When Love meets Leadership

Scores and scores of couples are going to be buying tonnes of shit this Valentine’s Day and spending wads of cash or non-existent money in their bank accounts to create a memorable night for their boo (it may, or may not, include myself- but who’s pointing fingers here?).

Meanwhile at Women LEAD Nepal, young women LEADers will be coming together to celebrate each other at their annual Galentine’s Day event.

Women LEAD (WLEAD) was founded by Claire Naylor and Claire Charamnac after their graduation in 2010. Initially they launched a pilot two-week long summer leadership program for 28 women with the aim of empowering female leaders in Nepal. Now, nine years later, WLEAD trains 30 young women annually through their signature LEAD course, who then pay it forward through the School Leadership Program (SLP) by training another 450 girls and boys in their schools and communities. A total of 480 youth per year- over 2000 youth impacted and inspired over the last 7 years, and counting.

You guessed it. It does not stop there. The young women who have gone through the program stay engaged with Women LEAD, be it through serving as interns, board members, or through further leadership and skills trainings. One of the most impactful opportunities provided to these young women graduates is to become a mentor to the new girls coming into the LEAD course. Girls look to other girls and women in their lives for cues about how to think and act. Women LEAD has provided a brilliant platform to these young women to inspire each other, support each other, and become one another’s biggest teachers and cheerleaders.

“the time I met Isha and saw her speak assertively, warmly, and with such great confidence at the Women LEAD Parent conference. I was very shy before I joined the program, so I was so inspired, and thought to myself that I want to be just like her and emulate her”.

Talking to these dynamic young mentors and mentees was incredibly awe-inspiring. Isha Shrestha, a recent graduate of the LEAD course and first time Mentor said that she wanted to become a mentor so that she could share her learning experiences with her mentee, and more than that, she was looking forward to what she would learn from her mentee. Dilasha Gurung, Isha’s mentee who is currently enrolled in the LEAD course, recalled her most memorable moment as, “the time I met Isha and saw her speak assertively, warmly, and with such great confidence at the Women LEAD Parent conference. I was very shy before I joined the program, so I was so inspired, and thought to myself that I want to be just like her and emulate her”.

Women LEAD gives young women leaders the chance to be role models to other young women. Both Mentor and Mentee learn about themselves, challenge each other, support each other, and form a supportive bond that surpasses courses, programs, trainings. As each girl I spoke to expressed, “Galentine’s Day is the day to celebrate girl power, our love for one another, and show the world how courageous, and capable we are”.

Truly, when women lead with genuine love for one another and help each other, they both rise. When they celebrate each other, we all rise as a stronger community, society, and nation. Here’s to Galentine’s Day!