Life’s peaceful here and the air is clear.”I’m in the little-visited Dhankuta region of eastern Nepal on a trip hosted by Community Homestay Network (CHN). Since launching with just one homestay in Panauti, south-east of Kathmandu, in 2012, CHN has grown to more than 362 families across 40 communities. Empowering women to earn without having to leave their villages, and working on sustainable rainwater-harvesting solutions, is central to this vision. Prem leads the way up a dirt staircase hewn from the mountain to her home, the highest in the village. Prem patiently attempts to braid a lacha dori (a colourful thread adorned with beads) of Alina’s into my slippery bob.