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Kamal Shrestha is the chairperson of Nepali Club in Bahrain, which used to be involved in official works like renewing passports and addressing the problems of Nepal workers. He is also involved in a few business houses in Bahrain. ApEx caught up with him to talk about the situation of Nepalis in Bahrain. What is Nepali Club? Nepali Club was established in 2000. This club does social service work and helps Nepali workers when they are facing any kind of problem. The club also helps workers with tasks such as renewing passports and preparing travel documents. Besides, it also creates an environment for Nepali delegates for sports and other events. What is the club currently working on?  After the establishment of the embassy in 2013, we started focusing more on social and cultural events. We have been conducting awareness programs, medical camps and cultural programs. I would like to show my immense gratitude towards our Nepali community and all of the Nepali migrants in Bahrain who have directly and indirectly served the club in its endeavors. What are the business opportunities for Nepalis in Bahrain?  The government here has policies for certain foreign-owned businesses like consultancy service companies, tourism, contracting and other service companies where they can get to have 100 percent ownership by fulfilling certain criteria. Within two or three days after fulfilling the governmental requirements you can have full ownership of a business even if you are a Nepali. So, there is a huge potential for Nepalis who would like to do business in Bahrain. In terms of security too Bahrain is a safe place to invest on a business. Fraud cases are very rare here. What is the importance of the Nepal Embassy in Bahrain?  The embassy holds a lot of importance for our Nepali community. It offers guidance and supervision to the workers. It looks after them individually and provides them with necessary guidance, advice and solutions. The embassy has become a major role of supervisory agent and has played a huge role in uplifting the condition of our Nepali community in Bahrain. What type of skills is in high demand that Nepalis can fulfill?  There are various opportunities for Nepali workers in Bahrain. Although the opportunities are endless, they still must have some skill. The Bahraini employers have faith in the Nepali workers. Many Nepalis here are working as welders, pipe fitters, electricians, plumbers, and medical assistants. A normal electrician can save about Rs60,000 to Rs 70,000 a month. If you are a skilled or semi skilled worker, you can find well-paying jobs in Bahrain. But the problem is that most of the recruiting agents and agencies can be careless while sending workers. Corruption in the labor recruitment industry has harmed the workers. What are the problems faced by the Nepalis in Bahrain?  Employers paying wages lower than what was promised is a common complaint among Nepali workers. We try to address these issues through the embassy. Other than that, I would say a lack of direct flight connection between Nepal and Bahrain is the major problem. What advice would you give to the Nepal government to solve the problems of workers and Nepalis who are willing to work in Bahrain?  Firstly, I would like to request the Nepal government to make an environment where Nepalis can have job opportunities in Nepal itself. Working abroad is not a choice but a compulsion for many migrant workers. Secondly, the government must make the process of applying overseas jobs simple and secure through government-to-government labor agreements and by regulating the recruiting agencies to ensure transparency. The government must also establish and open training centers in order to build skilled manpower. As for the workers willing to come to Bahrain, I suggest they bring some skills with them. If they are skilled and qualified, there are opportunities for them here.

