Nepal has an immense potential for economic growth and development. However, it faces a severe social, economic and political imbroglio. As 1500 youth leave Nepal each day for opportunities abroad, the cultural fabric of villages and towns across Nepal are breaking down rapidly. Most youths take big loans to secure labor opportunities in the Middle-East, suffer through work atrocities in foreign lands and return with little savings. All the while, their families are alone, remittances are unproductively used, lands are barren, businesses are dwindling, and communities are losing hope.

At the same time, youth are a demographic majority in Nepal and their collective talent, energy and passion can be a huge resource for the nation. Innovating and collaborating are in their DNA and can be channeled harnessing opportunities in agriculture, ICT and tourism sectors. Moreover, local communities are keen to promote youth entrepreneurs who create new businesses, generate new jobs, and foster positive societal change.

Through the Rural Enterprise Acceleration Program (REAP), Daayitwa aspires to leverage community-based entrepreneurship development in order to foster systemic positive change and materialize the potential for economic growth and development.

II. About Rural Enterprise Acceleration Project (REAP) 

Launched formally in 2012 (but active since 2008), the Daayitwa campaign aims to promote economic prosperity in Nepal through three functions: 1) promote inclusive and enterprise-led economic growth, 2) strengthen governance of inclusive enterprise ecosystem and 3) bolster community engagement for enhanced livelihoods.

REAP, a signature program of Daayitwa, accelerates the growth of rural growth-oriented micro and small enterprise (MSEs) towards high-growth investment-worthy small enterprises.  After three stages of shortlisting, entrepreneurs are selected for a 1-year accelerator support that leverages a blend of technical and leadership interventions, including seed funding, training, mentorship and networking.  Since 2014, REAP has been supporting 45 entrepreneurs in 4 districts – Gulmi and Palpa in Province 5 and Makwanpur and Ramechhap in Province 3. 

Of these REAP entrepreneurs, 80% are engaged in commercial agriculture especially fresh vegetables, 10% in dairy sector and the rest in rearing of livestock and trading of agri-machinery. 23 are women and 22 are from marginalized groups.  About 20% of the entrepreneurs have accessed post-REAP funding of up to NPR 10 lakh from commercial banks. However, systematic support from banking and financial institutions for such rural MSEs continue to be daunting for intermediaries like Daayitwa.

REAP‘s mission is to nurture a movement of community-based entrepreneurs who accelerate their enterprises and foster innovative communities.  REAP‘s goals are to:

1.          Build capacity of high growth entrepreneurs with innovative ideas

2.         Nurture entrepreneurial spirit in local communities

3.         Foster a strong network of innovative communities across Nepal

The Program Manager will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Manage REAP, including overseeing the key components (selection, enterprise coaching and civic engagement) from design to implementation

2. Create program strategy and operation plan in close collaboration with the REAP team and other Daayitwa members

3. Build and strengthen partnerships with local, national and international stakeholders (e.g. government, private companies, banks, universities, local communities, venture funds, NGOs and international development partners)

4. Define ongoing and upcoming resource needs and secure funds, including writing proposals as necessary to fund research or special projects

5. Collaborate with the Daayitwa communication team in creating and sharing stories of impact to national and international audiences

6. Foster a productive environment for team members to learn, grow and create meaningful impact through governance and research interventions

7. Create and execute measurement and evaluation strategy for REAP

8. Liaise with other key elements of the Daayitwa Abhiyaan, including governance and leadership activities as well as diaspora groups, to promote a global campaign for an enterprising Nepal

9. Assume roles in new tasks and projects and support key Daayitwa programs 

10. Design business and entrepreneurship tools and methodologies for enterprise acceleration.

1. Masters degree or equivalent in business administration, public administration or other related field

2. Minimum of 3-4 years of relevant professional experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

3. Recognized expertise in enterprise development, rural development and in working with public, private and social sectors

4. Understanding of social issues related to economic prosperity, income generation and community-driven development

5. Independence in working on complex problems in the field of specialization consistently applying creativity and independent judgment

6. Experience working in an institution focusing on international development and/or dealing with government officials

7. Excellent client orientation, diplomatic skills, and drive for results are essential

8. Ability to work effectively under pressure in a diverse, team-oriented environment

9. Strong motivation and organizational/time management skills

10. Excellent oral and written communications skills in Nepali and English

Apply Before: 20th December 2019

Daayitwa will provide compensation to the Project Manager on a monthly basis.  The rate will be mutually agreed upon, in tune with the level of the required deliverables, the qualifications and experience of the candidate. 

To learn more about Daayitwa and our work, do visit our facebook page or our website. 
Facebook :  https://www.facebook.com/daayitwa/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGYX-0_rlCuvASwYuqzpCOw
Website    :  www.daayitwa.org

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