Meet Nirmal Sharma

We are proud of our MUMYU partners and their stories. If you visit Himachal and see a woman, wearing a badge that says, “MUMYU partner”, talk to her. She is a winner in life. She is simple looking, meagerly educated, shy and may be not as smart as you are, but she has come a long way and is undefeated. She will make you smile with her story and you will feel proud that you met her. She will inspire you.

Meet, Nirmal Sharma.

First woman to pass 10th from her village in 1972, also the First woman to get registered as MUMYU partner in 2017.

She is 62 years old. She was born in an influential family of a small village near Kasauli, called Garkhal. You will notice the milestone on the way to Kasauli. She is eldest of the five daughters and youngest son. Having so many daughters was a great responsibility for her father. But he also wanted to educate them well. Nirmal Sharma is very intelligent since her childhood. She has a sharp brain and always did well in studies. In 1972, she was the first woman of her village, to pass 10th. No girl has ever studied beyond primary in that time. Her father distributed sweets in whole village and she felt too proud of herself.

But that was it. She wanted to study further and for her father the responsibility of teaching 5 other kids was huge. The societal pressure of getting her married was also building up. So Nirmal Sharma gave up her dream of becoming a teacher and got married instead. She encouraged all her younger sisters and brother to study well and do well in their lives. All her sisters also got married and carried on with their lives and her youngest brother is working with HP police. She is 62 years now, but she has always been a leader. Be it a family functions, a huge financial decision, she manages it all. She could not fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher though.

On 10th December 2017, she joined MUMYU as a MUMYU partner. She believes 100% in her potential. She has registered herself as a stitching and knitting expert. She learnt all this during her early childhood from her mother. She doesn’t even remember how many sweaters she has made all her life. She is so proud today that now her handwork, her craft will be recognized and she will also be able to earn her own money in this age when most of the workers retire. She beamed with joy, the day she cleared the quality test and wore that badge. Very soon, you will see her creation, available for sale as a MUMYU product along with her encouraging story. She is a living example, that age is just a number and there is no age criterion when it comes to fulfill your dreams.

Proud of our MUMYU partner Nirmal Sharma and her work.