Urjalab : Innovation Hub for Local Youth In Nepal

  • Binayak
  • Nepal
  • #Employment
    #Human Rights
    #Education

Urjalab : Innovation Hub for Local Youth In Nepal

91% $2,722 Achieved Achieved

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Funding Target ㅣ$3,000

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Impact Employment 20% Human Rights 20% Education 60%
Education
Binayak Nepal
Impact Employment Human Rights Education

 

Namaste!
I’m Binayak, and I run Urja Lab, a space for young social innovators in Pokhara, Nepal. 
I am glad to introduce this space that I have dreamed of since I was a college student. While the name ‘Urja’ means ‘energy’ in Nepalese, there were many twists and turns until it became a space full of youth’s energy.

Ever since I was in college, I have been interested in various activities and it was fun to meet my peers with similar interests. In particular, I was attracted to solving social problems in Nepal,so I took many lectures and joined several events. But all the events took place in Kathmandu, the capital city in Nepal. Living in the provincial city of Pokhara, which takes about 8 to 10 hours one way from Kathmandu by bus, it was too much of a burden both in terms of cost and time every time I had to travel.

I always craved for opportunities, but there were no events or educational programs for young people in my city. While there were a lot of smart young people full of capacity, the space and opportunities were all lacking.

Rather than regretting it, I decided to launch a platform for local youth with like-minded friends. As expected, many young people gathered, and I was excited to see people speak out for social change together. In addition, other universities and companies that took notice of our activities suggested that we plan and conduct youth empowerment programs together.

Though living my dreams, it was not easy to cover the operation cost because most of the events were for free or charged just a small participation fee. However, seeing local changemakers discussing and studying with their sparkling eyes really encouraged me to keep going.

As I was looking for a sustainable business model, an idea suddenly ran through my head. It was the “co-working space” that I first encountered when I visited Kathmandu. In fact, the electricity situation in Nepal is still so bad that power outages occur every three or four hours, also resulting in weak Internet connection. When young entrepreneurs who are preparing to start a business said that they need a space where they could work without any challenges from power cuts, I thought 'this is it!'.In addition, I thought that if there was a space for various young people to mingle and work together, they would be able to create a greater impact. That is how it all started.

Actually at the moment, I am involved in multiple businesses. I’ve been covering the operation cost for running Urja Lab with the money I earn from designing promotional materials or creating websites for the companies and government agencies through the IT business. 

However, my dream is to make Urja Lab self-reliant with a stable business model. Although we have faced a challenge due to COVID, we are recovering from it little by little. In the future, I want to set up a fast internet network for young people who will use this space, and have facilities such as projectors and monitors to host various events and workshops, and make it a space where ideas to change the world can be shared.

Donate now for Urja Lab,
a powerhouse for Nepalese young entrepreneurs!
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    아직 참여자가 없습니다.
    자립 프로젝트 개설자 소식

    2022-06-29

    Binayak 님의 자립 프로젝트가 종료되었습니다.

    함께 해주신 기부자님 감사합니다. :)

    자립 프로젝트 개설자 소식

    2021-03-22

    Binayak 님의 자립 프로젝트가 시작되었습니다.

    임팩트 기부로 좋은 가치를 사회에 전달해보세요! :)

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