At Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal, something powerful happens when girls come together. They gather in a circle—sometimes under a tree in the courtyard, sometimes in a classroom filled with laughter and chatter—and they talk about things that aren’t always easy to talk about. Rights. Choices. Leadership. Climate change. Their voices, once shy and tentative, grow stronger each week.

This is the Kopila Valley Girls’ Club, a space created to help our students build the confidence, knowledge, and skills to lead their own lives and transform their communities.

Why the Girls’ Club Matters

In our region, girls often face uphill battles. Too many are expected to marry young, drop out of school, or take on household responsibilities instead of chasing their dreams. Menstrual health is still taboo, and many girls are denied the chance to learn because of it. Add in the growing pressures of climate change—floods, landslides, food insecurity—and girls often bear the heaviest burden.

The Girls’ Club was born out of the belief that every girl deserves more. More opportunities. More choices. More chances to stand tall and lead. It gives our students a safe place to ask questions, explore ideas, and see themselves not just as daughters or sisters, but as changemakers.

Learning to Lead

Each week, the girls meet to talk about real issues—gender rights, violence prevention, leadership, and sustainability. They learn how to use their voices and stand up for themselves and others. And then they take that knowledge beyond the school gates.

Over the years, Girls’ Club members have organized International Women’s Day celebrations that bring together the entire community, led campaigns during the global “16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence,” and held workshops on menstrual health for students and caregivers alike. With the help of partners, they’ve even raised awareness about sustainable menstruation, sharing reusable products and eco-friendly practices that are healthier for girls and kinder to the planet.

This isn’t just about theory—it’s about action. Girls lead workshops for peers of all genders, breaking down harmful norms and sparking new conversations. They model what leadership looks like, and they show their brothers, classmates, and neighbors that change is possible.

The Ripple Effect

One of the most beautiful parts of the Girls’ Club is watching its ripple effects.

When a girl gains confidence to speak up, her younger siblings notice. When she continues her education, her parents begin to value schooling for daughters as much as sons. When she stands in front of a classroom leading a workshop, boys her age learn to see her as an equal.

Take Hima, one of our alumnae. “The most impactful experience was being part of the Girls’ Club,” she shared. “We hosted sessions on menstrual hygiene and organized International Women’s Day marathons. Now I want to show my community that a woman is equally as competent as a man.” Today, Hima is studying Hotel Management, carrying those lessons forward into her career and her community.

She’s not alone. Many Girls’ Club members have gone on to higher education, supported by our Futures Program. More than 65% of students receiving higher education funding through BlinkNow are young women—proof that when girls are given tools and opportunities, they don’t just succeed; they lead.

Girls, Climate, and the Future

Another unique part of the Girls’ Club is how it connects gender equality with environmental action. In a place like Surkhet, climate change isn’t an abstract concept—it’s lived reality. Monsoon rains can wash away crops. Landslides can cut off villages. Droughts make it harder to find food and water.

Girls in the Club learn about climate resilience through hands-on projects at our eco-friendly campus. They garden, compost, and conserve water. They talk about how sustainable practices at home can protect families against food insecurity. They see that caring for the planet and fighting for equality go hand in hand.

In doing so, they’re preparing not just to navigate a changing climate, but to lead their communities through it.

A Model for the Future

The Kopila Valley Girls’ Club began as a simple idea: give girls space, support, and voice. Today, it’s become a cornerstone of leadership and activism at our school, with more than 40 young leaders having passed through its doors. These girls have reached over 600 fellow students and countless community members, leaving behind a trail of workshops, campaigns, and conversations that continue to shift attitudes about what girls can and should do.

Most importantly, the Girls’ Club has become a place of belonging. A place where girls lift each other up, where they dream together, and where they remind one another that their futures are full of possibility.

At BlinkNow and Kopila Valley, we believe empowering girls changes everything. It strengthens families, transforms communities, and builds a more equal, resilient future. The Girls’ Club is one way we’re making that belief a reality—one voice, one leader, one brave girl at a time.