“My parents had no idea that I had applied for the scholarship, so they were shocked when my name was called out”
I was never really going to pursue my education outside of Nepal. I had seen a lot of people leave to study abroad and neglect their families. I am very close to my family, and they are at the heart of what I do. So, no one expected it when it was announced that I had won a prestigious scholarship to study in the UK. It was the day of my graduation and when they announced, “The winner of the London Metropolitan University/ International Students House Scholarship is Trijan Manandhar” it was a total surprise for my parents. They were overjoyed and it felt so good to make them proud.
That was the beginning of my journey to London Metropolitan University where I enrolled for the International Business Management MSc course. My grandfather and father were into business and so naturally I gravitated to entrepreneurship. After my first degree in business administration at Islington College in Nepal, I was keen to understand manufacturing and business processes on a global scale. My dream is to scale up my own company that I started in 2018 to reach a wider market. The business is centred on providing healthy, authentic Nepalese food. One of the main products is organic and natural food supplements inspired by rural Nepalese farmers who back in the day had to consume high-energy giving food before a hard day’s work. “SATU” is a mixture of different whole grains (maize, wheat, barley, chickpeas, almonds).
I stepped out of my comfort zone for my final research project – still in the field of business but on the subject of autism and education.
I am part of a group of London Met students working with a Canadian company, Your Learner Education, which is currently looking to expand its services to autistic children in London and Nepal. There are a lot of non-profit organizations in this field but not enough is being done by the private sector, so working on this project is something I am proud of because I know it will make a difference in the near future.
Parting words? There are challenges in every aspect of life. Being in business or being an entrepreneur is essentially signing up for doubt, fear, and failure. And it’s these experiences and challenges that make you resilient, spur your passion, and drive you to success. As a fitness and bodybuilding enthusiast, I liken business growth to working out. Just as your muscles grow stronger by working out, your success is determined by your perseverance. Just keep going and don’t be afraid to get back up when you fall.
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