Aloi Yearly Newsletter 2024
Category: Women Entrepreneurship
Empowering Communities: Highlights from Aloi Private Limited’s Market Fair
On November 14th and 15th, 2024 (29th and 30th Kartik), Aloi Private Limited, in collaboration with UNDP, FNCCI, and WRRN, hosted an inspiring Market Fair at Palpasa Mall, Makwanpur. This two-day event celebrated sustainability, innovation, and community-driven entrepreneurship by featuring the incredible work of Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs), local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and budding entrepreneurs.
A Platform for Sustainable Growth
The Market Fair aimed to drive green recovery and economic empowerment in Makwanpur by showcasing diverse, eco-friendly products. With a turnout of 700 visitors over two days, the fair buzzed with energy and enthusiasm.
Spotlight on Local Talent and Innovation
23 stalls showcased a range of unique products, with participation from:
- 6 CFUGs
- 2 dairy product enterprises
- 15 local SMEs
Key attractions included:
- Handicrafts: Locally crafted treasures like thekis, keychains, and decorative tokens.
- Local Products: Turmeric, corn-husk flowers, and delectable Newari foods.
- Woolen Clothes: Traditional and sustainable garments.
- Herbal Products: Mugwort soaps, aloe vera, hemp, and nettle-based creations.
- Incense Sticks: A crowd favorite, contributing significantly to the sales figures.
Economic Impact
The fair generated NPR 100,000 in total sales. Notable highlights: Despite the decent turnout, participants agreed that enhanced marketing could have attracted even larger crowds, especially on the first day.
Esteemed Guests and Stakeholder Engagement
The event welcomed prominent figures from forestry and sustainable development sectors, including:
- Division and Assistant Forest Officers
- Chief of FECOFUN Hetauda
- Representatives from UNDP, WRRN, and the Institute of Forestry
Their presence emphasized the fair’s importance as a hub for promoting community-based entrepreneurship and sustainable practices.
Conclusion
Aloi Private Limited’s Market Fair was more than an event, it was a celebration of community spirit, innovation, and sustainability. By bringing together local producers, SMEs, and stakeholders, the fair paved the way for green recovery and economic empowerment in Makwanpur. With valuable insights and lessons learned, We are ready to make future editions even bigger and better!
Stay tuned for more updates on Aloi’s initiatives supporting sustainable growth and community-driven entrepreneurship.
NewBiz Business Women Awards 2024
On Friday, New Business Age Pvt. Ltd. organized the fourth edition of ewBiz Business Women Summit and Awards 2024 in Kathmandu. This event aims to recognize and celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs.
With the slogan “Empowering Business Leadership of Nepali Women,” this year’s summit focused on “Strengthening Women’s Business Leadership.”
The event honored 12 outstanding women for their entrepreneurial contributions and societal impact. From which Sonika Manandhar, Co-founder of Aloi won the “Women in Tech” title. The following are the major titles and their respective winners.
Photo Credit: Madan Lamsal
Category Winners:
- Best Woman Entrepreneur: Mausumii Shrestha, Director of Shreenagar Agro Group
- Lifetime Achievement Award in Women Entrepreneurship: Shyam Badan Shrestha, Founder of Nepal Knotcraft Centre Pvt Ltd
- Professional Woman of Excellence: Rita Pokharel, Director of InDrive
- Pioneer Social Entrepreneur of the Year: Vedika Murarka, Co-founder of Educase
- Women in Tech: Sonika Manandhar, Co-founder of Aloi
Discover chic Scandinavian designs fakewatch.is at Copenhagen’s modern furniture stores.
Awards were presented in 12 categories, including ‘Lifetime Achievement Award in Women Entrepreneurship,’ ‘Professional Woman of Excellence,’ ‘Pioneer Social Entrepreneur of the Year,’ ‘Women in Tech,’ and ‘Best Woman Entrepreneur.’ Additionally, one woman entrepreneur from each of the seven provinces in Nepal were awarded in the ‘Emerging Enterprising Woman of the Year’ category, with a prize money of NRs. 51000 each.
Emerging Enterprising Woman of the Year:
- Koshi Province: Maya Gurung of the sandalwood industry in Taplejung
- Madhesh Province: Sunaina Thakur of Sunaina Artski in Dhanusha
- Bagmati Province: Sapna Sapkota of Bella Kasa
- Gandaki Province: Geeta Nath of Karnali Garment Industry in Kaski
- Lumbini Province: Geeta Kumari Koiri Maurya of Banke Poultry Farm in Banke
- Karnali Province: Bhumisara Tomta of Shramjivi Masala Udyog in Surkhet
- Sudurpaschim Province: Savitri Ojha of Green Mountain Agricultural Development Firm in Dadeldhura
The program included a panel discussion on ‘Strengthening Women’s Business Leadership,’ featuring speakers such as Mahesh Bhattarai, Joint Secretary and Chief of Economic Management Division of the National Planning Commission; Swastika Shrestha, CEO of Teach for Nepal; Padmakshi Rana, Executive Director of Impact Hub Kathmandu; and Samanata Thapa, Co-founder and Program Head of Startup Discovery Asia.
Since 2021, New Business Age has organized this annual event to encourage and recognize the contributions of women entrepreneurs in Nepal. The winners in various categories were selected by an independent jury.
Distinguished guests, including Nepal Rastra Bank’s Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari and Supreme Court Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla, attended the awards ceremony, serving as chief guests for the first and second halves of the event, respectively.
The NewBiz Business Women Summit and Awards 2024 not only showcased the achievements of these exceptional women but also inspired future entrepreneurs. Their stories of innovation, resilience, and dedication aims to shape a promising entrepreneurial landscape in Nepal.
References:
Nepali Women and Business
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), nearly one-third of businesses are owned by women in Nepal. As reported by CBS, women own 29.8% of businesses. But if you look at the recent population data female (50.4%) population is more in comparison to male (49.6%). So we should really raise questions why are women far behind in owning enterprises.
There are varied reasons that it is hard for women to own and run a business. For starters women aren’t believed in and trusted on for starting a business on their own. Informal sector has 77.5% females and 66% males which proves that even if more women wanted to start their own micro-enterprise there is not much of data to show the banking institution for requesting loans as capital.
This is the reason why we at Aloi, thrive to build a digital system so strong yet easy for women to take up loans to start their own micro-enterprises and to build a strong credit history for them. It is not a competition between women versus men owned grassroot business but it is a concern of national economy that the bigger population is far behind to uplift the grassroot level economy.