"I never dreamt that one day I could start my own business" - A new life away from bonded labour

Manish Serela comes from a Haliya community in Nepal. Haliya families used to be in bonded labour until they were officially freed by the Government in 2008. Although they were offered land and housing, it was still difficult for them to earn their living decently, as they were still suffering discrimination and did not have access to education.

But the life of Manish has changed for the better since completing a skills training programme.

Manish and over a 1'000 participants took part in livelihood training through the ILO Bridge project, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. They all come from communities that used to be in bonded labour in Nepal (freed Haliya and Harawa-Charawa).

Following the training, participants received a certificate attesting to their new skills. This certificate is nationally recognized, meaning it is valued by employers. In addition, they also participated in enterprise development training (“Start and Improve Your Own Business” course), which includes everything from soft skills to building a business plan.

As a result of the project:
83% of participants were working, using the trade and business skills they have learnt
60% started their own business
40% experienced an income increase

To learn more about the project:
https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/for...

   • The Bridge Project's: Combatting bond...  




Funding is provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreement number IL-27592-15-75-K—1. 100 percentage of the total costs of the Bridge Project is financed with Federal funds, for a total of US$17,395,138. This material does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government.