In April 2023, after being delayed three years by COVID-19, WAKE finally brought Tech2Empower to Nepal. Reflecting on the program and its outcomes, our mission to leverage technology, collaboration, and volunteerism to drive equity and social justice has never been more potent. Today, we want to share the impact and success of this innovative program and recognize the incredible individuals and organizations that made it possible.
Tech2Empower Nepal kicked-off with a week-long, in-person event in Kathmandu. Twenty-two volunteer Advisors from leading technology companies (including LinkedIn, Google, Apple, Accenture, and Microsoft) traveled to Nepal to partner with a delegation of impressive leaders from six women-led Nepali social enterprises. Each enterprise designed a project to increase their social initiatives' reach and impact, and collaborated with skilled Advisors to achieve these goals during the Tech2Empower Impact Challenge. Over the course of the week, teams participated in a range of activities, including consultancy, mentoring, tech and leadership workshops, and networking events. The week of in-person connection and learning was followed by six weeks of virtual collaboration, aimed at expanding upon the valuable work that began on the ground in Nepal.
By the conclusion of the six weeks of virtual work, the results reported by each team were truly phenomenal. Here is a glimpse inside each teams’ impressive project:
The feedback from the participating organizations was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% reporting that they acquired new skills, that their needs were prioritized, and that their teams met their program goals by the end of the program.
*Read the full Tech2Empower Nepal Impact Report here*
One of WAKE’s core values is a strong commitment to women’s and girls’ education. In collaboration with Kathmandu University Computer Club (KUCC), we organized Tech2Empower Day for University Women. This dynamic day brought together our Tech2Empower Advisors with university women studying STEAM fields for a day of creative technical and leadership workshops led by Advisors. The feedback we received from students about the day’s activities truly blew us away. Watch this testimonial video to learn more from participants Priyanshu, Angelina, and Prekshya.
Our Advisors have shown immense dedication and commitment to our cause. They not only contributed their expertise and resources to empower women and promote social justice but also reported that they learned valuable lessons themselves about cross-cultural understanding, adaptability, and using their skills for the greater good. In this same vein, a key pillar of our program is learning and cultural competency. We had the honor of working with and learning from many local organizations promoting equity and empowerment in their communities, including, Tewa, a local women-led community philanthropy organization, and Sasane Sisterhood, an organization that trains survivors of human trafficking to become tour/trekking guides, who led all of our cultural outings in Kathmandu. Our partnership with these organizations as well as with Impact Hub Kathmandu program proved instrumental in providing essential local context and facilitating invaluable connections and learnings for our cohort.
Tech2Empower Nepal was a resounding success, thanks to our Advisors, programmatic partners, and participating social enterprises. We have witnessed the creation of sustainable solutions, the acquisition of new skills, and a shared sense of purpose. We are more motivated than ever to continue using technology as a tool to create a more equitable world. Our sincerest thanks to The Asia Foundation and all our partners for making Tech2Empower Nepal possible.
