Project Ikasi
Avasar Nepal
Empowering Girls.
Rewriting Futures.
In many parts of Nepal, being born a girl can mean being born with fewer choices. Your dreams come second to survival. Your voice is rarely heard. And sometimes, your childhood ends before you even understand it.
This is especially true in the remote corners of the Bajhang district, where social norms and poverty collide, and girls are seen as a burden rather than a possibility. Too many are pulled from school, married off young, or made to work — quietly disappearing from classrooms, communities, and the future they deserve.
Project Ikasi exists to change that.
What is Ikasi?
“Ikasi” isn’t just a project
it’s a second chance
“Ikasi” isn’t just a project — it’s a second chance. A space to breathe, to grow, and to dream again. It’s built on one simple belief:
When a girl is given the opportunity to learn, she changes everything.
Ikasi supports adolescent girls from extremely marginalized backgrounds in Bajhang by bringing them to Kathmandu, covering all of their needs — education, housing, food, supplies, and emotional support — so they can focus on becoming who they are meant to be.
We work closely with our partner Nepaldala, and every single girl is selected after field visits, family interviews, and deep local collaboration. We don’t just choose girls — we choose resilience, potential, and courage.
Why It Matters
When you empower a girl,
she transforms everything around her.
Every girl in this program has lived through hardship no child should ever face:
📍 Early loss of parents
📍 Gender-based neglect
📍 Domestic violence and abandonment
📍 The constant weight of being unwanted
But now, they’re studying. Laughing. Dreaming. Healing. They are no longer seen as burdens. They are becoming leaders. Ikasi directly works to:
- Prevent child marriage
- Fight trafficking and gender-based violence
- Break harmful practices like Chhaupadi
- Create a generation of educated, empowered women
Meet the Girls of Ikasi
Changing Lives. Creating Opportunities
Each of these girls carries a story — some full of silence and sorrow, others burning with quiet strength. We walk alongside them, not as saviors, but as allies in their journey.
Mangala Kumari B.K. (19) – Future Nurse
From a village five days’ walk from Bajhang, Mangala came to Kathmandu with a dream — to study and return to serve her community. Today, she’s graduated from our program and works in a pharmacy. She’s waiting for her final nursing results and plans to return home as a licensed nurse.
Rumala Kumari B.K. (16) – Finding Peace, Seeking Healing
Raised in a home shadowed by loss and rejection, Rumala always held onto her dream of becoming a nurse. In Kathmandu, she found friendship, safety, and the chance to keep dreaming.
Bimala Kumari Bohora (16) – Breaking the Cycle
Growing up in a family of 12, education was never a priority — especially for girls. Bimala now studies PCL Nursing in Kathmandu. Her quiet determination lights the way for others in her village.
Kabita Kumari Bohara (15) – Born to Heal
Despite family resistance, Kabita’s grandmother believed in her. Today, Kabita is studying hard to become a doctor — and she sings and dances with joy, even when things are hard.
Iswori Kumari Nepali (12) – Our Youngest Fighter
Left behind by both parents, Iswori was raised by her uncle until even that wasn’t possible. She’s now in Class 3 and often says, “This feels like my real home.” Her quiet strength inspires everyone.
Chandani Bohora (14) & Menuka Bohora (12) – Sisters in Hope
After losing their parents, these sisters came to Kathmandu together. They dream of becoming teachers so they can return and build better schools in Bajhang. “No child should feel as lost as we once did,” Chandani says
Smriti Rokaya (11) – The Dreamer
Her mother works the fields alone. Her father vanished to India. But Smriti has a new hope now — a classroom in Kathmandu and a future in nursing. She’s in Class 3 and says, “This life was a dream I never dared to dream.”
Amrita Rokaya (11) – Breaking Free
Kept from school to care for younger siblings, Amrita’s world has shifted. Now in school in Kathmandu, she finally gets to be a child again — and she’s determined to be someone her younger sisters can look up to.
Tracking our Progress