Chini Maya had to bear a huge loss in the first wave of COVID-19 because she had to halt her Nepali Paper Factory and Dhasingre Oil Company. She was forced to close her business for 7 months. She had a lot of oil and paper in stock, as she could not sell paper and pure oils due to restrictions and movement limitations. While the demand for paper and oil was increasing again and she was ready to plan the working season, the second wave of COVID-19 hit Nepal forcing her to close her activities again for an uncertain period of time.
Despite the above challenges, Chini Maya did not lose hope. She decided to grow mushrooms with the residue from the oil factory on a small scale. But the business has taken hold very quickly and now she is producing mushrooms on a large scale. She supplies the wholesaler from Kalimati, a large vegetable stall in Kathmandu District. “I am waiting COVID-19 crisis to wreck off, so that I can start all my companies again. Till then I will give continuity to mushroom farming,” she explains
Before COVID-19 I was providing jobs to more than 100 local people. They worked to collect Dhasingre from the forest, some of them worked in my oil company and few others in the Paper Company. I am sad that I am not able to support them now. They keep asking me when my companies will resume the activities. I really hope that the situation will normalize soon.
This story has been developed by our partner CRT-Nepal as part of our Women’s Economic Empowerment Program.
