Since moving to Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu ten years ago, 33-year-old Sumita Rai has experienced her share of ups and downs. Starting her new life in the city as a cleaner, the young mother found that her earnings were not sufficient to make ends meet. With nothing but 2000 Rupees to her name, Sumita went on to start a small food cart business to supplement her income. However, when the 2015 earthquake hit the city, Sumita had to start over and started selling vegetables, earning just enough to put food on the table.

Determined to establish a better life for herself and her family, with support and encouragement from a friend, Sumita sought training to become a driver. She soon found employment as a driver of a Safa Tempo  ̶   a three-wheeled electric minibus which is a common form of public transport in Kathmandu. With a more stable income as a driver, Sumita was finally able to save some of her earnings, enabling her to aspire for more. She dreamed of operating her own Safa Tempo and become her own boss. Drawing close to her goal of self-sufficiency, Sumita eventually managed to save just enough to purchase her own vehicle. However, the aspiring entrepreneur still lacked the funds to purchase a battery, which costs more than US$8500. Sumita’s only option was to seek a loan, but without collateral or documentation of her earnings, obtaining a loan of such a high amount was a daunting prospect.