By Our Correspondent, Bajura, Mar. 30: Several youths in Bajura who returned home from foreign employment following the global pandemic have now started their own business ventures in their villages.

One among them is Chakra Bahadur Sunar of Khaptad Chededaha Rural Municipality-4. After years of working in India, Sunar now owns a flourishing saloon in his home town.

For over five years from 2016 to March of 2020, he worked around India’s Azad market carrying out menial jobs and earning daily wages. “My work involved carrying heavy loads, such as electric poles. But I lost that job after COVID-19 restrictions in India as a result of which I came back home,” he said.

But COVID-19 and his subsequent return to Nepal proved to be an opportunity in disguise for Sunar. Investing on a saloon has been an ideal choice for him. “It has helped cover the educational expense of my two children and run the day-to-day household expenses,” he claimed.

According to Sunar, he was too quick to jump on the ‘foreign employment’ bandwagon without considering his options at home. “Only after returning here, I woke up to the opportunities in my village. Thus, I started this business thinking that I would rather pour my blood and sweat in my own turf than elsewhere,” he added.

Business has been steadily booming for the Lisana resident as he is able to save Rs. 35,000 monthly.   

Reflecting on his days in India, Sunar said that his years of hard work hardly yield any substantial financial benefits. Instead, he had to endure harsh treatment from his employer.

“When I came back, I pleaded for some financial assistance from the local level for my business idea. But no help came by. So, I borrowed money from the villagers, got loan from bank to set up my humble shop,” said Sunar. Thanks to his lucrative shop, he has already paid his dues while also starting to save substantial amounts from profits. 

Sunar believes that the government should allocate funds to mobilise the unemployed youths if it wants to retain talent in Nepal. “Now the government has entirely prioritised road construction, spending substantial amount of budget in infrastructural development. It should also focus on its youth workforce – most of whom have already gone abroad while several others contemplate doing so,” he concluded.