Devdaha, Rupandehi
In a major boost to sustainable education, Devdaha Municipality has announced it will provide seed money (initial capital) to connect students with eco-friendly entrepreneurship directly from the school level.
Speaking at the ‘Youth Dialogue with Local Government’ program organized by the Samridha Samuday Development Center, Mayor Dhruva Prasad Kharel expressed the local government’s strong commitment to transforming schools into green hubs. Responding to queries raised by students from nine participating schools in Devdaha, Mayor Kharel revealed that the municipality allocates NPR 5 million every year specifically for youth entrepreneurship.
“The municipality will thoroughly review the business plans submitted by schools aiming to work in the green sector and provide the necessary seed money. It is crucial for students to learn entrepreneurial skills while at school and implement them practically after graduation. To support this transition, the municipality will also offer subsidized loans.”
— Dhruva Prasad Kharel, Mayor, Devdaha Municipality
Replicating the Global ‘Kopila Valley School’ Model in Devdaha
During the interactive session, facilitated by Pawan Paudel, Executive Editor of Setomasi, Dinesh Sapkota, Agricultural Officer of Kopila Valley Service Society (Surkhet), shared how a green school model can be successfully implemented in real life.
He highlighted that T4 Education UK recognized Kopila Valley School (supported by the BlinkNow Foundation) as one of the Top 10 Schools in the World for Environmental Action. Sapkota noted that the school’s co-founder, Maggie Doyne, was also named the CNN Hero of the Year in 2015. He emphasized that with dedication, Devdaha’s schools can easily adapt this world-class green concept to fit their local environment.
Adding to this, Umakant Adhikari, Principal of Sita Secondary School, urged the municipality to take full ownership of the green initiatives led by Samridha Samuday Development Center, stating that Devdaha has all the potential to become a national hub for green entrepreneurship.
Highlights of the Event
- Handover of Business Plans: Participating youth and students officially handed over their self-drafted sustainable business plans directly to the Mayor.
- Documentary Screening: A video documentary detailing the potential of green entrepreneurship in Devdaha’s schools, produced by Setomasi, was screened for the audience.
- Expert Presentations: Key presentations on the roadmap of eco-entrepreneurship were delivered by Yuvraj Chapagain, Director of Samridha Samuday, and Agricultural Officer Dinesh Sapkota.
- A Shared Vision: Inaugurating the event, Thakur Ghimire, President of Samridha Samuday Development Center, reiterated that the organization continuously works as a vital bridge connecting the municipality, schools, students, and the local community.
The Way Forward: 11-Point Joint Commitment
As a concrete outcome of the youth dialogue, compiled by Tanka Sunar (Executive Editor, Setomasi) and Aastha Bishwokarma (Program Lead, Samridha Samuday), a joint 11-point commitment was officially declared:
- Devdaha Municipality will officially take institutional ownership of the Green Entrepreneurship Program for active citizenship.
- The municipality will provide seed money to schools based on the evaluation of their green business needs.
- Subsidized loans will be made available for youth and students who wish to launch independent green enterprises.
- The local government will facilitate the marketing, branding, and commercialization of student-made products.
- Schools will be encouraged to take proactive and autonomous responsibility for their internal waste management.
- Strict legal action and penalties will be enforced against individuals found burning plastic waste in public places.
- Devdaha Municipality will be developed and branded as a specialized hub for green entrepreneurship.
- Student entrepreneurs will be highly incentivized to engage in sustainable commercial sectors like fisheries, livestock, and dairy production.
- The community impact programs run by Samridha Samuday Development Center Nepal will be further scaled and expanded.
- The ‘Youth Dialogue with Local Government’ will be established as a regular, continuous event.
- The green school entrepreneurship framework will be progressively extended to all other remaining schools within Devdaha.
