Comprehensive Workshop Report: Mero Shakti, Mero Bhavishya (My Strength, My Future)

Facilitated by: Creating Possibilities Nepal (CP Nepal) in collaboration with @Her International(Herinternational.org)

Date: [9th and11th November 2025]

Location: Creating Possibilities Nepal, Gadhawa, Dang

Total Participants: 32 Adolescent Girls (Grade 11 - University 2nd Year, age 17-24) from the Dang Deukhuri Region.

1. Introduction and Background

The "Mero Shakti, Mero Bhavishya" workshop was a two-day empowerment session for 32 young women from the Dang Deukhuri region—a community deeply impacted by the legacy of bonded labor (Kamaiya/Kamalari).

Rationale for the Sessions

These participants, though actively pursuing education, face significant barriers. Their academic institutions typically do not offer crucial career guidance, soft skills, or empowerment sessions. Furthermore, the young women spend considerable time on intensive post-school domestic responsibilities (housework and parental support), leaving them with little time to focus on their futures or receive targeted career counseling. This workshop was specifically designed to fill this critical gap by providing a safe space for self-discovery, practical career planning, and civic awakening, linking their personal futures to the need for better governance in Nepal.

2. Day 1: Self-Discovery, Strengths, and Dreams (Group ‘A’)

Theme: Our Strengths, Dreams, and Skills

Methodology & Key Activities

The session began with highly engaging icebreaker games, such as the Human Knot, designed to foster trust, nonverbal communication, and immediate collaborative problem-solving. These games established a lively, interactive, and supportive environment for the subsequent activities:

• "I Can" (Skills/Strengths): Identification of personal talents and daily contributions.

• "I Will" (Dreams/Aspirations): Articulating future goals for careers and life.

• Visual Sharing: Groups presented their findings on hand-written posters, promoting ownership.

Highlights from Group ‘A’

The collective responses demonstrated a clear duality of creativity and ambition:

Category	Highlights (Key Statements)	Insight
Strengths (I Can)	I can dance; I can help others; I can mix and interact well with friends; I can sing and study.	Demonstrated confidence, strong social skills, artistic talent, and community spirit.
Dreams (I Will)	I will go abroad; I will become a teacher; I will become a beautician; I will become a government officer; I will become a public health worker.	Showed a strong drive towards professional careers and a notable aspiration for exploration/economic opportunity abroad.

Reflection

The public declaration of “I can” and “I will” statements instilled a strong sense of confidence and inspiration, culminating in celebration on the first day.

3. Day 2: Career Pathways and Civic Awareness

Theme: Action Planning, Job Market Navigation, and Youth Leadership

Key Activities and Facilitation

Day 2 moved to practical application and included critical discussions on the sociopolitical context of their futures.

Session Focus	Key Discussion Points	Facilitators
Nepali Job Market	Practical ways to secure employment via the private sector, opportunities abroad (linking to their "I will go abroad" dream), and pathways through the Public Service Commission (Lok Sewa Aayog).	Dinesh Raj Sapkota (Director, CP Nepal) & Sarita Chaudahry (Women Empowerment Coordinator)
Empowerment & Agency	Discussing the role of women in the community and practical steps for personal advocacy.	Michelle Bineau (Founder, Her International)
Youth, Politics, and Accountability	Crucial Discussion: Linking the participants' personal dreams to the national call for change, specifically discussing the recent Gen Z protests against systemic corruption. The session highlighted the importance of educated youth having an interest and role in politics to ensure a future where their hard work is not undermined by poor governance and corruption.	Deepa Chaudahry (Student Empowerment Coordinator)

 Key Takeaways

The discussions were highly relevant and practical, providing tangible pathways for career entry. Most importantly, the final debate of the anti-corruption Gen Z movement provided a powerful civic context, empowering participants to see their educational pursuits not just as a personal escape but as a tool for demanding transparency and political change—a rare and crucial conversation in their demanding lives.

4. Conclusion and Impact

All 32 participants deeply appreciated the two-day workshop. They expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity, acknowledging that their limited time due to domestic duties meant they hardly ever received such focused empowerment or career guidance to help them plan for their futures or reflect on their personal strengths.

The workshop successfully achieved its goals by helping these young women:

• Articulate their strengths and potential.

• Map their dreams into realistic professional pathways.

• Recognize their critical role as educated youth in demanding governance and accountability, specifically linking their future success to the national movement against corruption.

The combination of personal confidence-building (Day 1) and practical skills training/civic dialogue (Day 2) provided a strong, motivating foundation for these emerging leaders from the Dang Deukhuri region.