I make many kinds of items from animal skins. I make belts, purses, bags, school shoes, party shoes, Martin brand shoes. I also make various types of ladies' jeans and leather sports shoes.

So far, I have not met a customer who has shown any weakness in the shoes I have made. On the contrary, many customers have come to thank me for saying that they are attractive and durable.

The shoes I make are not only consumed in the Diktel market, they are reaching abroad. I do not mean to export them in large quantities. People who have gone abroad to work from here order them. I send them to people who go from here. I am now 45 years old.

My house is in Jhilke, Narayan Municipality-5, Dailekh district, Karnali Pradesh. It has been 6 years since I came here. I have opened Ashish Shoe Center at the base camp of Diktel. I work there making shoes. I am earning a good income by making shoes.

Many of the students I trained are now doing shoemaking. That also makes me happy. I earn between 80 thousand and 150 thousand rupees per month. This has covered the education expenses of three daughters and one son. I have educated my eldest daughter and son till class 12. Both are married. My younger daughter is studying in class 10 and my younger daughter is studying in class 9 in a school in Dailekh. They are happy.

I did not come here to do business. I came here as an instructor for shoemaking training in Rawabesi Rural Municipality 6 years ago. When I came here and understood the market, I started a shop and saw that the business was going well. It has been going well so far. I did not want to leave this place while I was there.

I initially started a shoemaking shop with a capital of Rs 4 lakh. After opening the shop, business started to do well. When the earnings were good, I thought of expanding it. However, I did not have money to invest. And I expanded the shop by taking a loan of 1.2 million from the Diktel Active Savings and Credit Cooperative.

Since the business is going on, there is no problem in repaying the loan. Now I have run a shop not only in Diktel Bazaar, but also in Okhaldhunga. I came from Dailekh in the mid-west and became a businessman in the eastern hills. In Okhaldhunga, I opened a branch of the Diktel shop. Now the shops on both sides are doing well. In Okhaldhunga, I am sitting alone and looking after the business. My son is running the business in Diktel Bazaar.

I am winning the hearts of customers with the shoes I have made using traditional skills. Now, according to the times, I have thought of making shoes using modern technology. Tools and equipment are required for that. And production can also be done. Now I have planned to save the money I have earned and purchase tools and equipment.