The first community mill is now working in Achham

On 9 August 2026, the first community mill in Bhatwada, Achham, was inaugurated and put to work. It is a small machine, but getting it there took many people working together.

When the mill arrived, the women of the community came to welcome it. Local men unloaded it and carried it from the vehicle to the place prepared for it. The women had already been involved in deciding where it should go and how the community would use it.

The space and electrical connection were prepared, and the machine was installed. At the inauguration, the mill was switched on and the women began to process grain with it. Those first moments are in the photographs.

Until now, processing grain meant doing a lot of work by hand or travelling to another mill. Having one close to home can save time and effort. We will learn with the women how it works in everyday use; it is too early to put a number on the hours saved.

The first mill was made possible by the support received through the MiGranoDeArena matchfunding campaign. Thank you to everyone who contributed, and to the women and the local team who have worked to make it useful for the community.

At be artsy, we work on menstrual health and education, but women’s autonomy also depends on what happens in daily life. This mill is one concrete way to make that daily work a little lighter.