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Improving Health and Community Economics Through Small Business Development

The Ama Yangri Trek is a short 2- to 3-day Himalayan journey in Nepal’s Helambu Region, located within the Sindhupalchok District. At an altitude of 3,771 meters (12,372 ft), Ama Yangri Peak stands as the tallest summit near the Kathmandu Valley. The trek features 360-degree panoramic mountain vistas, vibrant Hyolmo and Tamang cultural heritages, and dense rhododendron forests.

GEI is implementing the “Improving Health and Community Economics Through Small Business Development” project, an integrated initiative designed to uplift marginalized communities by bridging the gap between economic stability and essential healthcare in Melamchi Gyang and Ichok village of Helambu Municipality of Sindhupalchok.

At its core, the project aims to drive household-level income growth and create local employment opportunities by transforming subsistence farming into profitable milk and dairy production enterprises.

By empowering families with the tools to manage small businesses, the project ensures that increased financial independence directly supports better living standards.

Parallel to these economic gains, the initiative focuses on increasing the awareness and utilization of government-provided health services, ensuring that vulnerable populations can effectively access the care they need. To guarantee long-term sustainability, the project partners with universities and research organizations to systematically collect and package robust evidence on its feasibility and cost-effectiveness.

This data-driven approach creates a validated framework for future replication and nationwide expansion, ensuring that the link between community economics and public health becomes a scalable model for development across Nepal.

GEI Asia’s project activities: 

Ongoing activities 

Exposure opportunities for global learners 

Improving Health and Community Economics Through Small Business DevelopmentDesign and evaluate grassroots awareness programs focused on underutilized government health services. Conduct field surveys to identify geographic, financial, and cultural barriers to healthcare utilization among Tamang and Hyolmo communities. Analyze the operational shifts required to transform traditional, small-scale farming into profitable dairy enterprises. Document how traditional Hyolmo and Tamang land use and cattle rearing integrate into modern commercial frameworks. Study the social dynamics of local cooperatives and how women and marginalized groups are empowered through micro-business ownership. This allows learners to experience firsthand how rugged terrain impacts supply chains, emergency medical transport, and infrastructure development, while exploring opportunities for community dairy businesses to intersect with and supply the local trekking hospitality industry.