KANCHANPUR: Bhakta Bahadur Mahara, 40, from Juda in Shuklaphanta Municipality-7, has become an expert woodworker despite never receiving formal training. He acquired his skills by watching YouTube videos on his mobile phone.
Bhakta left school at age 17 while in eighth grade and initially worked as a laborer for a local wooden furniture maker. Within a year or two, he learned house decoration work but found the income inconsistent.
“Sometimes I got work, sometimes I didn’t,” he said. “I quit because I wasn’t earning steadily. I got curious about woodworking videos on YouTube and started learning through them.” His family was skeptical at first, especially his father, who worried Bhakta’s time watching videos would be wasted.
Determined, Bhakta borrowed money from a relative to start woodworking. Although he lacked capital for tools and machines, he purchased wood with the loan money.
Later, he approached Mahalaxmi Savings and Loan Cooperative for further support. Impressed by the samples he showed, the cooperative granted him Rs 250,000 from the Youth Self-Employment Fund at 5% interest.
With this loan, Bhakta bought necessary tools and machines, and purchased more wood from the community forest.
Since then, he has been steadily making and selling wooden items such as glasses, jugs, bowls, vases, and spice jars, mostly crafted from wood and bamboo.
His monthly income ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 45,000, supporting his family of six, including his wife, children, and parents.
Bhakta has already repaid Rs 60,000 of his loan and regularly pays installments on time, earning the trust of the cooperative. He has saved around Rs 30,000 with them.
His products, priced between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000, used to be sold in Kathmandu, Butwal, and Nepalgunj. However, due to delayed payments from traders, he now sells mostly in Mahendranagar, Dhangadhi, and Jhalari, where he receives immediate cash payments.
Bhakta’s wife works as a teacher at a local private school, and Bhakta helps with painting and polishing the wooden products before and after her work hours.
“Woodworking has earned me a reputation,” he said. “Now traders come to me for orders, and I prepare the materials accordingly. There’s no hassle of selling anymore.”
He plans to expand his business into a larger industry and has already started saving towards this goal.
Reflecting on his journey, Bhakta said, “Many of my friends went abroad to Europe and Korea to work hard for a living because they couldn’t earn well here. But I wanted to succeed in my own country. I am proud of the work I do and the identity I have earned.”
His friends who live abroad have even approached him to become business partners as his enterprise grows.
Bhakta encourages youth to learn skills at home rather than seeking opportunities abroad. He also suggests integrating professional handicraft training into school education to prepare students for local entrepreneurship.
(Inputs from RSS)
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