MICRO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME MICRO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Copyright Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS), Micro Enterprise Development for Poverty Alleviation First Edition May 2018 All rights are reserved No part of this Anthology of 108 Successful Entrepreneurs in Nepal can be reproduced by any means, transmitted, translated into a machine language without the written permission of the MoICS or UNDP Nepal Published by Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDEP) Design & print process : TheSquare Design Communication Pvt. Ltd. Jwagal, Kupondole, Lalitpur, Nepal Tel. +977 1 5260 963 / 5531 063 [email protected] www.thesquare.com.np CONTENT Monetizing entrepreneurship 13 Entrepreneurship to leadership 65 Rising from the rubble 79 Beyond economic empowerment 105 Wider Horizons 137 Taking the leap to small from micro 185 6 MICRO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (MEDEP) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This compilation of 108 success stories contains prosperity for the whole family. Husbands of women accounts of micro-entrepreneurs supported and entrepreneurs have returned from abroad to help promoted by the Micro-Enterprise Development in their enterprises. Children are getting a good Programme (MEDEP). A majority of micro- education. The family has access to nutritious food. entrepreneurs established by MEDEP support are They have built a new house and have bought land, running their enterprises successfully. Some of them gold and in some cases vehicles. The entrepreneurs have graduated and are now capable of managing have savings in banks and cooperatives and are their businesses independently. providing employment to others like them. Their success has helped them win recognition and The stories documented in this publication have awards from the government and private sectors. highlighted the women entrepreneurs, is evidence Some are also elected representatives of wards, of MEDEP’s approach of supporting women, which is a testament to their social investment especially those who have been marginalized, by through micro-enterprise. providing them training to develop saleable skills. Many of the women share the same stories of being We celebrate the success of all these successful born into poor families. They are barely educated entrepreneurs who have managed to break live under poverty and struggle to make ends meet, the vicious circle of poverty through injustice (Women entrepreneurs get married at a young age and discriminations through entrepreneurship into poor families). Some women entrepreneurs development. We offer our sincere thanks to the are widows, some are single mothers, while some funding agencies, United Nations Development are divorcees. But they also have another thing in Programme (UNDP), Department of Foreign Affairs common, and that is a burning desire to improve and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian Government, and their lives through entrepreneurship and economic the implementing ministry: Ministry of Industry, empowerment. Each story is one that portrays their Commerce and Supplies of the Government struggle, determination, hard work, and ultimately of Nepal. Also, special thanks to all MEDEP staff their success. engaged in writing, editing, compiling and taking photographs of these successful micro- These entrepreneurs have fought long and hard entrepreneurs. battles to gain respect and a sense of identity among their family members and communities. Enjoy the stories. Their success has translated into economic DR. LAKSHMAN PUN DR. RAMJI PRASAD NEUPANE Chief Technical Advisor National Programme Manager MICRO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (MEDEP) 7 FOREWORD For over two decades, UNDP in partnership with focused on poorest among poor, marginalized and the Government of Nepal and with the support the women, resulting in 73 percent of the total from the Governments of Australia, Denmark, beneficiaries being women. New Zealand and United Kingdom haves worked towards the goal of eradicating poverty by helping The programme has also successfully supported the those living below the poverty line to become Government of Nepal to internalize this approach entrepreneurs. The support extended through through Ministry of Industry, Commerce and the Micro-enterprise Development Programme Supply, which has launched the Micro Enterprise (MEDEP) has reached over 131,000 individuals Development through Poverty Alleviation (MEDPA) and has had transformative effect in their lives. within government structures in all 77 districts of A majority of them have become successful and Nepal to make the micro enterprises sustainable empowered entrepreneurs not just providing for beyond the scope of UNDP project. their own families but also employing people on either part-time or fulltime basis. Many have gone UNDP remains committed to supporting Nepal in on to become leaders in their own right: some are achieving all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) active in the community, some in businesses and by 2030, including through development of micro some even in local and national politics. enterprises. This collection of 108 stories is a sample of many As MEDEP marks 20 years of tireless work towards successful entrepreneurs and also provides beautiful ending poverty, I would like to congratulate and insight into the journey each of them undertook, thank everyone involved for their hard-work with its hardships and opportunities. and dedication. I hope this compendium of 108 beautiful stories of successful entrepreneurs will Their success is a result of both direct and indirect continue to inspire thousands of others. support that the project has extended. MEDEP has helped to bring about improved policies and reformed institutional frameworks for inclusive RENAUD MEYER growth. The support has been first and foremost Country Director, UNDP Nepal 8 MICRO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (MEDEP) FOREWORD Being successful in any field is much harder than it by creating employment opportunities. This is looks. Those who see successful people from the achieved through rigorous social mobilization, skills outside often do not see the full picture: countless and business trainings, while offering support to hours and days of hard work, at times failure and establish micro-enterprises, creating platforms for having to begin again. Success is a culmination of favourable policies through advocacy and estab- struggle, failure, hard work and overall a dogged lishment of business associations. It is therefore determination. Therefore I am pleased to see this heartening to see the model now being owned and collection of stories of 108 triumphant entrepre- internalized by the Government of Nepal. neurs supported by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) through the Micro The entrepreneurs featured in this anthology are Enterprise Development Programme (MEDEP). role models in their communities who have not only created employment for themselves but also I feel proud that the Australian Government has opportunities for other rural poor, particularly supported thousands of micro-entrepreneurs in women, youth and people from marginalized social Nepal —helping to reduce extreme poverty—in groups. The socio-economic empowerment of partnership with UNDP and the Government these micro-entrepreneurs has meant that a good of Nepal. I would hope that the stories of these number are now elected in leadership positions in micro-entrepreneurs will inspire countless others, the local governments, while others have gone on including individuals and institutions, to support the to develop small and medium sized enterprises. goal of ending poverty and promoting socio-polit- This book presents powerful stories of their journey, ical transformation here and everywhere through which I am sure you all will enjoy reading and feel entrepreneurship development. inspired! Our sincere congratulations and best wish- es to these ever-growing entrepreneurs. The micro-enterprise development (MED) model developed by MEDEP has been widely hailed as an effective tool for supporting those living below the AINSLEY HEMMING poverty line and turning them into micro-entre- Head of Development Cooperation, preneurs—who in turn help thousands of others Australian Embassy, Nepal MICRO ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (MEDEP) 9 FOREWORD I am pleased to know that Micro-Enterprise important than a successful micro enterprise. Development Programme (MEDEP), a joint initiative The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies of the Government of Nepal and the United Nations (MoICS) has replicated the micro-enterprise Development Programme (UNDP) is publishing the development model through all local governments anthology of 108 successful micro-entrepreneurs of Nepal to reduce poverty. The Anthology of 108 in Nepal. Successful Entrepreneurs is not only the story of the MEDEP supported entrepreneurs but also a legacy MEDEP’s overarching goal is poverty alleviation documentation of what MEDEP is doing in Nepal to through micro-enterprise development and overcome the underprivileged people from vicious employment generation targeting the excluded poverty cycle. and low income group. MEDEP not only supports the rural people in providing training in enterprise I would like to thank the Department of Foreign creation, but also supports them to become Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian successful entrepreneurs. I trust the book reflects Government for their continuous support, UNDP for the image of MEDEP beyond the project period. successfully