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economic development
a light in the darkness
I N D E P E N C E F O R T H E W O M E N O F N E PA L
T
1) A Nepalese woman knits products for NariHub 2) Nepalese student, Kaushal Wagle gathers survey responses at the Art Walk in Old Town Pocatello 3) Co-founder Rituraj Yadav at the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge in Boise
he beautiful country of Nepal is
day. This is my chance to give back to
home to 29.3 million people,
them,” says Rituraj Yadav, co-founder
half of whom are women.
of the company. With support from the
Over the years, events like the
College’s Center for Entrepreneurship
2015 earthquake have drawn many of
and Economic Development (CEED) and
the country’s men to the Middle East for
professors Jeff Street and Donna Lybecker,
work. This has left numerous Nepalese
the startup is marketing sweaters and other
women alone to care for their families
clothing made by these impoverished
in a culture where females are almost
Nepalese women. These items will help
entirely reliant on their husbands for
generate a stable source of income while
financial support. These issues have
simultaneously teaching essential skills in
created an extremely low quality of living
business. Yadav hopes that the women
for these women.
will eventually be able to sell their goods
NariHub hopes to change that. The
in the U.S. independently, so NariHub
company, with Nepalese roots, aims to
can help others in similar situations. “I
help women in Nepal achieve financial
would love to implement this program
independence and gain encouragement
all over the world to help all women in
to raise their voices in defense of their
need,” says Yadav.
rights. “The women of Nepal have
After first presenting the idea at a
challenges that I saw them face every
conference in Boston, Yadav and co-
