What has VIN achieved in Youth Empowerment programs by now?

3265

T. BENEFICIARIES

1569

YOUTH CLUBS & LIFE SKILLS

225

ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT

1470

ENGLISH & CAREER DEVELOPMENT

WHAT IS WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM?

Women Empowerment Program and gender issues are global issues, affecting countries across the world in a variety of ways. Unlike in more economically developed countries, women in Nepal have vastly different roles and opportunities in society compared to continents like Europe and North America. For example, the majority of people in Nepal who cannot read or write are women, they have a much lower life expectancy than men and the majority of women rely on men who their basic needs of housing, food, and economic stability.

WHAT IS THE SITUATION FOR WOMEN IN NEPAL?

239 women out of every 10,000 die due to childbirth.
The employment rate of Nepalese women stands at 80%, far lower than for men.
Nepalese women in rural areas are more vulnerable than those in urban or semi-urban areas, who typically lack better economic, health, education, and empowerment opportunities.
Nearly 85% of Nepalese women in employment work in the agricultural sector.
Almost half of Nepalese women are married before they are 18 years old.
The general rates of immunization and standards of health and nutrition for Nepalese women remain very poor, particularly in rural areas.

MAJOR ISSUES IN WOMEN’S HEALTH IN NEPAL:

Shorter life expectancy and high maternal mortality rate.
Higher infant and child mortality rates and neglect of girls’ health.
Mental Health issues for women are taboo.
A lack of adequate health care services and access to contraception.
Cultural and societal expectations and prejudices towards women’s bodies, virginity sexual activity, and menstruation.

WHY CHOOSE THE WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM?

How to empower women? The Women Empowerment Program is vital for increasing the prosperity and standard of living in local communities, regions, and Nepal as a whole. The Women’s Empowerment Program builds upon the initiatives and work of the Nepalese government and NGOs at a local level, addressing the problems and meeting the needs of communities. This is actually the importance of women empowerment.

What is the goal of the Women’s Empowerment Program?

The major goal of Women Empowerment Program is to empower women socially and economically through education, life skills, and income-generation initiatives. VIN provides education and training opportunities to women of various age groups through the teaching of English and developing life skills, supporting the women and girls most in need in Nepal.

How does VIN achieve the goal of Women’s Empowerment?

The following are examples of ongoing successful projects designed to achieve the goal of Women Empowerment Program

WHAT ARE THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT?

These are the need for women’s empowerment as well:

Equal access to education and employment opportunities.
Reproductive rights and access to healthcare.
Political participation and representation.
Freedom from violence and protection against abuse.
Property rights and access to resources.

EDUCATION, RIGHTS, AND LIFE SKILLS:

Thousands of women have participated in a range of classes in Women Empowerment Program already, which include both life skills such as self-awareness, coping with stress, coping with emotions, and professional skills, such as mathematics and working with computers. We also run health-related classes and training, covering fertility and sexual health, breast cancer awareness, and basic sanitation. Our Business and Community Learning Centers allow these skills to be practiced and developed.

MICROCREDIT/MICROFINANCE THROUGH COOPERATIVES:

Microcredit programs allow women to be in a better position to take control of their finances, in turn increasing family recognition and social status. In Jitpurphedi and Okhaldhnga, hundreds of women receive loans, and thousands of social events have been organized to spread awareness about the importance of being financially self-dependent. Through our business center, we can train women in different skills of microcredit and finance.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INCOME GENERATION, AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING

Informal employment is the biggest problem affecting the productivity rates of farmers, especially female farmers. Through the introduction of innovative mechanisms in agriculture, VIN can improve the livelihood of millions of female farmers throughout the country. VIN has already provided multiple income-generating skill training, such as seasonal and off-season vegetable farming, to hundreds of farmers. In addition, courses like entrepreneurship development and cheese making have been provided for hundreds of beneficiaries, whilst many women have also been involved in projects such as mushroom farming and goat keeping. Our holistic Women’s Empowerment Program has proven to be successful in addressing the overall features of underprivileged women.

WHAT ARE THE 5 PILLARS OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT?

Education: Ensuring equal access to education for women.
Economic Independence: Providing opportunities for women’s economic participation and financial self-sufficiency.
Healthcare: Ensuring access to quality healthcare, including reproductive health services.
Political Participation: Encouraging women’s involvement and representation in political processes.
Legal Equality: Establishing and enforcing laws that guarantee equal rights and protection for women.

How can I get Involved?

