Kathmandu, Dec. 6 -- Until recently it was not unusual for women in villages of Kavre to hide when they saw outsiders approaching. Today, they welcome tourists to their homes and are even learning English, Italian or Japanese to better communicate with guests.
Shila Amatya (below) was already running a beauty parlour in her house in Panauti when a group of women in her community asked if she could help them start homestays as well. She agreed, and they set up their homes.
Then the women approached Royal Mountain Travels (RMT) to ask if the company would help them find clients for their community of homestays. Seven years later, what started as a corporate social responsibility initiative in a town in Kavre has expanded into a full-fledge...