Building a Poultry Business After Returning to Chitwan

A worker, 38, from Chitwan spent almost six years working in the Gulf across construction and warehouse roles before deciding to return home permanently to be closer to his ageing parents and young children. Like many returning workers, he had savings but was unsure how to invest them in a way that would provide a stable, long-term income rather than being spent gradually on daily household costs. Through ILSI's reintegration programme, delivered in his district with Himalayan Development Cooperative, he attended a series of sessions covering practical business planning, basic bookkeeping, and an honest assessment of local market demand before committing his savings to any single idea. Initially drawn to a general retail shop, he was encouraged during these sessions to consider his own experience helping relatives manage poultry farming as a young man, and to research demand in his local area more specifically. With guidance from a reintegration adviser, he developed a modest business plan for a small commercial poultry operation, starting with a limited number of birds to test demand and refine his approach to feed costs and disease prevention before expanding further.