How Vocational Training Changes Lives: Stories from Our Women's Center

When Pratima Tamang walked into NepTech's Women's Training Centre on the first day of the inaugural cohort, she had no income of her own. Six weeks later, she confidently operates a handloom weaving machine, producing Dhaka fabric that has already received a purchase order from a Kathmandu textile cooperative. **The Program** NepTech's Women's Empowerment and Vocational Training Centre launched in June 2026 with 30 participants from Kathmandu Valley. The first cohort focused on three integrated skills: 1. **Handloom weaving and Dhaka fabric production** — preserving traditional craft while building marketable skills 2. **Basic business and financial literacy** — opening bank accounts, understanding pricing, tracking income 3. **Digital access** — using smartphones for mobile banking, social media marketing, and reaching online customers **Why This Combination Matters** Vocational training alone often fails. Women learn a skill but face the same barriers: no capital, no market access, no business knowledge. NepTech's model integrates the skill with business understanding and digital tools to monetize it. **What's Next** Three participants from the inaugural cohort have already formed a small cooperative. NepTech is facilitating their registration and connecting them to fair-trade export buyers. The second cohort — focusing on tailoring — begins enrolling now.