I heard about Visible Impact through my friends who had been Youth Champions in the past. I’m a law student so I was excited by the opportunity to get involved – advocacy is my passion but before I joined Visible Impact this was always just in a legal setting, I had never worked on anything to do with public health. I was really happy to be selected.
The bootcamp for Youth Champions was amazing.
I learned about the criminal code through my studies but otherwise I had no understanding of abortion, no idea who has abortions or why. Before I went to the bootcamp, I was quite shy about talking about these issues, but the trainers taught us everything about the different contraceptive methods, and the reality of seeking safe abortion care. It was great to have sessions led by members of our community who might face extra barriers – for example, a trans man spoke about his experience being part of the LGBT+ community and explained that although he might have a different feeling to a woman who needs an abortion he has a right to live as himself. A visually-impaired woman also spoke to us about how disability shouldn’t control people’s desire. These were new and refreshing perspectives for me.
It was great to see young people from every province represented there and to learn more about their different circumstances. And because our facilitators were also young people, we felt like they know us and that we can be open and ask questions without fear.
I feel like I have the power to connect with other young people and share my knowledge and experience. After the bootcamp I felt completely capable of carrying out advocacy actions in my own town.
I was able to pass on what I’d learned to other young people.
After the bootcamp training, I advertised for members in Karnali, my province. We named our group ‘Junkiri’ which represents a firefly, seeking light in the dark. With my fellow Youth Champions, I trained up 10 members on reproductive rights, including a myth-busting session about abortion values.
Next, we carried out a community session in a public school – talking to 40 young people about reproductive health and rights. We started by talking about contraceptives and then cover safe abortion and how it is performed, how unsafe abortion happens, and how to access the service if you need it. We include interactive games, and we use a story about a young woman who died because she couldn’t access safe abortion. The young people we spoke to looked nervous at first but then they became more excited and got involved in the session and asked lots of questions.
Since then, I have done more community sessions including a speech competition about abortion in a school for World Health Day. The competition encouraged students to research abortion for themselves. We started changing people’s minds – they start off unsure, maybe even thinking that abortion is a sin, but they end up learning new information and saying that abortion is a woman’s right.
When young people talk to each other, conversations become much more open. We understand each other and aren’t afraid to ask questions.
I hope the new government in Nepal can be trusted.
Before the government was not doing what we needed, as women and as young people. After our recent election I feel hopeful and grateful for change. I want to see sexual and reproductive rights normalised and recognised as fundamental for all people.
When we meet decision-makers, we ask what they are doing to improve access to safe abortion and reproductive healthcare. Even though on paper abortion is provided, it’s not always the case, especially in more rural areas.
In just one year as a Youth Champion, I’ve seen government officials commit to involving more young people in decision-making. Even the mayor in my province told us they plan to dedicate more resources to youth engagement. Seeing our ideas turn into real commitments is incredibly rewarding. It makes me feel like we’ve made a difference. I did my job.
Interview with Sanju Bishwakarma, a Youth Champion with Visible Impact– a SAAF grantee partner in Nepal.