Villagers turn to micro-business giving up foreign dreams

SINDHUPALCHOWK, March 14: Many youths in Sindhupalchowk villages have turned towards micro-businesses, giving up on foreign job dreams. The massive earthquake in April last year had forced many youths into rethinking their ambition to fly abroad for jobs leaving their family in difficult times.

Khadka Bahadur Shrestha, 26, of Baramchi, had been working in Kuwait and was enjoying vacation with his family in his village when the earthquake struck. "I was trapped in the debris for nearly two hours," Khadka said showing his right leg which was injured when the walls of his house fell over him. Father of a five-year-old girl, he gave up his plans to return to Kuwait and started looking for employment opportunities. But as he could not get a job, he decided to start his own business, Khadka said.

After discussing various prospective business ideas, he settled down for mushroom farming. He began mushroom farming by investing meager Rs 7000. "I was given Rs 5000 by a local non government organization while I have invested Rs 2000 to start the business," he said. It has been nearly two months since he began the business and he feels that it is starting to pay off.

He is the first in the village to get into mushroom farming. "Nobody has invested in mushroom farming in the village before," Khadka said adding that he feels good giving up his plans to return to Kuwait and staying with his family.

Khadka has earned Rs 2000 by selling 10 kg of mushroom in the last two months so far and this has buoyed his family's spirit. Actively supported by his wife Juna, he looks forward to expand his mushroom farm in the days ahead. "Present earning from the farm is not sufficient to meet the expenses of my three member family. But I believe it will very soon," Juna said.

Rudra Bishunti, 42, of Badare-2, began working a mason after receiving five-day masonry training. "We are a six-member team working together to build one-storey houses in villages," Bishunti said while elaborating his occupation. It generally takes us around 15-25 days to build a house based on the requirements put forward from occupant family.

"We have built 15 houses in the village in the recent months following the earthquake," he informed stating that the profession helped him in giving up his plans to head abroad for employment. "If I continue getting work here, I don't think there is any need for going abroad for jobs."

Shiva Shrestha, 32, of Pokhare-2, Piscar village started an arghelo lokta business some eight years ago. However, it failed to generate any profits that he blames for lack of expertise. After the April earthquake many international development agencies started working in the area. And his discussions with some of them have renewed his interest into the business. "I am been told that the raw Arghelo Lokta that we send are exported to Japan from Kathmandu to make Japanese notes (Yen)," Shiva said. However, he says that he was not sure about this.

Shiva started his business by investing Rs 8 lakhs with support from development agencies in building infrastructure needed for the business. There are around 70 people working with him, earning a minimum wage of Rs 300 per day. Shiva earns Rs 2 million from his business that runs for only three months during the winter season. "With the onset of summer the plants dry up," he added.

Shiva Shrestha (right) working with his colleagues. (Bipulendra Adhikari/Republica)

Ram Chandra Ghimire, deputy village secretary of Baramchi VDC, said that youths have been launching their own micro-businesses recently following support from government and non-governmental agencies. "Youths are provided with trainings and workshops by government and non-government development agencies. As most of these have been working with promises for long term support, their programs have been effective in supporting youths to start their own businesses or professions" he said.

Dr John Nduna, general secretary of Act Alliance, an umbrella organization of around 140 development agencies and active in 145 countries, expressed his happiness to see youths working in their villages. "It is so surprising that youths have been participating in micro-businesses in their own villages overcoming grief after the massive earthquakes," he said. He said that his organization is happy to support the locals youths with expertise and finances. While sharing similar thoughts with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Deputy Prime Minister CP Mainaly in a recent meeting, Nduna said that the prime minister was positive about it.