How a Simple Nepali Home Became a $139K Business | Ep. 276

The Doers Nepal – Nepal’s Longest Running Business Podcast

In this roundtable episode, we talk with three incredible women leaders transforming tourism and their communities:

- Mrs. Basanti Rana Tharu from Kanchanpur

- Kavita Raut Maharjan from Kirtipur

- Aayusha Prasain, CEO of the Community Homestay Network (CHN)

They share how everyday household skills become thriving businesses and how community homestays empower local women, preserve culture, and support environmental conservation.

Key highlights:

- Community Homestay Network connects tourists with over 40 community homestays across Nepal, offering unique cultural experiences like momo cooking classes and traditional art workshops.

- Basanti Rana community transformed poverty and human-wildlife conflict into a thriving eco-tourism hub around Bardiya National Park.

- Kavita Maharjan group use cooking workshops to build financial independence and cultural pride in Kirtipur.

- Community Homestay Network operates on a sustainable business model, supporting local entrepreneurship while ensuring fair community benefits.

- The podcast explores how community tourism drives women’s empowerment, youth engagement, and sustainable development.

Timestamps

Part 1 

00:00 Highlights

01:46 Intro

03:40 Mrs. Basanti Rana Tharu Introduction

04:31 Mrs. Kabita Raut Maharjan Introduction

05:12 Mrs. Aayusha Prasain 

06: 07 CHN as an network 

06:57 Is Community Homestay a New concept ? 

08:50 Kabita’s journey to Kirtipur Homestay

13:56 From Training to Earning : Kabita Ji

15:58 Link with CHN

17:10 Experience and Activities involved in Kirtipur Homestay

22:38 Story of Basanti Rana

34:50 Experiences and activities in Rana Tharu Community Homestay

36:22 Basanti’s Before and After Situation

39:13 Kabita’s Before and After Situation

47:22 Community Tourism is the thing

Part 2

48:22 Highlights

49:31 More Stories of Women in Nepal

53:08 Sensitive Toward Community

54:12 Community ownership

57:29 Revolving around Community

58:02 CHN work and RMT

01:00:10 How CHN makes money

01:03:40 Doing Impact and business together

01:05:08 Challenges faced by Mrs. Basanti

01:22:08 Enabling environment

01:29:38 unique challenges and opportunities 

01:33:48 Youth migration reverse

01:38:25 Question to education system

01:42:22 Skill set differences in men and women

01:45:03 Ripple effect and ecosystem

01:49:05 Suggestion sharing and Request

01:51:41 Organizations Supporting Community Homestay

01:53:14 Real Value of Community Homestay

01:58:26 Closing 

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🎤 Host: Anup Ghimire

Founder of Doers Nepal 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anup-ghimire-9366aa5a

👥 Guests 

Mrs. Basanti Rana Tharu from Kanchanpur

Kavita Raut Maharjan from Kirtipur

Aayusha Prasain, CEO of the Community Homestay Network (CHN)

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aayusha-prasain/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/communityhomestay-com/ 

Website: https://communityhomestay.com/ 

Shiva Dhakal Podcast | Ep. 261

https://youtu.be/ZHH21n4pysw  

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