Anju Thapa of Tilottama Municipality-1 in Lumbini province had her first period at the age of 11.

As per local tradition, she had to live separately in a cowshed for nine days, and use old rags to absorb the menstrual flow.

As a result of repeated use of dirty pieces of cloth, she developed an infection.

“The infection at an early age later made me allergic to sanitary pads and reusable napkins,” said Thapa, 37. “I tried all kinds of sanitary pads available in the local market, but they were no good for me.”

Thapa shared her problem with her husband Prakash who was then working in Saudi Arabia. He sent her a batch of reusable sanitary pads from there.

“They were better than the ones available in the local market, and caused no allergic reactions. I wondered if a similar product could be made in Nepal,” she said.

Thapa had to quit her job in a bank when she became pregnant. She used the time going through tutorials to make such pads. Initially, she made pads with locally available materials.

She spent two years learning through trial and error. She even consulted with foreign manufacturers of reusable pads.

Finally, in 2019, she was able to set up her own factory to manufacture sanitary pads. She spent Rs2.5 million and purchased seven machines. The raw materials she got from China, India and Bangladesh.

Thapa has four women working in her factory. Her husband Prakash returned from Saudi Arabia to help expand her business.

Prakash uses digital marketing and social media to sell the product. “Demand for reusable pads is increasing steadily,” he said.

The husband-wife team said increasing awareness about the pollution caused by use-and-throw sanitary pads was also a factor behind the rise in demand for reusable products.

“Most of the diapers and sanitary pads are not biodegradable, and they are simply dumped at the landfill site. This is also one of the reasons why we are producing reusable pads,” Prakash said.

Thapa’s products are now sold across the country. She also travels to various districts to teach women to make reusable pads at the request of various local bodies, health organisations and women’s groups.

Manju Gurung of Tilottama-11 is another successful woman entrepreneur.

Her parents, Khadak Bahadur and Moha Lakshmi, made stuffed dolls in Tansen, Palpa which they sold to tourists.

Gurung followed in her parents’ footsteps and began making dolls at an early age.

When she was in the eighth grade, she got a chance to participate in a tailoring training programme. There she also received a hand-operated sewing machine as a gift.

“This was a huge encouragement for me,” said Gurung.

“I practised using the sewing machine under the guidance of my parents for five years,” she said. By that time, she had finished high school.

Now, Gurung runs the Manju Handicraft Training Centre. She employs five women to produce toys. She also trains other locals.

After getting married, she and her husband Subodh Shrestha moved to Butwal.

“My husband worked in a local hardware store during the day time and helped me to make dolls during the night,” said Gurung.

“In the last eight years, our business grew significantly.”

She receives orders for her dolls from Tilottama, Butwal, Nawalparasi, Bhairahawa and Palpa, among other places. Prices range from Rs125 to Rs3,400.

Besides stuffed dolls, her company makes mirror stands, mobile bags and fancy key rings.

Gurung looks after the manufacturing side while Shrestha is in charge of shipping.

They also provide training to the inmates at Nawalparasi and Palpa jails as per the request of the Office of Cottage and Small Industries.

Saraswati Banjade of Madhabaliya in Tilottama-13 runs Shiva Shakti Agro Farm.

Banjade taught at a local boarding school for nine years before starting the farm in 2020.

“At first, I started a dairy store to supplement my teacher's salary. Seeing that demand was rising steeply for dairy products, I decided to start my own farm,” said Banjade, 40.

With help from her husband and sister-in-law, she bought two buffaloes for Rs500,000.

Banjade ploughed back the earnings from the farm to increase the number of cattle. Her farm now has 51 head of cattle that produce 100 litres of milk daily.

She has some of the high-yielding buffalo breeds such as Murra. Her farm also has bought a feed-making machine to make her buffaloes give more milk.

The farm is spread over two and a half bighas of rented land where they keep the buffaloes and grow their feed.

A non-governmental organisation named Daayitwa provides vocational training to entrepreneurs in Tilottama.

Kamal Thapa, programme manager of Daayitwa, said that the NGO is collaborating with Tilottama Municipality to provide such training each year.

“Although we have been conducting such programmes for the last 10 years, their effectiveness has accelerated after the formation of local bodies,” said Thapa.

Thapa says the NGO selects 20 entrepreneurs for training based on a form they have to fill out. The successful candidates receive training and a seed fund of Rs5,000 to expand their business.

Ten entrepreneurs are selected from among the 20 to receive long-term training. One finalist is awarded a cash prize of Rs100,000.