Some experiences stay with you, no matter where you go.
When I look back at my journey, the time I spent at Impact Hub Kathmandu( IH KTM) feels like a beautiful chapter of my life, one that I have chosen to keep very close to my heart. Almost three years passed so quickly that I forgot time was slipping by.
At IH KTM, I was trusted, before I even trusted myself. I was given space to explore, to try things, to express my creativity and ideas, to laugh, and, of course, to eat a lot of food(if you left IH KTM without gaining a few kilos, something must have gone wrong).
There were days when I would genuinely wake up and look forward to getting ready for work. That is the kind of energy this place had for me.
There are so many good memories that, at some point, I probably have to stop writing and just reminisce about how much my time at Impact Hub really meant to me, and how much it shaped me.
Inclusivity, accessibility, and program implementation were just words to me before IH KTM. Today, they carry stories, people, faces, and meaning.
Words fail to describe how much it meant to work alongside such passionate people.
Let me take you back to my initial days in space.
(It is one of the sunny days of 2023)
Samanata di is saying something that has completely blown my mind, and I am laughing like crazy. It is incredible how much I am learning. I hear that the team is working on this really cool project with civic actors in Lumbini and Madhesh Province.
Pallab dai and Shashank dai are asking questions about fate and destiny. It has been almost an hour, and I feel like I need electrolytes because I have shouted at the top of my lungs and the conversation still isn’t going anywhere. Bishestha di has just cracked a joke, and the entire Programs Room has burst into laughter.
Wrachana and I look at each other when someone says chatpate and titaura, and she goes into the kitchen to make a whole lot of goodness. Padmakshi di enters the Programs Room and informs us that we will have to help her finish her delicious but a little bit unhealthy cheesy fries.
And somehow, all of this is happening while we are working on projects that create a larger impact in people’s lives, never losing sight of the impact we set out to create.
Travelling to Lumbini and Madhesh Province was somehow just like catching a bus and going somewhere nearby. The field trips were, without a doubt, some of the highlights of my experience.
Picture this: Rachana and I, both suffering from motion sickness in 42-degree heat, waiting for luggage, coordinating a program, dealing with flight delays, and surviving on a constant supply of Jeevan Jal( electrolytes). I can never forget the day Rachana was so sick in Birgunj that she texted me saying that she had, ‘kaam joro(extreme fever).’ I interpreted it as ‘kam’, meaning low fever and went to sleep peacefully.
God knows I carry that guilt with me to this day.
When I look back, I genuinely wonder how we did it all, constantly changing locations, working on-the-go, squeezing schedules into whatever time we had, blocking time with family members, missing family functions. It is safe to say that we were DRIVEN, along with the entire team.
Through my work at Impact Hub, I could truly feel the power of what we were doing, the level of change we could contribute to and the community that people so often talk about enabling.
If it weren’t for Impact Hub, I don’t think I would have discovered my niche.
It was here that I began to delve deeper into the layers of intersectionality and the complexities of inclusion. I got to work with insanely talented people, and with innovative, driven entrepreneurs who, even to this day, remain in touch and share their happiness, milestones, and achievements with me.
From the women entrepreneurs with disabilities who inspired me through their resilience, to the civic actors who inspired me through their courage; from climate-smart entrepreneurs to the incredible people across the larger Impact Hub network, I have been incredibly lucky.
And then there are the bonds.
Hearing “Rashi diiii” from my dear Nischal, Suchitra, and Selina.
Hearing “Rashi chyan” from Romi.
Hearing “Move on” from Rohan.
Hearing “Raaaaaash” from Padmakshi Di for no reason. Dr. Rana understood very well what I wanted to showcase in projects and I love how she would lead, guide me, and take feedbacks and implement it right away alongside Aarati di.
Bikash Dai’s, “Rashi ji, euta kura garnu thiyo,” Shanti di’s “Khana pakyo Rashu.”
These may seem like tiny things, but they are some of the memories I know I will carry with me for as long as my memory allows, and I hope that is for the entirety of my existence.
As I write this, overlooking the Potomac River in Georgetown, I cannot help but confess that I miss every bit of my IHK life. I am also drinking less water because Melina di is not around, is drinking water even worth it now?
Looking back, I realise that I thoroughly enjoyed the process of learning, of figuring things out, of sometimes not knowing what I was doing and doing it anyway.
I came to Impact Hub Kathmandu wanting to make an impact.
Somewhere along the way, I got something I never expected.
A family.
And perhaps that is what I will carry with me the most.
