Free makerspace opens in Dhangadhi, offering skills training and startup opportunities

Dhangadhi: A Makerspace has been established on the premises of the Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City office to promote local entrepreneurship, develop practical skills, and create green employment opportunities.

The facility was established under the Green Transition Portfolio, an initiative jointly implemented by Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It serves as a shared workspace where people can turn creative ideas into reality, learn new technologies, and develop prototypes for potential business ventures.

Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Gopal Hamal said the Makerspace is open to everyone free of charge. He encouraged school and college students to use the facility alongside their studies to acquire practical skills and explore opportunities to generate income.

Hamal said professors and educators from schools and colleges had also been invited to the launch, with the aim of helping students develop practical skills and become self-reliant while continuing their education. He urged students and other interested individuals to use the facility to strengthen their capabilities.

According to Makerspace Coordinator Mahesh Khatiwada, the facility has been established as an innovation hub where people with new ideas, creative talents, or business plans can develop prototypes. Open to everyone, the space offers opportunities to learn a wide range of skills, from fashion designing and embroidery to robotics and electronics.

Khatiwada said the Makerspace would help people put their ideas into practice, develop prototypes, and turn them into business ventures. Classrooms have also been arranged to facilitate training sessions and workshops, making it easier to conduct skills-based training, technical learning, and creative activities.

The Makerspace houses three laboratories dedicated to sewing and embroidery, electronics and robotics, and woodworking.

The first laboratory is equipped with modern tools for learning sewing, embroidery, and fashion designing. Equipment such as computerized embroidery machines, vinyl cutters, and heat presses will enable young people to develop practical skills in design and textile decoration.

The second laboratory focuses on electronics and technology. It contains drone kits, Arduino boards, computers for 3D design, 3D printers, remote-controlled (RC) machines, robotic dogs, hot glue guns, paint spray guns, and soldering stations. These tools will help young people gain practical knowledge and skills in electronics, robotics, and other technologies.

The third laboratory is dedicated to woodworking and the production of wooden items. It is intended to help individuals learn how to make various products from wood and transform creative ideas into practical, tangible goods.

The Makerspace is expected to support local youths’ skill development, facilitate the creation of prototypes for new products, and promote entrepreneurship.

Launched in April 2025 through a partnership between UNDP and Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City, the Green Transition Portfolio aims to develop Dhangadhi into an eco-friendly, climate-resilient, and sustainable city.

The initiative seeks to turn waste into economic resources through reuse, promote the production and marketing of environmentally friendly goods made from materials such as bamboo, clay, and banana fiber, create green jobs, and develop nature-based infrastructure.