200+ girls in valley trained in safety & self-defense for National Children’s Day 2081

KATHMANDU: In celebration of National Children’s Day 2081, Kidpower Nepal, with the support of Laxmi Sunrise Bank, organized a week-long series of events across the Kathmandu Valley.

The program aimed to provide safety and self-defense training to over 200 adolescent girls studying in grades 8, 9, and 10 at community schools in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur.

The training was conducted from Bhadra 25 to Bhadra 28, 2081, and was held at the following schools:

• Gandhi Adarsha Secondary School, Kageshwori Manohara Municipality, Kathmandu
• Shree Siddhi Mangala Secondary School, Mahalaxmi Municipality, Lalitpur
• Adarsha Secondary School, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur

The sessions were attended by school management committee chairpersons, principals, assistant principals, teachers, and branch managers from Laxmi Sunrise Bank.

Mr. Gaya Prasad Upadhyaya, Chairperson of the Management Committee at Gandhi Adarsha Secondary School, suggested that integrating such safety-related training into the school curriculum could enhance its effectiveness. Similarly, Mr. Meen Bahadur Achhami, Principal of Shri Siddhi Mangala Secondary School, Lalitpur, indicated that the skills learned would be passed on to other students through teachers and expressed a commitment to continue providing self-defense training for girls in the future.

Bhandana Ghimire, Coordinator of Grades 11 and 12 at Gandhi Adarsha Secondary School, emphasized the importance of such training for creating a secure learning environment for both students and teachers. Principal Mr. Ram Babu Regmi of Adarsha Secondary School also called for the continuous provision of such essential training.

The primary trainers for the program were Advocate Ms. Sushma Pokhrel, Director of Kidpower International Nepal, and Mr. Krishna Prasad Khanal, Assistant Trainer and Representative of Kidpower Nepal. Ms. Sunita Pokhrel, another representative of Kidpower Nepal, was also present. According to Ms. Pokhrel, with the increasing complexity of security issues, it is crucial for everyone to have self-defense skills. Kidpower Nepal plans to expand this training across the country.

During the training, participants highlighted various safety concerns and found the hands-on learning experience to be particularly beneficial.