On this International Women’s Day 2023, ActionAid International Nepal has mobilized 5,519 women and girls to lead action against violence and secure justice. It has facilitated 121 cases of violence against women and girls through the legal process, and has empowered 448 local government representatives to improve labor-related systems and services. Our efforts have also resulted in capacitating 2030 women laborers on labor rights, leadership, advocacy, and campaign. To reduce the burden of care work on women, AAIN has established 27 alternative models such as Community Child Care Center, community mill, and community tap/well. We have also capacitated 1443 individuals on Unpaid Care Work to promote culture to recognize, respect, redistribute and reduce the burden of unpaid care work. Interview with Sujeeta Mathema, Executive Director, ActionAid International Nepal  Can you introduce ActionAid International Nepal and its mission? ActionAid International Nepal is a human rights-based organization dedicated to fighting poverty and promoting social justice. Established in 1982, we have been actively working to support communities on the ground and advocate for policy changes. Our focus areas include women's leadership, unpaid care work, organic farming, quality education, and youth and women leadership in emergencies. We have pioneered several approaches, such as promoting local partnerships, using participatory methods, employing a human rights-based approach, conducting social audits, and promoting feminist leadership. At ActionAid, we believe that change is necessary, and it should be transformative in nature for us to achieve sustainable development. We believe that this change should be led by the people themselves, and our role is to facilitate this process. We work with different categories of people, including women, children, Dalits, informal sector women laborers, and smallholder farmers. Our organization operates in 45 countries globally, and 13 districts of Nepal recognizing the power of people and the importance of community-led development. Can you explain how ActionAid International Nepal strengthens the Nepali community? What are the specific areas that your organization focuses on? At ActionAid International Nepal, we believe in taking an integrated approach to uplift and strengthen the Nepali community. Our Country Strategy Paper V identifies four key thematic areas that we prioritize: education, livelihood, disaster resilience, and women's and girls' rights. We recognize that no single area can address the challenges faced by those who are marginalized or oppressed. Based on our expertise, skills, knowledge, and financial resources, we focus on several key areas, including women's rights, disaster risk reduction, sustainable livelihoods, and quality education. We believe that promoting gender equality and empowering women is essential for creating a more equitable and just society. We also work to reduce the risk of disasters and support communities in becoming more resilient to the impact of natural calamities. Additionally, we promote sustainable livelihoods by supporting organic farming, small businesses, and community-led economic development initiatives. Finally, we prioritize quality education to ensure that children and youth have access to the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life. Our program impact framework concentrates on the 4R approach, with a focus on promoting the rights of marginalized communities, ensuring their representation in decision-making processes, advocating for equitable redistribution of resources, and building their resilience to external shocks. The center area of our work is empowering girls and women, who are often the most vulnerable and marginalized members of communities. We believe that by prioritizing their needs and promoting gender equality, we can create a more just and equitable society for all. Can you elaborate on how ActionAid International Nepal is working to end violence against women and girls, which is one of its priority areas?  At ActionAid International Nepal, women and girls are at the center of our work, and we focus on promoting their safety, security, and dignity by creating a safe and violence-free environment. Unfortunately, in Nepal, deep-rooted patriarchal mindsets, cultural beliefs, and traditions perpetuate gender-based inequality and violence against women and girls. It is estimated that one in two women has experienced some form of violence in their lifetime in Nepal. To address this issue, we believe that women's collective action is crucial for challenging and transforming patriarchal power structures and ending violence against women and girls. Our approach involves empowering women and girls to raise their voices against discrimination and injustice through organizing and mobilizing. We also work to promote women and adolescent girls' leadership in stopping violence against women and girls and accessing justice. As a team, we at ActionAid International Nepal are actively engaged in agency building, collaborating with government, civil society organizations, and community members to promote social justice and empower communities. We are excited to announce the construction of our new agency building, which has been designed with sustainability in mind. The building will serve as a hub for our programs and activities and will provide a safe and accessible space for community members to engage in our work. By having a physical presence in the communities we serve, we aim to build stronger relationships and better understand their needs and priorities. We are committed to working together towards a more just and equitable society, and we look forward to welcoming community members to our new agency building. In addition, we engage with men and boys to foster feminist leadership, challenge patriarchal values and harmful traditional practices, and transform behaviors. We also collaborate