What once struggled to find buyers is now racing to keep up with demand. In Pelrithang, Gelephu, a small ice cream plant has found new life, thanks to thousands of volunteers shaping the Gelephu Mindfulness City.
Just a few years ago, the Aa Pow Ice Cream plant located in Pelrithang stood quiet for most of the day. Machines were switched off. Production was low. And sales were even lower.
Today, it is a different scene. The hum of machines fills the room. Workers move quickly, pouring, mixing, freezing, batch after batch. The Ice Cream Plant is now running almost non-stop. The turning point came with the volunteer programmes in Gelephu Mindfulness City.
Behind the operation is a local supply chain. Milk is sourced from members of the Gelephu Om Detshen group, directly linking farmers to production and ensuring steady income within the community.
“Earlier, marketing was our biggest challenge. We couldn’t sell much. But now, during volunteer work, we sell three to four months’ worth of ice cream in just a few days,” said Bishnu Katel, Chairman, Gelephu Om Detshen.
Nearly every ice cream produced here now goes directly to the volunteers. For the upcoming sixth round of work, the team is already building up stock. And they are doing it at a lower price, supporting the project while sustaining their business.
“We are supplying our ice cream for the project at factory rates. The smaller cups, which usually sell for Nu 30, are now priced at 25, while the larger ones have been reduced from Nu 50 to 40. At present, we offer four main flavours, vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, and strawberry, along with products like popsticks, Choco bar, mango, litchi and kulfi,” said Bishnu Katel, Chairman, Gelephu Om Detshen.
During the fifth round of volunteer work alone, the group generated around Nu 200,000, marking a significant improvement from earlier days.
The plant itself was built at a cost of Nu 13.2 M under the Small Development Project Fund, to boost rural livelihoods and create jobs. Today, that vision is beginning to take shape.
During volunteer work periods, between 9,000 and 15,000 ice creams are produced and supplied each day, feeding thousands across the worksites.
Passang Dorji, Gelephu
