In Kathmandu, Nepal, we were able to meet several micro-entrepreneurs. They told us their stories and recounted their experiences.

We met Sarita Tuladhar in the Swoniga Design workshop of her business, which specialises in producing clothing made from Pashmina. With the help of the SMElink programme offered by PlaNet Finance (which includes technical support and training in enterprise management), she has been able to forge relations with a number of international customers. The training allowed her to manage her business more effectively and to pass on her newfound knowledge to her employees. She told us what her objective is: “I currently employ some 30 to 40 people. The more my business grows and develops, the more I will be able to employ local people.”

This year Sarita received the award for best Nepalese micro-entrepreneur from PlaNet Finance.

Bijava Pradhan attended the same training course as Sarita and runs Dream Nepal, a network of agencies that promotes adventure tours in the heart of Nepal, with an emphasis on “eco-tourism”.
“I’ve learned how to sell products and services to businesses, how to reach out to international markets, how to minimise my impact on the environment and how to meet various quality standards”, explained Bijava. He’s now keen to give the same support to his friends, family and staff by sharing his knowledge with them.

Hari Sinchury is engaged in the production of jewelry in silver and today heads up his own company “Sinchury Handcraft”. To start up his business, he borrowed 20,000 rupees (approximately 280 euros) from a women’s cooperative (his mother had to borrow the money for him), and received assistance from his friends and family. Since obtaining the loan, he has been able to grow his business significantly and create jobs for people in difficult situations.
Today, he has sufficient revenue and is able to provide his family with education and healthcare. Hari is much more confident about the future than ever before: “I think I’m a microfinance success story!”

Rekha Aryal set up Shashi’s Sweater Industries (which produces clothes made from Pashmina), 18 years ago. The first year, Rekha borrowed 5,000 rupees (approximately 70 euros) from a women’s cooperative, and then in the second year 50,000 rupees (approximately 700 euros) to develop her business.
The cooperative operates according to a simple and widespread principle: each woman deposits a sum of money each year and if one of them needs a loan, she can borrow from the pool at a low rate of interest. For those who don’t borrow from it, the fund becomes a savings vehicle, as the jointly held sum is augmented by the interest earned on it. There are several hundred thousand cooperatives in Nepal, each with its own system of operation and conditions of membership. Most are for women only. Women who, like Rekha, can say: “I was a housewife before, and today I’m a business woman – that’s quite a difference, wouldn’t you agree?”

This was an enriching experience all round and the legendary Nepalese hospitality more than lived up to its reputation! We’re now off to Pokhara, a 200 km bike ride… We’ll bring you some more interviews soon.