Women’s Green Enterprise Development: Scented Candle Making and Green Entrepreneurship
Project Overview
A one-day practical training equipped 15 women with skills in scented candle production, product improvement, branding, packaging, marketing and small-enterprise development.
Turning practical skills into climate-resilient livelihoods
Women in communities around Chitwan National Park often balance unpaid household responsibilities with limited access to income-generating opportunities. Climate and environmental pressures can deepen these economic vulnerabilities, particularly for women from historically marginalized communities.
Climate Action Nepal designed the Scented Candle Making and Green Enterprise Development Training as a practical entry point for women-led enterprise. The programme combined hands-on production skills with the business knowledge required to improve product quality, present products professionally and explore viable local markets.
Facilitated by lead trainer Ms Grishma Paudyal, the session guided participants through the practical stages of candle making while linking technical skills with product presentation and enterprise planning. Participants were encouraged to learn by doing, ask questions, compare product designs and consider how quality, consistency and presentation influence buyer confidence.
Skills training alone does not create a sustainable enterprise. Recognizing this, the programme also engaged local hotels, resorts and tourism businesses to explore product absorption and longer-term market linkages. This approach aimed to connect emerging women entrepreneurs with potential buyers while encouraging the use of locally produced products within the hospitality sector.
The location provides a strategic opportunity. Chitwan’s conservation and tourism economy can generate demand for distinctive local products, gifts and visitor amenities. Linking women-led enterprises with this market can help retain more value locally while reinforcing the relationship between sustainable livelihoods, conservation and community development.
For participants, the training represented more than a one-day technical exercise. It demonstrated how practical climate-resilience interventions can reduce daily burdens, create new capabilities and open pathways toward greater economic independence.
The report documents scented candles under the theme “Chitwan to Berlin,” signalling the wider visibility and market potential of well-designed local products. The next challenge is to convert that visibility into consistent production, reliable quality and sustained buyer relationships.
The intervention shows how climate resilience, gender equality and local economic development can advance together when women receive practical skills, enterprise support and access to markets.
Why This Project Matters
Building climate-resilient livelihoods and expanding economic opportunities for women from marginalized communities.
Women in communities around Chitwan National Park often balance unpaid household responsibilities with limited access to income-generating opportunities. Climate and environmental pressures can deepen these economic vulnerabilities, particularly for women from historically marginalized communities.
Why women-led green enterprises matter:
Household resilience: diversified income can reduce vulnerability to economic and climate-related shocks.
Economic agency: enterprise skills can strengthen women's confidence and role in financial decisions.
Local value creation: locally produced goods can keep income circulating within communities.
Sustainable development: livelihood support can complement conservation and responsible tourism goals.
The intervention shows how climate resilience, gender equality and local economic development can advance together when women receive practical skills, enterprise support and access to markets.
Project in Action
Photos from the field, events, and community activities.
What the Project Is Doing
- Build practical skills: develop confidence in scented candle production and quality improvement.
- Strengthen enterprise knowledge: introduce branding, packaging, marketing and small-business development.
- Promote resilient livelihoods: expand income options that can strengthen household and community resilience.
- Connect products to markets: explore demand from hotels, resorts and tourism businesses in Chitwan.
- Production: basic scented candle-making techniques and safe handling of materials.
- Quality: attention to finish, consistency and product improvement.
- Branding: creating a recognizable identity for locally produced goods.
- Packaging: presenting products attractively and appropriately for buyers.
- Marketing: understanding customers, promotion and sales opportunities.
- Enterprise planning: exploring pricing, small-scale production and business growth.
- Facilitated by lead trainer Ms Grishma Paudyal, linking technical skills with product presentation and enterprise planning.
- Engaged local hotels, resorts and tourism businesses to explore product absorption and longer-term market linkages.
- Recommended next steps: follow-up coaching on costing and business planning; refine quality and shared brand identity; sample catalogues and buyer meetings; explore group-based production; track production, sales and income; continue linking with clean energy, conservation and tourism.
Impact at a Glance
Results Achieved
- 15 women trained in scented candle production and enterprise skills.
- 6 core enterprise skills strengthened: production, quality improvement, branding, packaging, marketing and business development.
- 1 market-linkage pathway explored with hotels, resorts and tourism businesses.
- Women gained greater awareness of climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable livelihood opportunities.
- Increased entrepreneurial confidence among women from Bote, Tharu and other marginalized communities.
- Initial relationships explored with hotels, resorts and tourism businesses as potential buyers.
- Foundation established for women-led enterprises that can support conservation, tourism and local economic development.
- Documented visibility under the theme 'Chitwan to Berlin', signalling wider market potential of well-designed local products.
Long-term Value
For participants, the training represented more than a one-day technical exercise. It demonstrated how practical climate-resilience interventions can reduce daily burdens, create new capabilities and open pathways toward greater economic independence.
The report documents scented candles under the theme "Chitwan to Berlin," signalling the wider visibility and market potential of well-designed local products. The next challenge is to convert that visibility into consistent production, reliable quality and sustained buyer relationships.
The intervention shows how climate resilience, gender equality and local economic development can advance together when women receive practical skills, enterprise support and access to markets.
Continued coaching, market facilitation and monitoring of production, sales and income can convert training into sustained livelihood outcomes.
Story of Change
“Most of my time was spent collecting firewood and carrying out household work. The electric stove has reduced that burden. Through candle making, I now have a skill that can potentially generate income for my family.”