with government bodies to strengthen prevention and response mechanisms to ensure quality referral pathway services and justice. Finally, we engage with various civic alliances, agencies, feminist leaders, and stakeholders to promote the culture of safety, security, and dignity of women and girls. Can you tell us how ActionAid's programs and activities complement the government's policies and priorities, especially in the area of eliminating violence against women and girls? Absolutely. At ActionAid, we work with a human rights-based approach that focuses on the rights of the people, which aligns with the government's priorities in ensuring fundamental rights as per the country's constitution. Our programs contribute to various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including gender equality (SDG-5) and promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development (SDG-16). We also engage with government authorities to strengthen local government systems and services that address pro-poor, gender-responsive issues and rights. In the specific area of eliminating violence against women and girls, we empower women and adolescent girls to raise their voices against discrimination and injustice. We also promote women and girls' led actions to stop violence and access to justice. We engage with men and boys in fostering feminist leadership and challenging patriarchal values and harmful traditional practices. Furthermore, we collaborate with various civic alliances, agencies, feminist leaders, and stakeholders to advance the culture of safety, security, and dignity for women and girls. Overall, our programs and activities are aligned with the SDGs and the government's 15th national plan, which aims to achieve a safe, civilized, and just society (Goal 6) and development and full utilization of human capital (Goal 2), among others. We also facilitate the development of gender-responsive public services and ensure gender-responsive budgeting and development programs and services. How will Nepal and AAIN work towards promoting the agenda of International Women's Day 2023? The theme for International Women's Day 2023 is "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality." At AAIN, we work with the most marginalized and disadvantaged women and digitalization is a crucial factor for their development and empowerment. However, the women and girls we work with often have lower literacy rates and less access to digital technology than their male counterparts. The affordability factor is also a major barrier for them to access digital technology. To address the gender digital divide, we have incorporated digitalization in our programs, especially in education, and are raising awareness among women and girls on how to use digital technology to prevent technology-facilitated gender-based violence and inequality. Our approach to promote gender digital inclusion is comprehensive and integrated. We work to increase digital awareness, access, availability, and affordability of women through informal education and skill development. We also promote programs that ensure market access of gender-sensitive digital devices and services. Additionally, we collaborate with concerned authorities to prevent technology-facilitated gender-based violence, which has been on the rise due to increased usage of mobile phones and other technological devices. Therefore, our priority is to promote digitalization in our programs, ensuring inclusion, addressing the gender digital divide, and intervening in possible risks of technology-generated violence. As we celebrate International Women's Day 2023, we will continue to work towards bridging the gender digital divide and promoting gender equality through innovation and technology. AAIN in 2022:

1. Livelihood: AAIN works to minimize violence against women and girls (VAWG) by creating economic opportunities and promoting sustainable livelihoods. By providing women with the skills and resources they need to earn a living, AAIN helps to reduce their vulnerability to violence and exploitation.
2. Policy level engagement: AAIN advocates for policy changes at the national and local levels to protect women's rights and promote gender equality. This includes engagement with the OCMC, gender desks, and referral mechanisms to ensure that women's voices are heard in the decision-making process.
3. Women leadership: AAIN supports women's political empowerment by promoting their participation in leadership roles at the community and national levels. By encouraging women to take an active role in politics, AAIN aims to increase their representation and influence in decision-making processes.
4. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR): AAIN works with youth and women leaders to promote disaster preparedness and resilience in vulnerable communities. By empowering local leaders to take charge of disaster response and recovery efforts, AAIN helps to build stronger, more resilient communities.
5. Ending Chhaupadi: AAIN supports girls' initiatives to end the harmful practice of Chhaupadi, which involves isolating women and girls during menstruation. By raising awareness about the negative impacts of Chhaupadi, AAIN works to promote gender equality and improve the health and wellbeing of women and girls.
6. Adolescent girls challenging child marriage: AAIN supports adolescent girls in challenging child marriage in Parsa, where the practice is still prevalent. By providing girls with education and skills training, AAIN helps them to become empowered and independent, and to make their own choices about their lives and futures.
7. Breaking gender stereotypes: AAIN works to break down gender stereotypes and promote gender equality by highlighting women's achievements and challenging traditional gender roles. This includes supporting women's leadership and entrepreneurship, and addressing harmful gender norms and attitudes in communities across Nepal.

