Gita Gurung is among the unsung sheroes of our country. She rarely speaks about her achievements rather focusing on what needs to be done. Hailing from Manang, hers is a story of hard work, determination and self-belief. Gita wears many hats; she is a tourism entrepreneur, a social worker, an active and responsible affiliate of the Thamel Tourism Board and a passionate advocate for the rights of street children.
Gita has contributed immensely to re-shaping Thamel through her endeavors with her responsibilities at the Thamel Tourism Board and as somebody who grew up in Thamel, runs a business there and loves the place for all that it is.
She contested the first election of Thamel Tourism Board in 2013 and was the highest voted elected member of the board. Her approach is focused on the future while valuing the past. Her tenure with TTB from 2013 to 2024 has been the most challenging and yet the most satisfying period of her life, she states, recalling, “I am a team player. And have always maintained that as a team, we have the capacity to be great but the real challenge lies in working and living up to our potential creating positive impact through focused work”.
Gita is also the Co-founder of Buddha Bar in Thamel, which is the first bar owned by a woman in the area. She opened the bar in her early twenties and it has been running successfully for 22 years now. It’s almost like a Thamel landmark.
She also serves as the Founder of many non-profit organisations like Nepal Active Women Organisation founded in 2003, Trinetra Organisation established in 2009 and Manang Women’s Empowerment in 2014. She says emphatically, “My social work is a fight for the future.”
In an interview with WOW’s Ankita Jain, Gita talks about her life journey. Excerpts of the conversation:
You have been in the hospitality business since 2003, what are a few skills that are a must for any entrepreneur to stay in this business?
It’s been 22 years since I first opened a bar in Thamel and it was the first bar run by a woman in that area. Talking about the skills, I believe if you have a good team, half the battle is already won. I started Buddha Bar with two other partners and we divided work as per our capabilities. I remember I used to sit on the cash counter myself for nearly three years. These years were the most challenging as I was learning, relearning and unlearning several things. Today when the bar is running successfully, I keep staff meeting on a weekly basis not to pin point their mistakes or talk about the coming week but to teach them ways to communicate with the guests. In the hospitality business we treat guests as God and working staff as family. This is the golden rule. Also, since the beginning we have kept the prices pocket friendly.
Did you have such entrepreneurial clarity with a focus on giving back right from the get-go or you learnt it with the years?
I am involved in social work since my childhood. I am really inspired by my father. He was a businessman but with a very helpful nature. People in Manang still remember him for his giving nature. I started working right after my O-levels and I was already successfully running Buddha Bar in my early twenties. Through this I was financially stable and able to establish my first non-profit organisation by the age of 23. Today, I am involved in around five such organisations.
With Nepal Active Women’s Organisation in 2003, we also opened a store in Thamel which used to sell products made by marginalised Nepali women. It was a time of Maoist insurgency and many women fled to Kathmandu for shelter and work. This organisation gave employment and relief to such women.
Trinetra Organisation (2009) has been working for underprivileged visually impaired children. Even today we are supporting nine such children with food, shelter and education. Over the years, the children whom the organisation has supported returned back to their villages after completing their education and some are music teachers and school teachers in their respective villages.
The Manang Women’s Empowerment that was established in 2014 is supporting the children of Manang with good education in Kathmandu. Currently there are eight such children.
I joined Thamel Tourism Board as an elected member with the highest votes in 2013. My most challenging work has been while working with the TTB. In my working tenure, I was assigned to look after the issues of street children. To be honest, even government still hasn’t been able to do justice in this sector.
Tell us more about your work with the street children of Thamel.
Thamel is a tourism hub for Nepal and having street children in and around the area did not create a good impression. The children were also more vulnerable to exploitation. When I started working for the street children in Thamel in 2013, there were around 45 of them. Out of the 45, there were four girls and 41 boys. To improve their living, I settled them in a hostel in Thamel. One entire building was taken on lease with a momo cafe on the ground floor. The entire profits generated from the café went for the rehabilitation of the street children. The tourism board didn’t allocate any funds nor did I ask for any financial help from any entrepreneur in Thamel, it came solely from my pocket and the revenue of the momo café. Here, I must say that the people in Thamel were immensely generous with bulk order from that café on a regular basis.
