Making Nepal Better: A Simple Plan for Growth and Keeping Our Culture Alive

Recently, I was very honored to join the UK Embassy in Kathmandu. A big thank you to Sally Duncan, Kirti Thapa, and others. Sharing thoughts with honorable people like Minister Andrew Mitchell, Mrs. Gita Chaudhary, Dia Yonzon, and Anuradha Koirala was a special opportunity to talk about how we can end modern slavery. Knowing 50 million people are currently living in modern slavery you can learn more about via Global Slavery Index (GSI) report by Walk Free.

In my speech, I talked about how important it is for Nepal to grow into its own power to keep our people's rights safe. This includes giving people more chances to learn, and support women-led, Survivor led projects to help those who often get left out of these talks. A big part of our conversations was making sure we listen to and help the people who don't usually get heard.

A big problem for Nepal is when Nepali people have to go far away for dangerous jobs. This is risky and takes away our most important resource—our people. Our dream is more than just money; it's about keeping our people safe and keeping our culture alive for our children. We want to create jobs and homes here that people can depend on.

Helping women is at the center of this dream. Making sure women can earn money is key to fixing unfairness in Nepal. Projects led by women can really make things sustainable and systemic change that we need , showing us how everyone can grow together in a way that lasts.

The UK can help a lot in making Nepal a better place where everyone is included and can grow. By working together, sharing knowledge, and supporting each other financially, the UK can help protect our most vulnerable people and help us grow in a way that Nepal deserves. This teamwork will show how countries can work together to make life better, help economies grow, and stop modern slavery.

Our big dream is to make Nepal a place where everyone can live and work happily, without being afraid of being taken advantage of. With the UK's help, support from all over the world, and a strong focus on women leading the way and keeping our culture alive, we can imagine a future that respects our traditions while moving forward. This dream for Nepal is not just something we hope for; it's something we can really make happen with hard work, global teamwork, and strong leadership.

With love,

Nasreen