1 - Ms. Devaka Shrestha: A Lesson in Sustainability

It’s Sunday night. As I wait for our meeting to start, I am nervous and excited. My questions are prepared, but still, I don’t exactly know where this first interview will take me. Joining me are my two contacts at WECCSL: Mr. Sujan Casey, WECCSL’s representative who will gracefully act as a translator for the next hour and Ms. Bhawani Shrestha, treasurer of the board. Our guest is Ms. Devaka Shrestha, businesswoman and founder of the Chinnamasta cooperative in Bhaktapur.

I can’t help but notice that the two ladies share the same last name. I wonder if they are related, maybe sisters I think to myself, or perhaps Shrestha is to Nepal what Tremblay is to Quebec, simply a very popular last name. Little did I know, this seemingly trivial question would lead me to deepen my understanding of Nepalese culture.

In fact, the surname Shrestha means « noble » in Sanskrit and is only borne by members of the corresponding caste which, as the name suggest, ranks high in the system. This shows that even if the caste system has lost some of its political significance following the adoption of laws against discrimination, its social presence is still tangible.

As the interview progresses, I realize how lucky I am that Ms. Devaka Shrestha has agreed to devote time to this discussion despite her very busy schedule. It is currently a little past 7 a.m. in Nepal. Waking up bright and early every day, she would normally be heading to the Champak Paaun factory, of which she is the founder and chairwoman, to assign their tasks to about a dozen of employees. The Champak Paaun factory specializes in the production of different varieties of lapsi candy. Lapsi is a small sour fruit called Nepali hog plum in English.

Our guest’s aim is to valorize this native fruit and she finds unfortunate that the new generation isn’t drawn to the lapsi business. Thankfully, her daughter has joined the family company working as a food technician. Her goal is to reach the highest level of quality and to eventually export her products. Always aspiring to improve processes, she has had the chance to visit production plants in South Korea where she learned more about new technologies and operations management. She was then inspired to establish and run a disposable and non-disposable sanitary pad business, a type of industry the young businesspeople of Nepal are more interested in.

In addition to her manufacturing endeavors, she is involved in the perpetuation of her family’s traditional cereal and vegetable farming activities, but she’s adding a modern twist to it by making it organic. As South Korea’s terrain is like Nepal’s, her visits have allowed her to learn more about agriculture too. In all her activities, sustainability is a priority. She feels that Nepal has underexploited resources and she is making it her mission to use and promote local products.

Involved with WECCSL since its inception in 2001, it’s the organization’s vision for women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship that has seduced her. Since then, she has been participating in various programs, sometimes as a mentor, other times as a mentee. Sharing her broad field expertise with members of the Chinnamasta cooperative, she has given teachings on cooperatives’ policies, entrepreneurship and lapsi candy production. Avid women’s rights advocate, she wishes for more women to become self-employed or leaders of organizations.

When the pandemic struck Nepal, she found herself in need for information technology training, which WECCSL has facilitated. Thanks to the organization, she is now able to use her newfound skills to conduct some of her activities remotely. According to her, WECCSL’s greatest power resides in its widespread network. The organization regroups 105 member cooperatives across all seven of Nepal’s provinces. It allows women from all over the country to connect and to strengthen one another. However, she deplores that some programs unfortunately had to be halted due to a lack of resources.

As the interview comes to an end, I am filled with gratitude. Not only did she generously shared her story with me, but she also extended me a warm invitation to visit her factory if I ever go to Nepal, which I happily accepted. In conclusion, Ms. Devaka Shrestha’s passion for women’s empowerment and sustainable entrepreneurship is contagious, and I hope that this article allowed you to catch it too.

 

Image: Ms. Devaka Shrestha at the International Women Entrepreneurs Summit of 2018 / The employees of the Champak Paaun factory around a table full of lapsi candy