I thought I was there to teach, but I was the one who learned
In the hills of western Nepal, I saw how a few days of learning and shared reflection could shift entire perspectives. What began as a training on entrepreneurial ecosystem development became something much deeper: a reminder that lasting change often starts with one conversation, one idea, or one confident woman.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege to take part in a Women’s Bank Skills Donation program in the Dadeldhura and Kailali districts of Nepal. Together with local partner organisations, we explored what it means to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem in places where resources are scarce but motivation is limitless.
The goal wasn’t to hand over ready-made solutions but to help partners recognise their own potential and connect the dots on how small businesses, communities, and local governments can work together to create opportunities for sustainable entrepreneurship.
We visited one cooperative that had lent tools and cameras to young aspiring entrepreneurs. With support from Women’s Bank, the cooperative offered training in photography and editing skills. After completing the program, participants could keep their cameras and gradually repay the cost from future gigs. It was a simple yet powerful example of how to build local infrastructure and encourage ownership, creating both motivation and opportunity.
Moments like these capture what Women’s Bank stands for: giving women and communities the tools, confidence, and connections to build their own future.
What struck me most during the visit was the courage of the women in that room. Many face barriers far deeper than financial ones. Families may discourage them. Communities may question why a woman should run a business at all. Yet they do it anyway. They start from almost nothing, with no safety nets, no encouragement, often no permission and still they execute. That kind of bravery leaves me in awe and makes me rethink what empowerment truly means.
Even in countries with strong equality policies, women continue to face barriers and bias. But in Nepal, I met women who challenge centuries of tradition every single day just by daring to try. Their confidence isn’t taught; it’s earned, lived, and fought for. And that is exactly why these projects matter. When a woman stands up despite everything telling her not to, she changes not only her own life but the expectations of an entire community.
Leaving Nepal, I had a renewed respect for what determination can achieve. I went there to share knowledge but came home with something far more valuable: perspective. These women reminded me that change doesn’t begin with perfect conditions or big resources. It begins with courage, persistence, and the quiet decision to try anyway. That’s the journey Women’s Bank walks beside, one woman, one spark, one brave step at a time.
Written by: Emma Granlund, Skills donation volunteer (picture above)
Photo credits: Ashta Prajapati FCA Nepal, March 2025
Photo captions of women with cameras: Participants of the Women’s Bank Skills project Women’s entrepreneurship development in non-traditional sectors, Kailali and Dadeldhura, Nepal.
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