I have been teaching and mentoring young people and volunteers for over 17 years in the UK. I love watching people develop and flourish in an inspiring and supportive environment. I am now able to take the skills I developed in the UK to Nepal to work on the Sisters for Sisters project which a part of Global Action Nepal’s work in Lamjung region. This project aims to create a supportive environment in which young girls (“Little Sisters”) learn and links them to young women (“Big Sisters”) who act as mentors and encourage they remain in school and have a safe space for learning. The project enables local girls from rural and marginalised communities to stay in school and complete a full cycle of education. I will be training “Big Sister” mentors and also support Global Action Nepal’s work developing community action plans with parents, guardians and elders in school catchment areas.
Across Nepal there is a wide gender discrepancy in education with literacy rates between men and women varying dramatically: 71.6% of men in Nepal are literate compare to just 44.5% of women. Too often girls do not finish education and receive, on average, less than 3 years formal education. This can have a dramatic effect on their future as just one extra year of education in Nepal can see adult income increase by 10%.
I will be working with older girls who have completed a full cycle of education to support them in becoming mentors and role models to younger girls who are at risk of dropping out of education. Through this scheme I will be helping to create a supportive and encouraging environment for young girls at school in Nepal. I will also be working with Global Action Nepal to make the school environment more welcoming for girls and to encourage other members of the community to support girls in education.
I'll be helping young women become mentors for younger girls in their communities. I'll share with them some of the skills I've picked up from my experience so they can motivate and encourage these girls to stay in school for longer and reach their full potential.
