Rising Through Resilience

Nayana Kumari’s Story

Abandoned and struggling, Nayana Kumari rebuilt her life through EU-funded training in mushroom cultivation. After health setbacks, she successfully shifted to garment making, embodying resilience and women’s empowerment.

In the quiet village of Maharachchimulla, Alawwa, Nayana Kumari’s life was marked by hardship and uncertainty. Abandoned by her husband, she was left alone to care for her young daughter, struggling to make ends meet. Taking on any hired work she could find, Nayana faced the difficult challenge of balancing income generation with childcare — a struggle that kept her trapped in a cycle of survival.

Everything changed when she became a beneficiary of the European Union-funded project, Let the Women Decide their Destiny. Through this programme, Nayana received training in mushroom cultivation — a livelihood activity she could manage from home while caring for her daughter. With determination and hard work, she didn’t just grow mushrooms; she branded, packaged, and marketed them herself, supplying shops in the nearby town of Alawwa. Her home slowly transformed into a small business hub, built on her creativity and strong work ethic.

Nayana’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to develop value-added products like mushroom sausages and pickles, earning her respect and recognition in the community. For the first time, she felt a sense of financial independence and hope for a better future.

But just as things were looking up, Nayana faced a new challenge — a throat condition that made speaking difficult and was aggravated by exposure to mushroom spores. Doctors advised her to stop mushroom cultivation for the sake of her health. Refusing to give up, Nayana adapted once again.

Using the savings she had accumulated, she purchased a block machine and a sewing machine, launching a home-based garment business. She now takes custom orders for children’s trousers and supplies local vendors, proving that her resilience and innovation know no bounds.

Nayana’s journey from hardship to self-reliance is a testament to the power of support, determination, and the ability to reinvent oneself.

“The support I received through this project changed my life in ways I cannot fully express,” she says, with quiet strength.

Her story is not just one of survival — it is a story of transformation, courage, and hope, inspiring other women in her community to believe in their own power to change their destinies.