Digital Roadmap Program: Bridging the Digital Divide Through Local Empowerment and Mentorship

Nepal’s digital transformation is accelerating, but not everyone is benefiting equally. While urban centers have become digital hubs with thriving e-commerce ecosystems, secondary cities continue to face significant barriers to digital participation. Women, youth, and micro-entrepreneurs from marginalized backgrounds often lack access to the infrastructure, training, and mentorship needed to fully engage in the digital economy.

We’re excited to announce the Digital Roadmap Program, which will empower 20-25 entrepreneurs in Dhangadhi with the digital skills, confidence, and practical support they need to thrive in Nepal’s evolving digital landscape.

Why This Matters

The digital economy shouldn’t just flow outward from urban centers; it should create opportunities everywhere. Too often, digitalization reinforces existing inequalities rather than breaking them down. Entrepreneurs in secondary cities know about digital tools like Facebook Marketplace, Daraz, and eSewa, but they lack the contextual guidance and mentorship to use them effectively and safely.

This program is designed to change that narrative by bringing digital empowerment directly to Dhangadhi’s doorstep.

What We’re Delivering

The Digital Roadmap Program combines hands-on training with personalized mentorship to create lasting digital capacity in Dhangadhi’s entrepreneurial community.

Training That Works

Participants will join intensive two-day workshops covering everything from secure internet use and cybersecurity basics to setting up business profiles on e-commerce platforms like HamroBazar and Daraz. We’ll explore digital payment systems (eSewa, Khalti, FonePay), social media marketing, and even AI-assisted content creation – all tailored to the local context and real business needs.

Mentorship That Matters

After training, 8-10 selected entrepreneurs will be paired with dedicated youth volunteers for fifteen to four eighteen days of hands-on support. Together, they’ll implement personalized Digital Roadmaps, creating online profiles, integrating payment systems, generating content, and building sustainable workflows for customer communication and sales.

Knowledge That Scales

Every lesson learned will be captured in an open-access Digital Roadmap Toolkit,  a practical guide that CSOs, municipalities, and educational institutions across Nepal can use to replicate this model in their own communities.

Who This Is For

This program centers the voices and needs of those traditionally excluded from digital opportunities:

• Women-led microenterprises seeking to expand their market reach
• Youth innovators ready to transform their ideas into digital ventures
• Social entrepreneurs from marginalized backgrounds are building community-focused businesses
• Small business owners looking to modernize their operations and compete in digital markets

This project is supported under the Digital Democracy Initiative by Digital Initiative South Asia and Accountability Lab, advancing digital democracy and civic participation across Nepal.