Today we have an update from Pratikshya Bhandari, Futures Program Coordinator, directly from Kopila Valley. She works daily with students to build their life skills, resumes, and knowledge of higher education options.

Thinking about the value and impact of work we do in our work place, and the love & admiration that people hold about their work, I feel so humbled and honored to say that I am making some difference in students’ lives while working at Kopila Valley School, Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj, and BlinkNow.

Based in Surkhet, a small town in the Karnali Province, the Kopila Valley School staff are  a team of more than 150+ people, working together to create a safe space for children and vulnerable families. Our goal is simple but deep: to educate them, care for them, love them, and support them to improve their lives through a holistic approach.

In my role leading the Futures Program, I have the beautiful responsibility of supporting more than 450+ young school adults. Together, we work on:

• Career planning and guidance.
• Finding scholarship options after their high school graduation.
• Supporting them through their undergraduate journey.

We always want to inspire and motivate our local networks, schools, and communities through our everyday activities. This week, we got to see that inspiration in action.

Bringing Governance to Life: The 3-Day Mock Parliament

We recently  concluded a very exciting event: a 3-day Kopila Valley Mock Parliament orientation and practice session!

We wanted this to be a big, inclusive learning experience not only for our school students from middle grades and social department leading teachers but also for 9 other governmental and private schools. With the wonderful technical support of Kyarina Shrestha, Parliamentary officer from UNDP team  and a Resource Person from the Karnali Province Secretariat, we brought together:

• 40 students (8th to 10th graders) from 10 different government and private schools, including Kopila Valley School.
• 10 social department leads (teachers) from each participating school to support their students.
• Each of the school students role played in the Assembly House oath taking ceremony, and engaged in roles as various ministers (like finance, education, science & technology), parliamentary representatives, parties in opposition, and house assembly speakers from Day 1.

Seeing the kids take on these big roles reminded me why we do this work every single day.

Watching the Learning Grow

The absolute best part of these three days was watching the participating students grow from Day 1 to Day 3. They learned so quickly!

It made me so proud to see their understanding of governance grow, and to witness their genuine enthusiasm to know more about political dynamics. They didn’t just practice; they truly stepped up. They raised real local issues that matter to them, questioned their leaders in minister roles for accountability, and they handled their debates beautifully by following parliamentary etiquette and truly listening to the feedback. The demonstration was witnessed by real Karnali Province Parliamentary representatives, local media journalists, their teachers, mentors and various guests invited to the event. 

Small Efforts, Big Futures

Seeing the students at the end of the session, I felt so encouraged and motivated. It is a wonderful feeling to know that our work is adding one more skill to broaden their knowledge, skills, and exposure.

I hope we continue to pour our small efforts into these young minds. Step by step, I know we will be able to help them shape their futures. 🙂