Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS), in collaboration with local partner District FECOFUN, organized a three-day financial literacy training from May 08-10, 2026 in Bhimeshwor Municipality, Dolakha. The training was conducted as part of the CAFiN (Climate Action Financing through Women and Social Enterprises) project and was facilitated by Mochan Bhattarai. The participants were women-led or engaged (WLE) entrepreneurs from the agriculture and forestry sectors of Bhimeshwor Municipality.
On the first day, participants explored the fundamentals of financial literacy, understanding money-related behavior, goal setting, and the basics of household and business financial management. Interactive activities, group discussions, and practical exercises helped participants reflect on how emotions, habits, and environment influence financial decisions. As a take-home challenge, participants were given record sheets to track their household and business income and expenses.
The second day focused on budgeting, savings, debt reduction, and financial crisis preparedness. Participants practiced preparing household budgets and identified strategies to build financial resilience. The latter part of the day introduced digital financial literacy, covering mobile banking, QR code payments, digital wallets, and safety practices to avoid fraud and scams.
On the third and final day, participants learned about financial products and services such as savings, insurance, and loans, followed by an important session on protecting themselves against digital fraud and scams. The training concluded with a session on negotiation and communication skills for business dealings, a post-test assessment, and a closing ceremony. Notably, the average test score of participants nearly doubled rising from 4.5 in the pre-test to 8.6 in the post-test reflecting significant gains in financial knowledge over the three days.