KMC scheme turns wards into hubs of women-led enterprises

BY SUSHMA MAHARJAN,Kathmandu, Dec. 30: Dozens of women from different wards of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) showcased and sold their handmade products at the ‘Made in Kathmandu Fest 2025’ held at Basantapur on Sunday, demonstrating the impact of the metropolis’s ‘One Ward One Model Programme’.

Women aged between their late thirties and late fifties were seen enthusiastically managing around 16 stalls, each representing a KMC ward. The stalls displayed locally produced items such as pickles, hand-woven Dhaka products, felt goods, shoes, corn husk items and flower bouquets. Rina Rajbhandari, a resident of Ward No. 25, said the programme gave her an opportunity to learn skills and gain confidence to start a business. She said the ward invited interested women for training and allowed them to choose skills based on their interests and local identity.

“As Ward No. 25 is traditionally known for Dhaka, but the business is now under threat due to declining consumption, we decided to focus on promoting original hand-made Dhaka,” Rajbhandari said. She said she attended training from 11 am to 4 pm for two months, along with 25 women from the ward. The training covered entrepreneurship, sewing and marketing. All raw materials required during the training were provided by the KMC.

Rajbhandari said participants learned to produce around 10 different items, including three-layered Dhaka blankets, table runners, baby wears, chaubandi cholos, and purses. Furthermore, encouraged by the training, the group has registered their business as ‘Jhigu Dhaka Jyaku’.

According to her, starting a business on their own is a challenge for women like them, but such training has brought many women together and made them capable of starting businesses. “We are doing good sales during exhibitions like this and are hopeful about expanding our business in the future,” she said.

Similarly, Sujja Rai of Ward No. 4 praised the initiative, stating it helped women understand the importance of self-reliance and entrepreneurship. She said the metropolitan not only provided training but also continued support to help participants move towards business.

“We are in the process of registering our company and involving more women,” Rai said. She added that they received training in making felt products, which have potential in international markets. 

“We are studying the market and producing goods accordingly,” she said.

The KMC had introduced ‘the One Ward One Model Programme’ in the fiscal year 2024/25. 

According to Debaki Ghimire, Enterprise Development Facilitator at KMC, the programme aims to develop each ward as a model of sustainable micro-enterprise while empowering communities and strengthening the local economy.

She said the programme had been implemented in 25 wards, with Ward Nos. 5, 13, 15, 17, 18, 26 and 29 yet to be covered. In the previous fiscal year, the KMC allocated Rs. 10 million for the programme, spending around Rs. 4.5 million. For the current fiscal year, the allocation has been increased to Rs. 15 million.

Ghimire said the programme targets 20-25 individuals in each ward, providing orientation, entrepreneurship training, skill development, technology support and marketing training. “It is not just about training. We help participants commercialise their skills by identifying market potential and continue supporting them,” she said, adding that counselling for business registration is also provided, with up to 95 per cent tax exemption.

Likewise, Niru Maharjan, a member of the ward-level Women Committee, said the programme was designed to provide economic freedom to women and bring housewives out of domestic confinement. She said training is selected after consultations with wards and residents, ensuring it aligns with the locality’s core identity. She added that the KMC had been supporting women entrepreneurs by providing stalls during KMC Day and other festivals to help promote their businesses.