to work as a driver, but the job was too demanding, and the pay too low. Worried for his health, she asked him to return to Nepal. Her elder son studied hard and despite all the challenges continued his education.

Her life began to go dark. The constant financial pressure, social embarrassment, and loss of dignity became unbearable. Feeling cornered, she decided to leave Mulpani and move to Lagankhel in search of a fresh start.

Life as an aspiring street vendor in Lagankhel was not easy. She did not have a place to sell her vegetables and had to sit by the street under the sun, wind, and rain. Sales, profits, and savings were meagre. Yet she never gave up. Slowly, her hard work, honesty, and good produce shone through. 

Urmila never went to school. She learned math through real life experience: calculating change, tracking money, and managing her earnings. 

As you can imagine, during times of turmoil, Urmila’s family life went through ups and downs. Today she doesn’t talk much with her husband, but their relationship was always distant, she says.

She got to a stage where she could save around Rs. 20,000 a month. She became truly independent and, over the years, paid back all her debt. Not only that, Urmila brought her mother to live with her. 

She continues to be her greatest source of emotional support, she shares. She is so proud of her sons, her older son worked hard and is now a doctor at the cancer hospital. He helps her financially when she needs help, she says.

Both her sons are married and have built their own families. Seeing them settled gives Urmila a sense of satisfaction and all the struggles have been worthwhile. She says she finds happiness in small things: being able to feed and clothe herself, support her mother, and live free.

She looks back at her past life with a sigh and a great deal of pride. She says every hardship taught her something important. The most important lesson? Never depend on 

anyone but yourself.

Phuyal’s life is a story of courage, struggle, and self-reliance. She has faced challenges that would have broken many people. Every day, now, as she sits by the roadside selling vegetables, she is not just earning money, she is proving that strength and independence can come from even the simplest of jobs. Her story is that of resilience, honesty, self-respect and the will to keep moving forward with dignity, no matter what life serves.

Bhattarai is an intern with The Rising Nepal.