June 19,2019 Dhan Maya Shakya – 33, resident of Kota Tole is full of excitement after she recently registered her own business firm in Bungamati Ward no 22 of Lalitpur. Bungamati has been a synonym of wood carving from last few decades. Most of the creative wooden sculptures placed on rafters and struts of the heritages building are connected with this settlement. This is the most adapted family run business which has now boomed as most favorable tourism based enterprises. The creativity, the skills, the patience and the techniques required to excel in the business need to be applauded. Engaged in the wood carving from early age, she is assisting her husband in this cottage industry. Woman sitting on the side, her contribution was limited to petty works like fabricating minor photo frames only. As the society sees it as "men's job" she lacked experience, opportunity and motivation to lead. Moreover, she lacked business idea that gives her strength and courage to establish her as a creative woodcarving professional. Ms. Shakya, as described by her husband, is very creative and has an attitude to be someone different. She always wanted to move above this simple photo-frame making task and do something creative in which she can reflect herself. She took the opportunity to be a part of the “Wood Carving Training” which was organized by SABAH Nepal, under the project “Sustainable Tourism and Green Growth for Heritage Settlements of Kathmandu Valley” funded under Switch Asia programme by European Union.  Her passion for the work and her creativity were clearly opening out during the two-month training assignments. She learnt the higher level of wood carving skills including complex design on the wooden door frames and wooden statues. With the project support she was the first women to register her business in the ward office. She is very excited and is planning to set up her own craft business outlet and start selling her own products to the domestic and international tourists visiting Bungamati