Suresh Badal is a Nepali writer and translator who became a published author in 2021, after the launch of his first book ‘Rahar’. He is also the translator of ‘Hippie’ by Paulo Coehlo. He published his second book ‘Maya Ka Masina Akshar’ in 2022. Anushka Nepal from ApEx talked to Badal about his reading and writing styles. Did you always want to become a writer? I don’t believe a lot of Nepalis think of pursuing writing as a career. But the signs are always there. Even for me, I used to read a lot as a kid. I remember going through every book or magazine that was placed in front of me. And I would often try to write my own pieces, as a way of copying authors that I loved. I think it was because of the societal pressure of having a stable career that I chose to become a microbiologist. It was years later when I finally got back into writing and actually became a published author. What theme do you like to play with while working on a book? My books are usually based on the life experiences of a young adult. Being one myself, I’m able to relate with the struggles and challenges they are going through. It’s mostly relatable for individuals in their 20s or 30s. So I think it’s fair to say that the theme for my books mostly come from my own life experiences.  Can you please run us through your process of translating Coelho’s ‘Hippie’? I had read the book before I began working on the translation. But while translating I think I understood the book from more than just one perspective. Usually while reading any book, we try and enjoy the story, finish it, and that’s the end of it. But while translating, I had a chance to go deeper and convey what I understood through my translation. It was like reading something and then making everyone else understand what I perceived. Translating ‘Hippie’ has been the best experience so far.  Which authors inspire you? When I was in school, I was mostly inspired by writers like Diamond Shumsher Rana, BP Koirala, and Bijay Malla. I would read every book I could find from these authors. If you talk about my writing, Bhairav Aryal has been the biggest influence. I think, like him, I also like to add subtle humor in my writings, although his works are one of a kind. But like most people, I have an author whom I absolutely idolize. For me that’s Dha Cha Gotame (Dhanush Chandra Gautam). There isn’t a single book of his that I haven’t read. But my favorite is ‘Yeha Dekhi Teha Samma’.  Do you have a to-be-read list of books? If you look at my shelves, there are nearly 40-50 books that have been there for almost four months. All of those are on my to-be-read list. I have been a bit busy so I haven’t had a chance to get started. But there are a few books among those I want to read as soon as possible. One is ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ by Shehan Karunatilaka and the other is ‘The Satanic Verses’ by Salman Rushdie. I’m also looking forward to reading ‘Shunya ko Mulya’ by Dr Nawaraj KC.  What do you think Nepali readers are looking for? I think Nepali readers need a variety of books. We have some established authors but there aren’t that many books being published. This creates a vacuum for readers when they cannot get books that are as good as the ones they read previously. It only pushes them back from reading and hinders establishing a reading culture, especially among youths. I think we need to focus on promoting a bunch of writers so that readers won’t have to wait for a long time to find something they like.  Badal's picks Yeha Dekhi Teha Samma by Dha Cha Gotame This book can be considered as the continuation of the author’s book ‘Gham Ka Paila Haru’. The characters are similar to that book. It’s about the life lived in the villages of Nepal, and takes off from where the previous book ended.  The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka  The Booker Prize 2022 winner written by the Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka is a satirical book. It’s actually historical fiction based on the murderous mayhem during the civil war in Sri Lanka.  The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie Written in 1988 by Salman Rushdie, ‘The Satanic Verses’ is a book that was inspired by the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was banned in India and there was even a fatwa against Rushdie because of it.  Shunya ko Mulya by Dr Nawaraj KC ‘Shunya ko Mulya’, written by Dr Nawaraj KC, is based on the gruesome reality of women living in Karnali, including but not limited to the suffering and health issues they endure. 

