Annual Review and Gathering-2083
Baisakh 29, 2083 marked a joyful day of learning, interaction, fun, and sharing experiences as HELP organised the Annual Gathering and Review under the Post-SEE Scholarship and Mentorship Programme. The event brought together more than 40 scholarship recipients, alumni, and members of the HELP team, all coming together to ensure that, even within a short span of time, the scholarship community could make the most of the day through activities ranging from team bonding and capacity building to games and reflection.
The day began with participants gathering at the HELP office before departing for the venue, Picnic Farm Resort at Dhoksan, Nagarkot Road. Upon arrival, the programme started with a norm-setting session where participants collectively laid out expectations to make the day both productive and enjoyable. Before breakfast, students were divided into five Yuwa Clubs: Aanboo Khaireni, Bandipur, Helambu, Paanchpokhari Thangpal, and Tripura Sundari. To set the tone for the workshop that would take place after breakfast, each group was given a prompt: to imagine themselves as an NGO tasked with designing a scholarship programme from scratch This encouraged them to freely brainstorm ideas and explore possibilities within their respective groups.
Following breakfast, the work-shop session began with an engaging team-building activity. Students participated in a treasure hunt where they searched for hidden ingredients to prepare “Chatpate.” Working within their pre-assigned groups, the activity encouraged collaboration, communication, and interaction among participants while energizing them for the workshop sessions ahead. Each Yuwa Club was supported by a designated facilitator from the HELP team who guided discussions toward meaningful outcomes.
The workshop session then officially commenced, where the Yuwa Clubs were tasked with designing a complete scholarship programme within a budget of NPR 25 lakhs. The groups discussed and developed ideas on key areas such as identifying deserving and needy students, ensuring accessibility in the application process, supporting students beyond financial aid, and addressing potential risks and challenges within the programme. Participants actively contributed ideas shaped by their own lived experiences as scholarship recipients, making the discussions insightful and deeply grounded in reality. The session became an important opportunity for HELP to reflect on ways to further strengthen and improve the scholarship programme based on direct feedback from the community it serves.
After the first round of presentations, participants took a short snack break before continuing with the remaining group presentations. Despite occasional interruptions from the rain, the energy and enthusiasm of the participants remained high throughout the day. The programme then transitioned into a lighter and more celebratory atmosphere with bingo and other fun games that further strengthened connections among participants.
After the presentation round, HELP co-founder Jimmy Lama shared his reflections, gently planting a seed of thought for the scholarship community to consider. He invited students and alumni to imagine the possibility of initiating a fundraiser that could support two students with full scholarships, with HELP committing to match the amount raised.
His remarks highlighted the strength of the alumni and scholarship network in keeping the chain of giving forward alive, and encouraged reflection on how they, too, might nurture dreams and empower dreamers.
The event was also joined by Mr. Tika Ram Aryal, Monitoring and Evaluation team lead at the Social Welfare Council, who interacted with the scholarship recipients and shared his remarks with the participants. HELP extends sincere gratitude to Tika Sir for his valuable time, thoughtful evaluation, and constructive feedback and suggestions, which will greatly contribute toward further strengthening the programme.
At the Scholarship Programme at HELP we look forward to many more such gatherings that create opportunities to connect with the scholarship community, learn from shared experiences, and continue building a stronger and more impactful programme for future young and aspiring individuals.