Kathmandu: A skill development training program on bamboo craft production has started in Badikhel, Ward No. 4 of Godawari Municipality, Lalitpur.
The training, which will run until April 2, was jointly inaugurated on Wednesday by Godawari Municipality Mayor Gajendra Maharjan and Consul Chi Wang from the Chinese Embassy.
The training includes 22 participants selected from various wards of Godawari Municipality. Individuals from the Pahari and Nagarkoti communities, primarily residing in Ward No. 4, have been given priority in participation. These communities have traditionally relied on crafting bamboo products for their livelihoods. The training is being organized to further enhance their skills and promote entrepreneurship, according to the organizers.
The program, hosted by Social Development Vision, Lalitpur, is supported by the Goodwill Foundation, headquartered in Xizang (Tibet), China, and the Nepal-China Kailash Culture Promotion Development Association based in Kathmandu. Godawari Municipality and the Godawari Chamber of Commerce and Industry are local partners, while Green Bamboo Creation is providing technical support for conducting the training.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Godawari Municipality Mayor Mr. Gajendra Maharjan stated that the municipality views this training as an opportunity. He expressed confidence that skill development in bamboo craft production would help increase the income of people in the area. Highlighting that bamboo is the primary source of income for the Pahari and Nagarkoti communities in Ward No. 4, he said the training would assist in producing higher-quality products. Noting that this is the first international-level training held in the ward, he urged participants to learn diligently throughout the program. He emphasized the need to focus on producing quality bamboo products and marketing them effectively.
Mr. Shivakumar Basnet, Chairperson of the organizing institution Social Development Vision, Lalitpur, explained that the training aims to professionalize individuals in Godawari who sustain their livelihoods through bamboo products. He noted that there is a market for bamboo products not only in Nepal but also abroad, and the goal is to develop a skilled workforce for commercial production.
Mr. Ma Zhijian, Chairperson of the Goodwill Foundation, Xizang, PRC, said the training would teach participants to create various items from bamboo strips. He added that the program would demonstrate how bamboo can economically enrich lives, fostering skill exchange between Nepal and China. Recalling his desire to bring this program to Nepal years ago, he expressed hope that local artisans would now gain advanced skills. “We want to promote the concept of bamboo as an alternative to plastic and encourage green development, which will make our environment more beautiful,” he said. “Through this training, Nepali friends will have the opportunity to better understand China and its bamboo culture.”
Godawari Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Mr. Rajan Maharjan recalled witnessing China’s prosperity through bamboo in 2015 and expressed belief that this program would be a milestone in strengthening people-to-people and cultural ties between Nepal and China. He stated that collective efforts from all sectors would ensure the program’s success. Similarly, Ward No. 4 Chairperson Sanubhai Nagarkoti urged participants to use bamboo crafting not just for sustenance but to become entrepreneurs and businesspeople.
The inauguration ceremony, attended by Director General of the Forest Research and Training Centre Dr. Rajendra KC, was welcomed by Mr. Pranav Pradhan, director of Green Bamboo Creation Nepal.
Senior artisans and industrialists Mr. Li Yinhai and Miss Sui Yanping from Meishan city in Sichuan Province, China-renowned for bamboo waving and furniture-will train participants to make items such as lanterns using bamboo strips.
In Nepal, bamboo is found across 63,000 hectares of land, with over 50 species identified. Efforts to commercialize bamboo have also begun in the country. The first National Bamboo Conference was recently held in Diktel, Khotang, from February 27 to March 1 .
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