In Kathmandu, Nepal, youth-led enterprises are developing social and economic resilience to sustain their business activities during the pandemic. Krishna Bahadur Khadka and Rubina Adhikari report. This is the tenth of the ‘Voices from the Frontline’ stories by ICCCAD and CDKN.
Nepal is experiencing a bulging youth population: 40.8 percent of the population are in the age group of 16-40 years. This has led to a rise in the number of youth-led enterprises in the country in recent years. Despite various challenges, young entrepreneurs are displaying exceptional capabilities in leading initiatives that are both socially and environmentally favourable.
Since the onset of COVID-19, such enterprises have been struggling to carry on business as usual. However, through the use of technology and by introducing innovative strategies, the virus-induced challenges are being gradually overcome.
Blue Waste to Value (BW2V) is a youth-based start-up working to create value from waste by advocating for environmentally-friendly waste management practices. The organisation trains its staff members to meticulously collect and segregate solid waste from residential areas, offices, hotels and so on. They are working to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to landfills, promote recycling waste and create green jobs for the youth. Upon collection, it charges a fee to its clients, which is used to develop in-house capacities.
BW2V’s operations were disrupted due to the lockdown measures in Nepal. “As soon as the nation-wide lockdown was declared, some of our biggest clients cancelled their contracts. However, because we had access to previous savings, we could manage to support our staff,” says Nabin Bikash Maharjan, CEO of BW2V.
Funds were also used to facilitate zoom calls and daily mobile phone recharges, which enabled ongoing communication among most staff members. Considering the importance of proper waste management to prevent the spread of the virus, BW2V decided to continue their work. To ensure safety of staff members, use of masks, Personal Protective Equipments (PPE), gloves and hand-sanitisers have been made compulsory.
“We have developed a new strategy while working during COVID-19. We store the collected waste for 72 hours before segregation and disposal. By doing this, we lower the risk of infection from the virus that may arise from the waste. Thankfully, despite daily collection, none of our staff members have been infected,” Nabin Bikash adds.