Ilam's 'Youth Entrepreneur with Vice-Chair' Program Boosts Local Employment

Ilam. The 'Youth Entrepreneur with Vice-Chair' program, implemented in Maijogmai Rural Municipality, has successfully created employment opportunities at the local level. Initiatives included training in dairy and ghee processing, millet biscuit production, and this year, lollipop manufacturing and dairy production processing.

The rural municipality provided grants of up to Rs 200,000 to entrepreneurs excelling in sectors such as beekeeping, cardamom farming, animal husbandry, beauty parlors, and biscuit production. Vice-Chair of the Rural Municipality, Pravina Rai, stated, "We provide equipment and cash support to entrepreneurs active in their businesses. Our main objective is to create employment locally."

In the first year, following training in dairy and ghee processing, equipment support was provided to Tul Bahadur Limbu's Agriculture and Dairy Industry in Ward No. 1, Rekha Rijal's Pandey Dairy Industry in Ward No. 2, and Indra Thebe's NS Dairy Industry in Ward No. 6.

Under the same program last year, training on millet biscuit production was provided, and cash grants were awarded to six outstanding businesses. Parbati Bhattarai of Ward No. 1 received material support for her Bhattarai Biscuit Bakery Industry.

Similarly, cash grants were provided to Rudra Kumar Sanjel's Gahiri Gaun Organic Farm (Ward No. 3), San Bahadur Limbu's Sunaulo Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Farm (Ward No. 4), Laxman Khatri's Kushika Integrated Agriculture and Livestock Farm (Ward No. 5), Kanchan Acharya's Kanchan Beauty Parlor and Training Center (Ward No. 1), and the Pashupati Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Farm operated by Laxmi Tamang and Pujan Pradhan (Ward No. 3).

This year, 30 individuals received training in lollipop manufacturing and dairy processing. The rural municipality stated that grants will be provided to those who commercialize these skills. Rural Municipality Chair Kush Bahadur Thebe noted that the program is inspiring local youth to seek opportunities in their own soil rather than going abroad.

Parbati Bhattarai, who received a grant of Rs 200,000 for biscuit production, says the support has encouraged her to become more professional.