Kathmandu- With roads disrupted and heavy vehicles unable to cross, a Himalayan winery is turning to its local community to keep business moving.
When devastating floods and landslides struck Manang in late September, they damaged vital roads and bridge crossings, cutting off communities and businesses from the rest of Nepal.
For many, it meant uncertainty. For one local winery, it meant finding another way. High in the apple-growing region of Bhratang, Manang Beverages, the producer of Manang Valley Wines, is facing an unusual challenge, how to get its wines from the Himalayan mountains to markets across Nepal when the roads can no longer support normal cargo movement.
Although a temporary bridge has brought some relief, transporting heavy loads remains difficult. The solution? The people of Manang themselves.
Working alongside the local community, Manang Beverages is finding ways to move its products across the disrupted crossing, one load at a time, in an effort to resume regular operations and meet demand during the festive season.
The initiative is also creating work opportunities for local residents during a particularly difficult period. What could have been just another story of business disruption is becoming something much more meaningful: a story of a community helping its own industries survive.
In a region where geography has always demanded resilience, this collaboration reflects the determination of local people to protect their livelihoods and keep their economy moving.
Because sometimes, rebuilding doesn’t begin with roads or bridges. Sometimes, it begins with people coming together. And from the mountains of Manang comes a simple reminder of the Nepali spirit: the road may be broken, but the determination to move forward remains unshaken.
