Set of Interviews in the Second Issue

Our Second Issue had the Theme of Women's Right, titled "Women Write" and for this issue we had special interviews with influential female youths of Nepal.

 Interview with Ms. Jaya Rajbhandari

1.To start off, could you tell us something about you? 

 Before we start, I would like to say that I am a normal teenager. I just happened to start my business when I was 17 from a normal Nepali household just like everybody else. But I have had a very supportive mother, who helped me throughout (my life), which inspired and helped me start my business. I am currently 19. If you put my business aside, I am just a normal teenager with a lot of hobbies. 

 2. What inspired you to start your business at such a young age? 

 That was totally a coincidence, I didn’t start a business, and at least that was not my intent. I actually thought I would start an organization that would help people get jobs. It was during COVID where I remember how people were lining up for their share of rations. When people shared their stories of struggles during the pandemic, it would make me really motivated. People are doing a lot of things for people who don’t really have jobs, it was a terrible situation. They had a lot of skills but just didn’t have the opportunities due to COVID. So, I thought let’s give them jobs, hence starting Twinkle. It started as an organization and not really a business but has turned into one. 

 3. It was really a great initiative to start this during the pandemic and help so many people. Now the next question is, how does it feel to be a woman entrepreneur? 

It feels great to help people out, you know, every teen is underestimated. So when a big name like an entrepreneur gets labeled into you, you obviously feel great. It is because then you aren’t underestimated anymore. So it felt great. People had doubts about me; my relatives too said a lot of different kinds of things. Family dinners were “not always smooth,” I think people can relate to this, especially because Nepali society, tends to compare you to others and try to put pressure on you especially teenagers to do everything. I was told I couldn’t do stuff but I always that was not true and my mom believed in me too. We hand-picked people who didn’t have jobs for our brand, not focusing much on the skill set. So, after a few months, we saw them with our own eyes, how much their lives had changed. So as a person would “couldn’t do anything for herself” being a person who is a big part of changing other people’s lives and employing them like that. People stopped underestimating me like that. That feels good, it has to feel good. I think I am not the only woman entrepreneur here, women associated with twinkles like my mom, my grandmom, etc. are also entrepreneurs just as much as I am. They both helped me in this business, for this cause. 

 4. It’s good to know you have such a strong backbone supporting you, but you must have faced some challenges during this journey, could you share some with us? 

 Well, the whole business started with a challenge, as it had started during the pandemic, there was zero mobility, I would like to think it’s a very big milestone and achievement because hundreds and thousands of businesses shut their doors during the pandemic. Millions of people got unemployed while we were working with that. Unlike most businesses we did not have the option in the first place to experiment and try things with small risks and then go from there,Again since the lockdown was going on, it was quite difficult to get thousands of meters of silk. We wanted to experiment with a few meters of silk but since the lockdown was going on it was quite tough to go back and forth from the manufacturers. So we bought one thousand five hundred meters of silk. I realized after reaching home, how much stuff I had purchased and how deep in the game I was already. We weren’t even sure we could sell it; we were not even a website, but an Instagram page, that barely has 700 followers. It was difficult to even get the pass to travel and get items during the lockdown. Having 1500 meters of silk in a room looked scary, but the audience was growing more and more. There was a lot of attraction to twinkles, and after lockdown, it wasn’t as much of an issue as it was during the lockdown. Secondly, we did not even have a business plan because it wasn’t supposed to be one in the beginning. 

 5. We have heard you go really in-depth with your product, it is very scientific. You have probably done a lot of research and put effort into it, so could you highlight some? 

 I believe a product should add value; it shouldn’t be about the money but about the transaction. People usually don’t care how these products are scientifically but about how they perform when in hand or something else; there are a lot of ways to look at things. I did not just come up with silk products, my sister used to study in America at that time. She used to use a lot of silk products. Silk products are better for your hair, for your skin, for everything, it helps the skin breathe. It had scientific value to it as well. We always used to make it and my sister used to take it with her to America. In the USA, a silk item is about 74$; which is why she took it from Nepal rather than purchasing here. In Nepal, nobody sold silk products, so I decided why not just do it. Silk is very good and comfortable for our body, it doesn’t cause skin issues. If you go to a dermatologist and talk about an acne problem in your skin, they will recommend you a silk mask because that is a lot better for your skin, it helps you glow. I also wanted to make everything that I sell environment-friendly. I let people know the behind the scene process and not just sell the product to them so that people know the effort put into this. 

 6. Have you ever seen someone else starting a similar business to you following your lead? 

When you start something with potential, similar startups do pop up from everywhere. Two years ago in Nepal, there were no businesses that provided silk-based products like a pillowcase. Then I started my business and then this industry just pops up everywhere. But I am not mad about it, I cannot be, I am happy that people are being inspired by other people, to do better things. So, if I can do it everybody can, I am not mad about it but I do see these things popping up from everywhere.

7. Businesses have their ups and downs; there might be a time when you face loss, so how do you deal with that, keeping yourself and your team positive?

 “When you go up there is nowhere to go but down, when you go down there is nowhere to go but up.” So a lot of ups and downs were there in Twinkles, especially while starting, no matter how many impossibilities we saw, and then people demotivating talking about my age and experience. People say a lot of things to be impossible, maybe they are possible, we wouldn’t know till we try. I think the biggest one though is probably me coming here (USA) for my undergraduate study. In Nepal, everything was sailing smoothly and it still is, but the transition period with the time barrier. Silk cannot be stored or remade into a new product, it is very tough. It is a very risky slope to be on, even then being able to sail smoothly is good. 

