Narayan Purkuti, 26 years old, dreamed of becoming a doctor since he was studying in his school. He, indeed, joined the science program for his high school. But an unfortunate financial crisis occurred in Narayan’s family. He could neither fulfil his dreams of getting an MBBS degree nor continue his education. Purkuti had to Pursuit foreign employment in a gulf nation at an early age because he was the only backbone of the family. When Narayan had to go to a foreign land, he thought he would work hard and earn enough money to support his family. Unfortunately, Narayan’s expectations were shattered when he started falling severely ill and could not work. He received no help from his company. He had to utilize all the earned money on his health. Frustrated, Narayan decided to return to Nepal.
Back in February 2022, Narayan’s younger cousin informed him about the Youth Network. Narayan has always been interested in joining youth clubs and networks. He decided to talk to other members of the community regarding the club. When he received positive feedback regarding the youth network and club, he decided to join. Since then, Narayan has been very active in all the meetings of the network, activities done by the network and other sessions.
Narayan had a little money left from his foreign employment, however, that was not enough. He got to know about the financial help he could receive from the ‘Youth Empowerment Program’. Being an active member of the youth network and a part of this program, he came with an entrepreneurial idea of doing poultry farming. With his idea and plan, he received some seed money from the program. He says, “This seed money helped my dreams come true. I have been doing well to provide my family with their needs.”Apart from being an entrepreneur, Narayan is also happy to join the club. He shares he has learnt about sustainable development, youth issues and beyond that he can work to bring about a change, as a member of the club. He is also delighted to join environmental protection campaigns such as sanitation and plantation and disseminating his knowledge to the society. He shares that he has been developing his leadership skills and it helps him feel confident.
Purkuti is a new inspiration to youths in Mandeupur. He has set an example that any youth can opt for entrepreneurship instead of going abroad. Sharing his experiences with joy, he says,“I will never try for foreign employment again. I am my own boss here. I earn pretty decently. I can spend the earnings on my daughter’s education. Doing something in my own village and own country makes me feel more independent and confident.”He shared about his future plans saying:
“I sell chickens, sometimes eggs. I earn money for my family. I have some savings. I am planning to invest the savings in expansion of my poultry business. I know this requires a lot of hard work but I will work harder. I don’t mind struggles if I am in my own country and family.” Youths like Narayan are setting examples for others to follow. Empowering youths like him has not only developed confidence and capability in youths but it has also given them an opportunity to explore their impact on the world around them. If youths decide to stay in their home country and explore new entrepreneurial ideas, it not only raises their living standards but also helps to sustain younger generations in their homeland.
