Dolpa's Education & Healthcare with Yak Cheese

Daigle Labs is an Applied Entrepreneurship Research lab dedicated to creating impact through research in Organizational Science. Our Global Enterprise Development Program is our signature research application. We have proven to increase business revenue and reduce business carbon footprint, there is no place too far, too high, or too uncertain that will deter us from reaching entrepreneurs who want to work with us. Our goal is to raise $3,800 to help empower a Yak Cheese Factory in the Himalayan Mountains that is the hub of economic opportunity with the resources they need to help their community rise. More details of their story can be found below:

In a small village located in the western valleys of Nepal at over 17,000 feet, you will find a stone building and a herd of yaks. This seemingly simple operation is the livelihood of these villagers who have taken on the journey of entrepreneurship in a place far off the beaten path. With a rural location and high altitude, the economic and educational opportunities are extremely limited, and yet, a small group was able to raise funds to build a yak cheese farm and founded Mukporong Yak Cheese.

Due to a lack of resources, women within Dolpa have had very little means to support themselves and low levels of education. This business has created an opportunity for these women to not only support themselves but to invest in their community. Profits from this farm will be used to aid the struggling local health center and create a better school system that can offer education to both men and women.

Since operations have begun, Daigle Labs at UConn has worked to provide management training, build clientele, and offer entrepreneurship guidance to the employees of Mukporong Yak Cheese Farm. Though they have greatly improved their operations, traveling to and from the herds to collect yak milk has been a physically taxing trek that hinders the amount of cheese they can produce seasonally.

After a life-changing experience meeting these dedicated individuals, we at Daigle Labs are working to raise funds for the purchase of a dirt bike. This seemingly basic piece of equipment often used recreationally in the states would be a game-changer for this company and village. The long and labor-intensive task of transporting the yak milk would be a thing of the past, leaving more time for production, sales, and the education of the employees as many works to gain financial literacy and independence.

Donations to this fund will not just be purchasing a dirt bike, they will be supporting entrepreneurship, better education and health care, and providing women with greater independence.