Samel Gurung
A Herd of Hope in Myagde
There was a time when Samel Gurung believed the answer lay abroad. Like many others from his village in Phulbari Tole, Myagde, he left for foreign shores chasing stability, maybe even a little dignity. But after two years of hard labor and dashed expectations: low-paying jobs and dreams that never quite matched reality, he came back. Not with savings, but with a decision that this time, He’ll build something here.
Back home in Myagde, time passed slowly at first. Unemployment has a way of making even familiar places feel unfamiliar. But Samel had been watching something shift in his village. Young people, those once desperate to leave, were starting to turn back to the land. Goats, fields, seeds, sweat. A quiet movement toward self-reliance was gaining ground.
In 2075 B.S. (2018 A.D.), he joined that movement with seven goats and a little hope.
There were no fancy announcements, no grants or government backing. Just a man remembering how, as a boy, his family had kept a couple of goats in the yard. But what worked for two goats didn’t work for seventy. The first few years were hard. Some goats didn’t make it. Medicines were missed. Mistakes were made. But Samel kept learning. How to feed. When to vaccinate. How to notice the early signs of illness. Slowly, the farm took shape.
Today, Phulbari Goat Farm is home to around 70 goats of various breeds and sizes. His annual sales now circle around NPR 400,000, a number that means more than profit, it means proof. Proof that staying home, if done right, can pay off.
For years, Samel worked without any formal support. So when he was selected for the GEEP (Growth Entrepreneurship and Employment Promotion) Program and received a matching grant of NPR 50,000, it felt like more than money, it felt like someone finally saw the value in what he was building. The grant brought not just relief but momentum.
He dreams now of making the goat shed more structured, more sanitary. Of being named among the top 10 entrepreneurs. But even among the top 20, he’s already taken notice, though he wishes there had been more time to plan and procure properly under the grant timeline.
Still, there’s pride in the journey. From a man returning from foreign labor with empty hands to a farmer standing in the middle of a growing business, Samel Gurung’s story is one of fortitude. No headlines. No shortcuts. Just a belief that something meaningful can grow when you stop running and start rooting yourself in the land you call home.
“From a man returning empty handed from a foreign land, to a farmer foreseeing a hopeful future in my growing business, I have come a long way.”