After spending 19 years abroad for employment, Ghanendra Maboo of Oyam in Yangwarak Rural Municipality-3, Panchthar, has established a notebook factory after returning home, which has become established in a short period.
Mabo spent nine years in Malaysia and 10 years in South Korea before returning to Nepal. He invested the money he earned abroad and the experience he gained there in establishing the industry in his hometown.
Maboo says he worked for a company in South Korea that manufactured equipment used in school kitchens. While delivering the company’s products to various schools, he had the opportunity to closely observe the materials required by schools and the market for such products.
“While visiting different schools to deliver the company’s products, I got the opportunity to closely observe what materials they needed and the market for those products. That was when I started thinking about returning to my hometown and running an industry,” he said. He said the idea of establishing an industry that could supply schools in his area led him to set up the notebook factory named Maboohang Stationery in Gadhi of Phidim Municipality-4, Panchthar.
After returning home, Maboo travelled to Biratnagar to prepare for the operation of the factory. He visited notebook factories there and learned about notebook production technology, machinery and raw materials.
During the process, he reached agreements with some industries to supply paper and other materials used as raw materials before returning home and starting his own factory. He invested Rs. 1.4 million in purchasing notebook-making machinery, Rs. 1.5 million in constructing a building for the industry and Rs. 1.6 million in purchasing a pickup van for transportation.
The notebook factory has become popular within three years of its establishment. Established in 2080 BS, the Maboohang Stationery is currently in operation. The factory produces various types of notebooks required by schools and colleges.
Spiral diaries, record files, attendance registers and pasting files made from Nepali handmade paper are also produced there. Some schools also place orders for notebooks and other materials bearing their own school names and logos.
According to Maboo, the factory currently processes around 100 quintals of paper on average every month to produce notebooks and files. His family members also support the operation of the industry. Maboo, his wife and daughter are regularly involved in the business.
Two additional people have regular employment at the factory, while five to seven people are provided part-time employment when the workload increases.
The notebooks and other materials produced by the factory are not limited to Panchthar. They reach villages in Taplejung and Tehrathum as well. The factory receives orders from schools, colleges and stationery shops, and delivers the products to customers using its own transport vehicle.
Operating an industry in a rural area also comes with challenges. Maboo says frequent power cuts during paper processing is a major problem. Irregular electricity supply can damage machinery and also affect the billing system, he said.
Despite the challenges, Maboo continues to explore new opportunities through his industry. His experience of working abroad has taught him that opportunities can also be created at home if one is willing to work.
In his experience, it is possible to earn as much at home as abroad by identifying new possibilities and working on them. He says it is important to first identify what is needed in one’s own locality. The 19 years he spent in Malaysia and South Korea gave him valuable experience of working abroad.
After returning to Nepal, he transformed that experience into an investment in his own locality. His factory now supplies notebooks to schools and stationery shops in Panchthar, Taplejung and Tehrathum.