Volunteer

Intern

Donate

Sponsor a child

Partner

Promote

Fundraise

Fellowships and staff exchanges

Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN)

4.8

Based on 111 reviews

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Paper Wings

04:47 11 Apr 24

Monique Daulton

08:07 02 Apr 24

Just had the most incredible 2 weeks volunteering with VIN in Okhaldunga. I worked with the women empowerment - life skills programme teaching the women about self confidence & self esteem. I feel very humbled & enriched by all the incredible women I met & the VIN staff & organisation who give so much to empower marginalised communities in Nepal

Sandy Storey

12:02 25 Mar 24

Namaste! I am pleased to have volunteered with VIN in Nepal as a teacher trainer. I carried out general teacher training in Okhaldhunga with teachers from nearby areas as well as more specific English language training for one month in both Nishanke and Bhaudare. VIN staff provided me with support before, during and after. I also made new friends with volunteers from all over the world. VIN seeks to empower marginalized communities in a holistic fashion. It is a noble cause, and I am happy to have made a contribution. Dhanyabad 🙂

Cherine wong

13:33 19 Mar 24

I undertook a management and administrative internship at VIN in their head office. It was eye inspiring, eye opening and enriching - it's the people who make an organisation so special, and Buphi and the team are the heart of it.I very much enjoyed my time at VIN, the work I got to do, learning more about this not for profit and the incredibly profound sustainable projects and programs they run. They're a beacon of light for Nepal and I'm glad I got to make a small contribution to their work.

Suvi-Tuuli Vehviläinen

11:28 01 Mar 24

I’m Suvi, I’m 26 years old and I’m from Finland.I was doing the Youth Empowerment; Youth Club and Life Skills project here at VIN in Okhaldhunga.We formed 3 new Youth Clubs in the area, Taluwa, Thulaccap and Bhadaure. We trained the Board Members of these youth clubs and gave them skills to manage the Clubs by themselves, for examples how to manage budgeting and how to arrange meetings and events for the youth.I think the youth clubs really do make a difference in the area, because they give a voice to young people and give them possibilities to influence and change the communities here in Nepal.In addition to forming and training the Youth Clubs, we also did general Youth training, which included learning Life skills such as creative thinking, building self-confidence, goal setting, computer class and learning English through fun games and conversations.I learned a lot from this experience. I learned about a new culture and a new way of life. People here are extremely friendly and warm-hearted and young people are so eager to learn new skills. I learned a lot about the youth club formation also, because it was new to me - I mean different than in my country. I look forward to hearing from the Youth Clubs in the future.The most memorable thing of my experience was giving support to young people and getting the smiles and laughs from them when they completed the tasks or did very well when talking in English. I really had the best time telling them “Good job, well done!”The youth empowerment project in total made me really understand the phrase “youth are the future”. It really hit me that they actually are the generation that will decide how things will go from now on and they are the ones who can have an impact on their community and later on the whole country. That made me feel I’m doing an important job with every single supportive feedback I’m giving.I had the best team, I love how everybody was supporting me through my whole journey. And everyone was so chill. I was having a hard time at some point doubting whether I’m doing a good job, afraid that I’m not giving a good performance, that should I be able to do more, but with support I came to conclusion that it is the little things that matter. Just meeting the youth and chatting with them is a lot, it doesn’t have to be a circus.I would definitely recommend this project to other people, for the same reasons I mentioned earlier. It is a great opportunity to build a future together with the local youth, hear what ideas they have and make things happen. The project is a great way to practice English also. My English is not perfect and neither is theirs or most of the volunteers here, so it’s a good chance to learn together.In total I’ve enjoyed my stay here very much. I actually ended up extending my stay a little, cause I just couldn’t leave. I’m very grateful for my experience and the work I got to do, to make a change here in Nepal.

Pramila Maharjan

06:44 24 Dec 23

My experience at VIN was amazing.I choose VIN for different role within community. I had very good time in Jitpur fedi.We made the beautiful connection with community people's. I love to work together within the international volunteers and local volunteers. Thank you for giving me this great opportunity to deed into the community.

PRAJWOL POUDEL

14:35 20 Dec 23

Volunteering with VIN has given me lots of new experiences and memories. Working with international volunteers, community people, and VIN staff was wonderful. I did meet some amazing people and made new friends and this volunteering has made me feel like I can make a change to the community of Nepal. I do wish to join back with VIN at some point again..:)

justine Squire

05:09 11 Dec 23

I’ve had an amazing experience with VIN. From the first emails to prepare to commit to this program, my arrival and induction, the support and check -ins during the volunteering and of course the exit and farewell, all of which I received excellent support and communication.VIN is a wonderful NGO organisation which has been in existence for 18 years and was founded by a local person who grew up in an isolated village in the far east of Nepal, hence, he is really in touch with the needs of his people.I was involved in the Women’s Empowerment Program.I developed a presentation for women in small villages. With a beautiful local girl (my translator), I trekked 20mins - 2 hrs to various villages. We taught leadership and self -care through the use of posters, music, dancing and games.I was also asked to run a more in-depth program with women that were leaders in their communities. We spent 2 days with these women, working on communication, public speaking skills, roles of committee members and meeting protocols. The women in this program noticeably improved in their confidence over the 2 days!As well as being able to contribute to Women and their empowerment, I was enriched personally through being involved in the rich culture of the Nepali people. The other volunteers and I were welcomed into Tihar celebrations - an experience we will never forget.I highly recommend being involved in this program.

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