Charitable organization: our mission
Building an enabling environment for education, innovation and entrepreneurship in rural Nepal by social business incubation
Innovative idea + Progressive Village = 'smart' projects
Our Innovative Approach
Smartketi is a non-governmental charitable organization that was started in 2014 in a small village in eastern Nepal, called Manthali. Its mission is to build an environment where innovative projects that focus on education, entrepreneurship and health and nutrition can be tested at a small scale, in a local community. Often, these projects use just a little seed money, as little as a few hundred dollars.
Scaling Up
If successful, these projects are then scaled up to the larger community. In this way, large amounts of funds are not wasted and local villagers learn principles of business and self-sustainability in a very practical, hands-on way. By using this innovative approach, smartketi aims to promote economic development in a “smart” way with its "smart projects."
Our Projects
Since its conception, smartketi has tried various projects with various levels of success. It learns from each success as well as each setback and uses what it learns to make its next project more successful. Our projects include: smartbracelet, smartlibrary, smartbakery and smarthosiery.
What Does 'Smartketi' mean?
The word, ‘keti,’ means young girl in Nepali; so, smartketi means ‘smartgirl.’ Smartketi strives to turn local women into smartketis by giving them a chance not only to get involved, but more importantly, take a leadership role, in all of its projects. It aims to promote local women from the villages and after becoming involved in a particular project, gives them the title of smartketi. These smartketis then become role models in the community, helping select other women in the villages to promote and train. Although smartketi focuses mainly to promote the young women of rural Nepal, its various project help the entire community at large.
Is it Innovative? Transparent? Scalable?
Smartketi asks these questions.
- Is it a new, creative solution to an existing problem?
- Does it improve on what may have been done before, not just copy it?
- Are there indicators for success of a project? Can we track them?
- Can we track where all funds may be dispersed using photo accountability?
- Can we expect the project to be sustainable, without continued outisde support?
- Can we scale up to other villages?
Site Content
Where We Work
Where We Work
Where We Work
We work mainly in and around Manthali, Nepal, a small village in the eastern part of the country.
The Need
Where We Work
Where We Work
Smartketi focuses on three needs: education, entrepreneurship and health and nutrition
Our Projects
Where We Work
Our Projects
Our projects include smartbracelet, smarthosiery, smartlibrary and smartbakery. Click on the Project Link at the top of the page to find out more.
Our Team
Volunteer spotlight
Our Projects
We have a collaborative group of volunteers in both the US and in Nepal. Please come and meet our team.
Gallery
Volunteer spotlight
Volunteer spotlight
We like to share our activities with everyone interested. Please watch some videos of our many innovative projects.
Volunteer spotlight
Volunteer spotlight
Volunteer spotlight
In our charitable organization, we invite you to get involved in various ways, whether it is by buying a smartbracelet, donating directly or even volunteering in Nepal.