SABAH (SAARC Business Association of Home Based Workers) Nepal is a non-profit community based social-business organization that works to strengthen the livelihoods of financially deprived and marginalized home based workers (HBWs) in the informal sector of Nepal.

Home based workers are those who produce goods or provide services from in or around their own home, including in a structure attached to their home. There are two types: independent own-account workers who run their own business from home, and subcontract workers who work for businesses or contractors from their home.

According to surveys, there are approximately 800,000 home based workers in Nepal, with the majority being women. They are mostly engaged in traditional industries like weaving, embroidery, woodcarving, and tailoring.

Home based workers face multiple challenges including lack of legal recognition and protection, invisibility in national statistics, exploitation by middlemen, limited access to markets, lack of skills training, no access to finance, poor working conditions, and no social security benefits.

SABAH Nepal provides skill enhancement training, product design and development support, market linkages and intelligence, enterprise development programs, value chain development, institutional linkages, leadership training, exposure visits, and capacity building programs for home based workers.

To date, SABAH Nepal has involved over 4,500 women, conducted more than 272 training sessions, and benefited over 3,785 women as training participants across the country.

SABAH Nepal operates 8 community centers, 3 cafes, and 6 retail outlets across Nepal that serve as training hubs, product display centers, and sales points for home based workers.

Home based workers can join SABAH Nepal by contacting our nearest community center or our main office in Lalitpur. They need to fill out a membership form and provide basic identification. There is no membership fee. Our team will then assess their skill level and connect them to appropriate training and support programs.