 8. What advice would you give to progressive female entrepreneurs? 

 I know that a lot of women know there is nothing they cannot do. I have never seen a woman who is not strong, I have never seen a woman who cannot go through s***. I have seen women who aren’t empowered or think they can’t do it, but I have never seen a woman who has not done it, someone who hasn’t become stronger from their hurdles. A woman can do everything a man can, maybe not physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, everything else. A woman can definitely compete. It is important for a woman to always remember that they are stronger than they think. Entrepreneurship is a male-dominated thing, maybe still is. Even though they have been so suppressed for the longest period of time, it’s just time to ditch all of that and move forward. Because obviously, they can do it, you can do it, right? It’s important to remember that she can do it. Also never try to compete too hard with fellow entrepreneurs, respect them, and help them and grow alongside them rather than push them down. So that what hardship you went through, no one else will.

ISHA SHREE SHAH

Isha Shree Shah is a seventeen-year-old leading Tennis player of Nepal who joined the industry at the early age of 6 itself and has played for Nepal in various International Tennis Tournaments and achieved new heights every time. She is currently studying at St Xavier’s Jawalakhel, grade 11.Here we present to you a short interview of her that was taken as a part of our #women’swrite series.

1.We are glad to have you for this series of Women’s Day Special. You have been such an inspiring person for so many of us, how did your journey begin? 

 It was my father who introduced me to Tennis at a very early age. He is an athlete himself. He played Badminton at a national level. The reason why my dad introduced me to Tennis is that as a child I had really bad anger issues and the fact that Tennis helps relieve stress, I used to get to pour all my anger via Tennis. Gradually Tennis became my happy place, my parents always supported me, they are the ones who encouraged me, and all I have done is given it continuity.

2. Are there times when you feel like giving up? How do you gather yourself together to move forward at such times? 

 Ofcourse, there are definitely times when I feel low, especially after losing a tournament. There are times when I feel like giving up, but the fact that I have already invested almost 12 years of my life, my parents have put in so much effort to help me reach where I am today, our effort shouldn’t go in vain is what keeps me going. It’s also the fact that I want to do something for this industry that keeps me going. It’s the self realization and assurance that keeps me moving forward. 

 3. Will you be opting for tennis as your career? 

 Yes, I have seen my career to be in the field of Tennis.However, the journey gets harder from this point. I have to push myself a little more for the next two years. The reason being, the next two years I would be playing under 17 and under 18. My performance these two years decides my future in the field of Tennis. After these two years, I will play for the Women's team which is only possible if I attain a certain rank within these two years. 

 4. How do you manage your time between studies and Tennis? 

 I didn’t spare much time for studies till grade 10. Half of the time I would be out of the country for tournaments and training so every time I was in Nepal, at home I would push myself really hard, I would be taking tuitions every time I was in Nepal. At present I have been spending a generous amount of time on my studies. So now I have been trying to manage my time in such a way that I take both of these priorities together. 

5. If you had to name one aspect that could drastically change the status of tennis in Nepal, what would it be? 

 Finance. It should be financed. All of us athletes are so energetic, ambitious, and skilled but due to financial constraints we get very little exposure to opportunities, that is one reason why we’re lacking behind. I believe, if this factor is taken into consideration by the authorities, we could drastically improve the condition of the field of Tennis in Nepal. 

 6. If you could be anything besides an athlete, what would you be? 

 Besides athletics, I am deeply interested in the field of science, particularly biology. So, I would opt for being a pediatrician, the reason being, I feel connected with little children. 

7. Apart from being a successful tennis player being your career goal, what is your life goal? 

 I want to become that motivating factor for the upcoming generations. I hope, seeing me as a tennis player, other women and small kids join the team, come to Dhapakhel and make the industry bigger and more successful.

8. What are some challenges that women in sports face in Nepal? 

 As a female sportspeople, we are not that much encouraged as compared to our male counterparts. In these 12 years of my journey in this industry, I have seen a lot of female tennis players leaving Tennis at a certain time mainly the reason being lack of family support. This is very depressing. Apart from that, the ratio of male tennis players to that of females is comparatively lower. At the time when men are encouraged to play, women are discouraged. We aren’t supported as much as the men in the field. There are people who judge players by their outfits, which is disgraceful. Apart from that, males are often encouraged to take part in international tournaments happening abroad but females aren't. But I am lucky that my parents support me always and I don't have to face such problems.

 9. What is the status of female tennis players in Nepal?

 I have seen the drastic growth of the industry for the past 12 years. The change is enormous and the change is positive. When I initially joined the industry, there wasn't much female participation. However, with time I have seen exponential growth in the number of female players in the field. As I previously mentioned, due to lack of support many women had to drop their ambition. But now the situation is getting better, parents are becoming supportive and little by little there is the positive change seen. Let us be optimistic and hope for the best. 

 10. Oftentimes, the male sportsperson is referred to as a “sports person” but a female sportsperson is particularly referred to as a “ female sportsperson”. How problematic do you find this? 

 At the moment, it is fine as we have a comparatively less number of female sportspersons. I feel proud to be called a female sportsperson, the reason being, it is very difficult to be one in an industry which has been dominated by male figures for centuries. However, this is problematic to a certain extent. I believe the stats will change in the coming years and females, too, are referred to with a gender-neutral term. Apart from this, the use of masculine terms as gender-neutral terms is also problematic for example “sportsman” instead of a sportsperson. We need to change such tendings that we have to build a more equitable society. 

 11. What are the steps that should be taken at our individual level to ensure the growth of female sportspersons in Nepal? 

 While the parents encourage their son to play a game, they should ask if their daughter wants it to. We cannot presume someone’s likes and dislikes on the basis of their gender. We have to give our girls the same encouragement and support that is given to a boy in the family.