Lehara works with people in rural communities in Nepal to provide them with a valuable skill. Whilst the trekking industry provides employment opportunities as porters, guides or sherpas to some, this is not accessible to many - particularly women in the area.

However, Lehara is using the trekking industry to help create other employment opportunities, by developing a sports massage service along the Everest Base Camp walking route. By training a core team of massage therapists, they will create economic opportunities for communities living along the route, as well as benefitting the trekkers with a valuable service. Lehara provides full training for people wanting to become sport massage therapists, allowing them to gain professional qualifications and take a job at Lehara's clinics that are located on the Everest Base Camp route. 

And the impact will go way beyond this - a large proportion (around 60%) of the revenue generated will be invested back into community initiatives that seek to improve education, advance healthcare and support environmental conservation across the Khumbu Valley region. This is a real opportunity to create a sustainable business that provides a valuable service to trekkers and creates fulfilling work for locals.

 

Located at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, OneBike is a social enterprise that uses bicycles to empower and improve the local community through education, environmental awareness and promoting sustainable tourism.

Transport is a crucial issue for most rural people in Tanzania. It’s expensive and unreliable, so people regularly walk long distances to access basic services such as school or healthcare facilities and to the market which may be the main source of income for families. Movement is a major factor in economic and social inclusion and development. People in remote areas, and women in particular, are often limited because of their restricted mobility, being unable to reach places because of cost or logistics. Bicycles are known to be a significant tool for dealing with that restricted mobility.

One Bike donates bicycles, including tools and spare parts alongside basic mechanics training to people in disadvantaged or marginalised communities. The bikes and the skills to maintain them offer people easier access to essential services, and open up opportunities to engage in education and employment outside of their immediate location.