“The lead course proved to be an intellectually and personally enriching experience.”
I first heard about the Lead Course offered by Women LEAD after I came to Kathmandu as a Samaanta Fellow. Many Fellows from the Samaanta Foundation had completed this course, and I was very interested in learning more about it.
Picture: Dipisha and her co-lead conducting a session on effective learning and time management at Padmakanya School, Dillibazaar
The Lead Course by Women LEAD Nepal is a year-long program, designed for students who have passed their 11th grade. The program provides various hands-on learning experiences that are aimed at helping young women grow personally and professionally by providing them with hands-on practical skills. In this course, young women get the opportunity to recognize and nurture their leadership abilities. I was incredibly enthusiastic to apply to the program. My friends at Samaanta helped me immensely during the application process. Fortunately, I got selected for the 2023-2024 batch.
At the beginning of the program, I felt a little discouraged as I was questioning my capability compared to other participants as I came from a public school background. However, I did not let such thoughts take over me and focused on learning as much as possible. I learned about various personality types, how people learn differently, managing emotions, goal setting, and public speaking and how we’re not the same. Moreover, my skills in teamwork, group management, and career advancement were slowly developing due to the sessions. I also gained insights into student psychology and developed a deeper sense of empathy.
The 9-month course was divided into four broad sections; the Leadership Institute, School Leadership Program (SLP), Advocacy Week and Professional Development Week. These programs together made the course holistic and envisioned us to become the future leaders of society. It helped us broaden the horizon of our knowledge and experiences to face the world.
The first 14-day leadership institute provided many learning opportunities, and we had the chance to put what we had learned into practice. We learned several crucial skills through sessions like goal setting, personality types, time management, emotional well-being, public speaking, active listening, challenging gender stereotypes, learning styles, and understanding privileges.
The second phase of the course was the School Leadership Program (SLP), where we were assigned to conduct a 4-month program for young students at different schools. Me and my co-leader, Jony Nepal conducted the School Leadership Program (SLP) at Padma Kanya School, where we worked with students from 9th grade. This program focused on personality development and issues affecting the youths. We organised weekly sessions to empower the students as agents of change. The students were encouraged to apply what they learned to real-life situations beyond the sessions through reflection exercises and mentorship. The SLP focused on public speaking, time management, challenging gender stereotypes, child rights, civil engagement, etc.
Picture: Dipisha Bishwokarma and Jony Nepal during the graduation of the School Leadership Program
Advocacy Week, the third section of the course was an important part of our journey. Advocacy is all about raising your voice on important issues and working towards finding solutions. It’s a way to draw attention to a subject and make a positive impact. We engaged in public discourses and learned how to raise our voices effectively through advocacy. We learned that advocacy is not just about speaking out, but also about changing perceptions altering attitudes and improving the lives of others.
Last was the Professional Development Week, I also felt that it was the most important part. During that week, we learned how to craft an interview, build our CV and resume for jobs, and also build a strong professional network for the future. We also focused on boosting our confidence in our careers. Professional Development Week is not just about acquiring skills, but also about developing our abilities and fostering a commitment to lifelong learning.
Before I joined Women LEAD, I didn’t feel confident and was unaware of several issues around us including gender stereotypes. After the course, I realized that due to the structure of my family, there was a lot of unequal treatment between me and my brothers at home. Now, I can raise my voice against these injustices and fight against these harmful stereotypes not just for myself but for other young people in my community. Hence, the Lead Course has had a major impact on my life.
I’m deeply grateful to Women LEAD and the Samaanta Foundation for offering me this remarkable platform, I had the opportunity to engage in deep self-reflection, expand my knowledge, build valuable connections, and absorb a wealth of insights from fellow participants through the LEAD course. It proved to be a transformative journey, enriching me personally and intellectually.
Dipisha Bishwokarma is an 11th Cohort Samaanta Fellow currently pursuing BALLB at Kathmandu School of Law, Bhaktapur.