“What would the society think”, is the phrase that has shattered the dreams of many youths in our country. Growing up in a society like ours, guardians opt the idea of letting their children become an aspiring doctor or an engineer to children irrelevant to their field of interest. In a mechanized education system like ours, scholars with good grades from reputed schools are labeled as prodigies, whereas those obtaining good grades from an average school are labeled as an average citizen.
Such was the case with Mr. Santosh Khanal, owner of Upma Drug House Tatha Aushadi Pasal.
Born and raised in an average family in Kavrepalanchowk, Mr. Khanal in pursuit of his dream to open his own pharmaceutical store migrated to Kathmandu in the year 2068 BS. Things were not easy in the initial days as expected, he had to undergo a series of struggle in establishing his own pharmacy.
With average financial background, it was tough for him to get enrolled in colleges within Kathmandu. After numerous attempts, Mr. Khanal finally got himself enrolled in Council For Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) for pharmacy. Upon the completion of his training, Mr. Khanal initially opened his pharmacy in Kapan. But due to personal problems, he was forced to shut it down. “Having had to close the pharmacy was the rock bottom part of his career” recalls Mr. Khanal.Losing his hopes, he had planned on going abroad in search of better opportunities. In times where he felt low, his wife and his 2-year-old daughter were what inspired him to pursue his dream again. Mr. Santosh mustering all the courage and confidence, opened “Upma Drug House Tatha Aushadi Pasal” in 2070 B.S.
Operating a pharmaceutical is no gimmick, one must be dedicated as Mr. Khanal and his wife, who works at least 15 hours a day. ‘Alike doctors, the pharmacist is also not an easy job, one must work through memorizing names of all medicines, take necessary training and then serve the society’, states Mr. Khanal. With monthly sale accounting to six figures, and daily customers ranging from 150–200, the pharmaceutical has proven to provide quality and reliable services in Kalopul area.
He exclaims that “ My family worked really hard to mold me and my siblings, their hard work has really paid off.” His motto for life is not only to earn profit but also to serve the society in need.Through his business, he has been able to support his family and his parents who are residing in Kavrepalanchowk. His message to aspiring entrepreneurs wanting to pursue their dream is “ Having a dream is only the initial phase in entrepreneurship, what matters the most is having the correct attitude and determination to give shape to your dream”