I enrolled the children in several vocational trainings and even rehabilitated some by sending them back home. I am really proud that I was able to get citizenship for one of them. I had to fight in court for three years for his citizenship and it finally happened a month back. Now he can work respectfully.
Working in this sector, knowing the hardships, any small success that contributes to improving even one child’s life out of the 45 means the world to all of us who worked on this project.
In 2015, I was reelected in TTB and was handed the Saat Ghumti Committee. In this area, I worked for better sewage system. In 2017, 2019 and 2022 I was elected back-to-back as the Vice President.
What are the changes you see in Thamel?
It was immensely safe back then. Thamel took its shape over the past 50-60 years. It was a different then, it held a different appeal with well-read tourists flowing in. And gradually, the commercial aspects started growing which was good for the development of the people. People who rented their properties and people who ran their businesses in these rented spaces, both prospered. But negative influences also creeped in with Thamel becoming a hub for many illegal activities from drugs, robbery, prostitution, honey trap, etc. This led to the establishment of Thamel Tourism Board to control such activities. And the board has been successful. For instance, 20 guards have been recently hired by the board to watch over the different illegal activities in Thamel. One can find those guards in various parts of Thamel.
Looking back at the different chapters of life, how would you describe it?
Being an eighties child, I consider myself privileged thinking about how free and safe we were then. Raised in a family with six siblings, we never required anyone else to play with. We were self-sufficient. I recall playing hide and seek in the lanes of Thamel. It was a beautiful growing up free and loved. My mother was a great businesswoman despite being uneducated. She was an importer and earned more than my father. She always emphasised that money can easily be earned but respect takes years of work. I also understood that success in career is immensely necessary to work for the causes you want to support. I started Buddha Bar taking a loan and wasn’t able to pay that debt for nearly three years but the moment my business started doing well, I paid off my debt and also started my NGO.
I have advocated for the street children in Thamel and I still do it. These children recognise me and often come to meet me or ask for help. It’s a special bond. I feel privileged that I am able to bring some hope to their life.
One of the most important chapters of my life is with my life partner who is my strongest pillar. He has been with me through the ups and downs of life, standing by my side and always supporting and encouraging me.
How did you meet your husband?
I met him in Buddha Bar and our love blossomed over the years. He proposed marriage after two years of dating but I wasn’t ready at that point. I was focused on my career. But surprisingly he waited and supported me in my every project. Further, our interests align in many things and I consider this as our greatest strength. I am a Gurung and my husband is a Newar. We both practice Buddhism. Culturally, there are differences but we both have the ability to adapt. His family accepted me completely and this has made our relationship only stronger.
What is something you wish to overcome?
People’s opinions bother me a lot and I am trying to overcome this. I am trying to cut down on people who affect my inner peace. I believe that if I am happy, I will be able to bring happiness in other people’s life.
My biggest insecurity is also my level of education. I didn’t continue my education post O-levels. Had I completed my Bachelors or Master’s degree, I know that I could have gone far. I would have loved to represent Nepal as its Ambassador. However, I don’t blame anyone for this. It was my decision completely, and perhaps my situation at the time. But I love learning new things and observe things that can enhance my knowledge and capacity.
Who is your role model?
I have always regarded Rajiv Gurung, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, Gandaki Province as my idol.
What do you enjoy in your free time?
Watching films. I am a hardcore Bollywood fan.
You wear so many hats now, what is next for you?
I have been in the social work sector for almost two decades. Now, I aim to work for Manang as an elected politician. Infrastructure and education would be my focus areas.
Hospitality partner: Hotel Dolmaling @hotel.dolmaling
Hotel Dolmaling is a Buddhist-themed hotel offering a variety of rooms to suit different needs and budgets. The hotel is set in a peaceful environment, perfect for those seeking a serene getaway. Surrounded by natural beauty, guests can enjoy the calming atmosphere and take part in spiritual activities.
Leave a Reply