Unity for Inclusion: LP4Y Nepal & Project Uddeshya’s Journey in Youth Inclusion

Project Uddeshya, LP4Y Nepal’s pioneering partner, shares the experiences of four effortless years . LP4Y Nepal and Project years of partnership are all about coming together and combating Nepal’s exclusion. This partnership is the magic bullet for promoting YOUTH INCLUSION.

Project Uddeshya is a young initiative born during the hard times of the COVID-19 outbreak when people were distressed inside their homes. 

Project Uddeshya started as an online platform to talk about mental health. We organized online counseling sessions targeting students in a small village in rural Chitwan, and slowly marched toward senseting issues relating to mental health with hundreds of students who were preparing for admissions for highschool and universities.

We envisioned an idea of designing art workshops which would promote emotional and mental wellbeing among communities. Finally, as the lockdown loosened, art-integrated mental and physical well-being was implemented, this would be the stepping stone between a long-term partnership between Project Uddeshya and LP4Y. It was through casual connection that LP4Y and Project Uddeshya got to know each other, and in October 2021, Project Uddeshya formally reached out to LP4Y to expand its work portfolio. 

We explained our work and organized trial workshops wearing masks as COVID-19 was still not over. Every session we organized, LP4Y and Project Uddeshya have come closer. 

We have been fortunate to conduct numerous workshops on various topics, including music, theater, art, photography, jewelry making, incense making, legal counseling, nutrition consultation, health checkups, dignified menstruation, films, and mental counseling services that have helped youths as well as our team to a new level. 

These workshops have been supported by several other youth volunteers who are passionate about giving back to the community.

LP4Y has provided us with a platform to expand our volunteer initiative, build networks, and grow our work. It’s also supported to identify and collaborate with many volunteer youths to give back to our community while expanding their network. We have partnered with multiple national and international organizations and recently our wellbeing workshops which we designed for youths in LP4Y have been awarded by UNESCO as well as the British Council.

It's been almost 3 years now and we are still working together with LP4Y, and it brings us immense pleasure to witness the impactful work LP4Y is doing. Their openness to connect and collaborate with other youths like us within the community means a lot!

— Suraj Silwal, Founder of Project Uddeshya