What happens in the next few months, or even in the next few weeks, will determine whether the future generations will live in a stable, prosperous Nepal or whether law and order will deteriorate further.[break]
Our future is very uncertain. The decisions we make today, and the actions we take today, will determine our country’s future.
Most Nepalis are frustrated with the current state of our government (i.e., politics) and its inability to deliver what our people want.
It is not much we seek. We ask for a stable government, free of corruption, with clear policies. Those who want to make a good living should be able to access that “luxury.”
Given the circumstances, it is understandable that many have lost hope. Most wish to leave the country. Some do in attempt to find employment opportunities and others in attempt to acquire higher education.
Sadly, it is the youth of the country who are leaving en masse. Our youth have the greatest potential of making a significant impact on the country’s future.
However, I am witnessing a trend of hope. Many Nepalis who previously left due to various reasons are now slowly returning. I am part of this trend, and I am glad to be back.
Although there are more people leaving than people coming back, it is a noticeable positive trend. Those who come back, come with new experiences, new ideas, and a vision to do something different.
Sunniv Rajbhandary is one of these people. He revamped his father’s travel agency, making it more efficient and lively.
He earned a degree in business management from Franklin & Marshall College and used it not only in his travel business but also to open a discount marketing website www.merodeal.com in partermship with a friend who came back to Nepal after hearing about Sunniv’s experience upon his return.
Yuki Poudyal, another young Nepali who came back to Nepal after finishing college, says, “I found the American lifestyle sometimes very alienating, and mechanical.
That’s why I came back to look for a more meaningful engagement at a place where I belonged, and give life a chance.”
Yuki today is the proud owner of Cuppas, a swanky coffee shop located in Putali Sadak. When Yuki came back, she had no intention of becoming an entrepreneur.
She had planned to get a job in the non-profit sector for a year and go back for graduate school. But things changed once she arrived. She saw numerous business opportunities, and seized the most interesting one.
Both Sunniv and Yuki have created jobs in Nepal. They have used their education and experience in creating something new in the country.
Many people I spoke with in the US say they have an urge to come back, many even had amazing ideas about what they will do once they are back. Yet, I hear most saying “Situation better bhayepachi aaumla.” (I’ll come back when the situation improves).
For those who are living abroad and waiting for things to improve back home, I say, things may not improve.
They may not improve especially if we, the youth of this country, are not willing to contribute to this effort.
One way to ensure that the situation deteriorates further is if we hold ourselves back and do nothing.
The longer one stays abroad, the harder it gets to leave. There will be things that will tie us down.
The sooner one comes back, the better. Just remember what Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” If you care, do something about it.
Both Sunniv and Yuki say that coming back to Nepal is not for the fainthearted.
People need lots of patience and determination; you can’t expect Nepal to work like America or other developed nations. There is load shedding! I am not sure what that means. You have to wait in line to get petrol.
There are myriads of problems. However, with problems also come solutions--and solutions can be opportunities for a better future.
If you are of critical nature, you may disagree with this opinion. You may think, “What difference can a couple of friends opening a coffee shop make?”
Let me engage your thought on the subject. If I see my friends doing something fruitful with their time and doing it well, I feel encouraged to do something. It creates a ripple effect and encourages more people to take action.
Soon the contagion will turn into a wave that will change the direction our country is heading to.
One person coming back often encourages another to, at the very least, think seriously about the option.
After living in the United States for more than six years, I realized that if I did not come back to Nepal, it may have been too late for me.
I hope to contribute to a ripple that will one day become a wave.
Who knows, these small ripples may converge with the ones that Sunniv and Yuki are creating, and eventually turn into a huge tsunami that will lead our country away from this tipping point, and into a better future.
The writer is research manager for Whittaker Associates, Inc., a US-based market research firm, which opened an office in Kathmandu in January.
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