Established in 1923 in Nagold, Germany, Hafele is a leading manufacturer of furniture fittings, door hardware and electronic locking systems with a diverse range of product portfolio and has been providing services to customers in many countries of the world. The company has been expanding its footprints across the South Asia region and is also present in the Nepali market for some time now. Frank Schloeder is the Managing Director, South Asia Region of Hafele Design Studio recently visited Nepal for the opening of the Hafele outlet in Gairidhara, Kathmandu. ApEx caught up with Schloeder to talk about the objectives of opening the Hafele Design Studio, the company's expansion in Nepal and market opportunities, among other topics. Excerpts: Tell us about this exclusive Hafele Studio in Kathmandu and what can the customers find here. This concept can be found across South Asia. We have around 190 of these types of studios in the region and we have teams that are operated directly by Hafele also. Our studios will make people feel at their home. The idea is to create a 360-degree approach to interior solutions. We are a provider of interior solutions, wardrobes, or any other place in the house. We work together with architects and with developers in these kinds of designs for our customers and we then provide all the hardware required. What is the market of supplies you provide in the context of South Asia?  We started in the region 20 years ago and are now an established player. We started very small but now it’s a big organization and we are a dominant player in this market. The furniture market is not highly organized in the region. There are no big producers of modular kitchen and wardrobe systems and we want to support the professionalization of the entire business by creating really high-quality solutions that are out of the space of modular kitchen and module wardrobe systems and we provide complete solutions on that. It is estimated that the organized market is less than 20 percent of the overall market, and the rest 80 percent is unorganized. So, you can see the gross potential that we have because it’s very aspirational. Everyone wants to have a beautiful house and kitchen, and different designs have their own functionality and quality. I think this is a part of the beginning of the journey where we will see strong growth of the market in Nepal and also in South Asia as well. How do you see the prospect of Hafele in the Nepali Market?  We’ve been in Nepal already for some time providing hardware to projects and hotels. But we have not been here as an exclusive studio where customers can walk in and really discover the Hafele world. We are serious about Nepal and we want to develop this market. We found our support from the right partner i.e. UHS Holdings. It is important to find like-minded people who understand our philosophy and who have the same passion for quality, design, and customer service, and with whom we can go. We have plans to bring the brand closer across the country not only in Kathmandu, but we want to start now from here within this solid foundation and grow step by step as the market develops. How is Hafele different from other companies?  Each company has its own specifics. So far, we haven’t seen any other company that has such a broad 360-degree approach to interior solutions. We can really provide anything from door hardware to furniture fittings to appliances to complete kitchen and wardrobe solutions to lighting systems to faucets and sinks and all of that and hence this becomes a one-stop shop and this becomes easy for the customers to come and own our products. We have also been very strong with German quality products and finding the right product for the market. This is the talent that Hafele has to go and find the right product at the right price points from affordable to luxury items, so there is something for everybody. And in South Asia, if you walk into any of our studios, you feel exactly the same as they have been modules by the same team. We want to ensure that Hafele is the same wherever you go and get the same customer experience and same quality. How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted Hafele's business?  The Covid-19 pandemic was not an easy one for all of us. Yet, it has for sure driven a trend towards people spending more time in their homes and has let them be more invested in the designs and functionality of their homes and we see a huge number of people investing in home solutions. So, in that sense, the pandemic has also helped us in a way. What are the challenges in the sector that Hafele is in?  The challenges are quite similar across the world. First of all, we need to plan what the customer needs and then we have to manage the supply chain and bring the right goods at the right time in the country because we want to have high availability of the products and make it fast for the customers to have the products. Another big challenge is to ensure consistent quality. This is why we are not just coming here to sell but we are also coming here to install the items that we sell and to service them over a lifetime. For this, we have made a huge investment in training and skills development to make sure that all our partners can deliver the same standard across the markets. Being an entrepreneur, what message would you like to give to the coming aspiring business enthusiasts?  Entrepreneurship is a good idea to develop a professional career. It is because, when you are an entrepreneur you are active. Everyone has the possibility to become an entrepreneur and also it starts in the beginning with nothing, but it gets broad if you are consistent and if your vision is broad and then you need to have the discipline to implement it. There might be ups and downs, but you have to be consistent with it by delivering your promise to the customers which are very important and only then you can have a lot of progress in your business.