Empower 300 girls to become leaders in Nepal

Our 2014 School LEADers have wrapped up the School Leadership Program where they taught 221 of their peers from eight different schools throughout Kathmandu Valley! Each of our 14 LEADers co-taught weekly sessions for the past four months. The sessions included lessons on various topics such as goal setting, teamwork, healthy relationships, human rights and women rights. Closing Ceremonies were held which gave each of the students a chance to share their experiences through lively performances, meaningful speeches and poems. The School LEADers also shared heartfelt stories about their experience teaching their peers.

Alina shares her School Leadership Program experience at New Zenith English School:

‘Conducting the School Leadership Program was the best part of joining Women LEAD. I saw a significant improvement in my public speaking skills and my communication skills, as well as my ability to interact with new people. The fact that we get to pass on our knowledge to somebody else feels great. Ever since childhood, I loved being a teacher. I still recall playing the game where I would become a teacher. To be living that childhood dream of actually becoming one gives me immense happiness.”

The LEADers on the internship track have been hard at work in various organizations and businesses and are coming to the last weeks of their placements. LEADers have been placed with organizations such as Social Tours, Legal Aid and Consultancy Center, Bikalpa Arts Center and even Women LEAD! The internships have given LEADers career building skills and the chance to gain hands-on professional experience in an area of their interest. Several interns share their experiences with us:

Jemie on her Internship with Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO):

"Interning at FEDO has been a great learning experience for me. I got hands on experience working in an organization professionally. I also recently got a chance to attend the National Dalit Conference where Dalits from all over 75 districts from Nepal had taken part. Through the conference, I learned about the problems that they had faced being a Dalit. I also attended a rally which was organized to advocate about the inclusion of Dalits in the upcoming constitution. In order to uplift the status of Dalit women, I believe that women should have access to the fundamental rights and have access to education."

Reeti on her Internship with Literary Magazine La.Lit:

“Some of the highlights of my internship include attending the Sarah Lundberg workshop where I learned interesting facts about children’s books and their illustrations. I also got a chance to become involved with the only slam poetry group in Nepal, ‘The Word Warriors’. I eventually plan on opening up a media house. Getting an opportunity to work at La.Lit really gave me a clear idea and hands-on experience with how media houses function. Overall, I believe my internship has been extremely rewarding.”

Here are some events we held in the past three months: Peer Counseling Session; Deborah Gough, Reflections on 2014; Session with Dr. Robyn Wilson, Civic Engagement Session, and Storytelling workshop. We also participated in'16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence' Campaign from the 25th of November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to the 10th of December, Human Rights Day. Check out our blog to learn more about the several events Women LEAD organized to raise awareness and public engagement regarding violence faced by women.

Events for Women LEAD in the near future: We are excited to celebrate International Women’s Day March 8th by hosting a 5k run. All of our Women LEAD alumni, current LEADers, staff and all of our women friends throughout Kathmandu are invited to jog, walk, and skip together to celebrate women. In May we will have a graduation ceremony for all of our 2014 LEADers to celebrate all of their hard work, dedication and accomplishments!