USAID Civil Society and Media (CSM) program is a five-year project funded by USAID/Nepal through the CSM-STAND LWA and implemented by The Asia Foundation in Nepal. CSM’s overarching goal is to support independent civil society and media led by and for women, youth, and marginalized (WYM) communities to advance public interest, fundamental freedoms, and accountability. Impact Hub Kathmandu as a strategic partner designed, prototyped, and implemented a capacity-building and leadership coaching program for two years.
In 2022, we began our journey by visiting Lumbini and Madhesh to understand the challenges grassroots civic leaders face and identify their support needs. We conducted human-centered design scoping studies with 160+ civic actors and co-creation workshops that involved 125 coming from 8 districts: Kapilbastu, Rupandehi, Banke, Bardiya, Bara (Lumbini) and Parsa, Dhanushadham, Saptari (Madhesh). The findings from research consistently reported a lack of necessary skills, knowledge, and diverse networks. Similarly, there was an urgency to upgrade digital skills and knowledge with changing contexts as a challenge for activists. Impact Hub Kathmandu designed a holistic capacity-building program that focused on building leadership skills, lobbying and advocacy skills, law and constitution, digital literacy, fundraising, and networking. Through the CSM program, we coached and mentored 45 participants and 12 local mentors and provided 22 workshops and 80+ hours of coaching on thematic areas prioritized by the civic actors.
Through the program, we empowered independent civil society and media organizations led by and for women, youth, and marginalized (WYM) communities to advance public interest, protect fundamental freedoms, and foster accountability. The journey has been deeply inspiring for the IHK team and participants of the USAID CSM project. Over the past two years, we have witnessed transformative collaborations, enduring relationships between mentors and civic actors, inter-provincial connections, and powerful, impactful stories that will leave a lasting legacy.
We organized two major inter-provincial networking events bringing together 200+ civil society network leaders and stakeholders, one in Kathmandu in 2023 and the other in Bhairahawa this year. We also organized immersion visits to various social organizations for civic leaders to learn from each other.
As our wrap-up to the program in December, we visited Lumbini and Madhesh to observe the community programs organized by our civic leaders. Our team: Rachana, Rashi, and Selisha attended a workshop led by Niva Singh and facilitated by Year 2 civic actor Sneha Parbin in Bara. The workshop was organized by Samanata Abhiyan Nepal, an organization founded by Nibha Singh, a dedicated advocate for women who have experienced sexual or other forms of violence and for addressing barriers to civic and human rights. The rally was organized in Bara on the occasion of 16 days of activism on gender-based violence. Similarly, in Nepalgunj, we were privileged enough to attend the rally on the occasion of International Disability Day, followed by the panel discussion. The whole program was facilitated by Mr. Bhabhuk Jung Thapa, one of the civic actors, alongside Mr. Bholanath Tripathi from Lumbini province. Mr. Bhabhuk Jung Thapa is a devoted activist who has been working for the social inclusion of people with visual impairments and running the organization where they are providing 29 children with visual impairments, with shelter, food, accommodation, and education. Participants in the rally carried impactful slogans, emphasizing that individuals with disabilities are just as equally capable and deserve the same opportunities to showcase their potential. Representatives from local government were also present as panelists and active participation of people with disabilities was observed in the program.
Observing these community visits this December and seeing such collaborations, rich conversation, and growth in them, we couldn’t be more proud!
Highly inspired by the workshops we have provided, our civic actors jointly shared how the program has changed their life and their perspectives on advocacy, problem-solving, and civic engagement. We, as a CSM team, have learned and grown alongside the project with our civic actors. We not only acknowledge the civic actors that have been successful in mobilizing the masses but also deeply appreciate the endeavors of our civic actors who are sailing silent waves in their localities motivated by their drive to remove societal injustices.
A civic actor from the first cohort said:
“Joining this program organized by IHK has completely changed my life, not to exaggerate. The advocacy I do for myself and my community has strengthened as a result of the program, and it has highly influenced my interactions with the concerned stakeholders: being able to negotiate, put forth my arguments strongly, and not hesitate to raise questions. I stepped out to start my own organization, to lead the work I believe in for myself and my community in Dhanusha.”
Truly, what an incredible journey it has been! These brave and inspiring leaders remind us that meaningful change is not just possible but inevitable. Their courage and dedication pave the way for a future, where WYM communities’ voices are heard as well as included in decision-making. The CSM team feels deeply privileged to work alongside these remarkable cohorts and eagerly anticipates collaborating with them in the future. Now that IHK’s tenure has ended after an incredible two years of civic ecosystem strengthening, we are excited to see how this intervention for WYM communities unleashes in the upcoming days in the country.
