The COVID-19 updates continue to be more upsetting. In just one month, the total documented cases have almost doubled and the number of deaths has more than doubled. Sadly, these figures are most likely undercounting the true scale of the devastation now escalating in Nepal. Measures like extended quarantines have been taken, but Nepal, like many underdeveloped nations, feels like it is starting to buckle under the strain. Yet, despite all of this doom and gloom, our team continues to provide rays of hope. We are continuing our collaboration with local efforts to ensure that community members are getting food and necessities. We continue to engage with as many of the girls we can reach and their families. Most importantly, our team is coming together as one to meet the unique challenges of this year. In this update we will share some of the remarkable things they have been able to achieve and some things we are looking forward to in October.

If we were asked at the beginning of the year how we would be celebrating International Literacy Day, we would have predicted events in multiple communities with reading aloud, girls giving talks about education and reciting poetry, singing, dancing, group photos, and maybe even a cake. Sounds like fun, right? 

Unfortunately, we were not able to do most of that, however, we did not want to let this important go by without being celebrated. The theme of the day this year was, “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond,” so our team tried to organize a virtual event with the goal of trying to bring the biggest group of girls, mentors, and guests together. To our surprise we were able to bring 40 people together virtually. This may not sound very impressive in areas where technology and internet access is a given, but in our communities, this was a major achievement. The event allowed the girls to have fun, sing songs, take part in interesting educational games, but no cakes :-(. We can't wait to get back together like that, but we know that public health is key, and so is literacy.

Many thanks to our amazing team for pulling this off. This event shows us that we can do more of these kinds of programs, and we are going to make access to technology a key goal for us.

With access to technology, we can do some truly amazing things. Like connecting girls from Nepal with an amazing organization based in Pittsburgh (Eduling) who is providing educational opportunities for students in countries like Vietnam.

Recently, we were invited to participate in conversations where we were able to share information about each other, our communities, and also learn the English language in the process. The following girls from our team took part in this, and we are so proud of them for being open to such a new idea:

• Sanskriti Bisunke [ Shikharapur GLOW Club Member ]
• Swikriti Shrestha [ Setidevi, Sokhel GLOW Club Member ]
• Shirsti Bisunke [ Graduate of Shikharapur GLOW Club ]
• Saru Shrestha 
• Sirjana Waiba 

1. Most of our language education (read English) does not involved learning how to have actual conversations.
2. This type of program allowed our girls to get to know new places and countries.
3. This can be a great way for our girls to make new friends throughout the world.
4. This was so much fun that it almost did not feel like education.

About Eduling:

Eduling was established to provide interesting, age-relevant, and quality lessons to kids in any country. Engaging texts and stories as well as good materials develop children's English abilities and knowledge about the world. Classes have been offered to Vietnamese kids, but will soon be expanded to other countries, so that students can interact with their international classmates.​

Some basic features of the courses:

• The courses will be based on time-tested course books in U.S. schools.
• Teachers will read extra stories and organize different tasks in their live lessons.
• Kids will have many opportunities to interact and practice in live lessons.
• Lessons will be offered through video chat, text chat, and interactive screen.
• Recordings of the lessons and stories will be shared for review and practice.
• Regular quizzes and assessments will be conducted to monitor students' progress

We want to express our thanks to our friends at Eduling, who welcomed us for this conversation. Please check them out.

We are about to celebrate with our friends at Global GLOW one of our favorite days of the year. As you have heard us mention many times before, On October 11th every year, we celebrate International Day of the Girl. It also happens to be our anniversary, but that is secondary to this important day. This year, our friends at Global GLOW are celebrating #IDG for the entire month of October, bringing together girls, thought leaders, partner organizations, and allies to celebrate girls and address the critical issues that continue to hinder progress towards gender equity.

Our team has been working with the girls to submit ideas for activities on different themes, and they are going to participate in virtual events through Zoom.

Jasmine Sapkota
Making your voice strong: Tools and Resources for strengthening Girl’s voices    

Srijana Waiba
Be Bold: Gender- Based violence: Our stories and ways to Heal   
 
Suneri Basnet
Be Bold: Building Equity for Girls
              
Aachal Mishra
Making your voice strong: Tools and Resources for strengthening Girl’s voices    
 
Samikshya Timalsina
Economic Opportunities Challenges and Solutions
              
Sandhya Giri
Be Bold: Gender- Based violence: Our stories and ways to Heal   
 
Anuska K.C
Be Bold: Building Equity for Girls              
 
Madhavi  Subedi
Be Bold: Gender- Based violence: Our stories and ways to Heal   
 
Sajina K.C
Making your voice strong: Tools and Resources for strengthening Girl’s voices    
 
Smarika Pudasaini
Economic Opportunities Challenges and Solutions          

We are very excited about these sessions, and we are so proud of the girls for being bold and brave. 

Speaking of bold and brave, we have a new mentor joining our team. Aasha Poudel joins us as a Volunteer to support our team. The meaning of her name Aasha, is hope, and it is very fitting because she wants to become an inspiration for her younger sisters who hope to achieve their dreams through education. Aasha is happiest when she sees others being happy, and her goal with the foundation is to help bring smiles to the girls we work with. As a local of our community, we are proud to have such a talented person who also believes in impacting the community.

She believes that if a girl gets an education, she can raise her voice against serious issues like child marriage. She also believes that education can make people in our community aware about discrimination that exists between boys and girls, and highlight major issues like child marriage, gender-based violence, and more.

Her motto is that positive thought create positive actions, and if you believe in yourself then nothing can stop you to be what you want. We are positive that you will hear more from Aasha in the future.

Check out some more bios of our team on our website.