BHIMDHUNGA, KATHMANDU: For farmers trying to figure out how to heal a sick cow or grow tomatoes commercially in this Himalayan community, help is at hand in the form of a crumbling, earthquake-scarred library.

In a rural area where searching for information online or paying for expert advice is rarely an option, the library is a first stop for female farmers daunted by their new role: running the family farm while their husbands are away looking for work.

"Most of the men have migrated for money now in Nepal. It's a very huge problem," said Meera Marahattha, the "human Google" who runs the library.

But there's an upside. "Because of this male migration, females have the opportunity to lead," she added - sometimes for the first time.

Migration is growing around the world among families hit by disasters, conflict or shifting weather patterns. In Nepal - and many other places - women are often left behind in rural areas as men seek work in cities or overseas.

Taking on all the work can be exhausting, and being alone is dangerous for some women. But for others, the absence of men can open up opportunities to try out their own ideas, learn new skills and gain confidence.

Crossing her sandy yard in bare feet, Chini Khadka, 55, pushes back a loose door to reveal a baby calf, closely guarded by its mother.

Khadka, who is illiterate and was married at just 9 years old, was happy to show off the cattle that have made her a respected businesswoman in her remote Himalayan village.

"After my husband left me, I lived with my mother-in-law, who took pity on me. But she died a few years ago. We had many expenses for my children's studies, so I had to make an income," she said.

She heard about the library and started training with the other women. "Then I got interested in dairy farming because I have very limited land," she said.

Khadka learned to rear cows, build sheds and calculate the correct nutrient requirements for her animals. She now has eight cows, some of which are pregnant, with each fully grown animal worth about $1,000 at market, she said.

She also sells milk in town and manure as fertiliser to other farmers.

"As I grew in confidence, I leased land from a neighbour and have been planting some food crops too," she said. "I'm very, very happy doing this. It fulfils me."

Khadka earns about 30,000 Nepali rupees ($288) a month. That's more than her son, who works as a teacher, she boasts - and is even enough for her to hire another female farmhand to help tend the vegetables.

"Before I used to have very low self-esteem," she said, smiling. "Now I feel like society respects me and treats me better."

($1 = 104.2200 Nepali rupees)