Noodle-making: Income-producing initiative in a remote village of Nepal

www.nafa.org.au 

This proposal has arisen out of consultation with women who are members of the Pasang Chowk Agricultural Cooperative. This consultation has come from two processes. The first one started with women being consulted more consciously through NAFA funding of a Women’s Social Mobiliser. The second driving force is a three-year Growth and Sustainability project co-funded by NAFA and the English Family Foundation. One of the aims of that project is to identify initiatives that will provide a sustainable increase in the cash income of disadvantaged or particularly poor members of the Cooperative, including women. Women have identified the purchase of a noodle-making machine that will make both wet and dry noodles. Expressions of interest will be locally advertised for women who are interested in working with other women to operate the machine, package and arrange distribution of both wet and dry noodles. Applicants will be asked to contribute to the cost of the housing for the machine; and the Cooperative and NAFA will also contribute towards that cost. Housing for the machine will be built on land owned by the Cooperative. Training to operate the machine and package the noodles will be provided onsite by the manufacturer, who is based in Kathmandu. Noodles will be sold across 25 villages (estimated 1,400 families = 6,000+ population in the local area and to villagers in adjoining areas. There are also plans to sell the noodles from a Cooperative shop, which is projected to be built in late 2020.