Designing Scholarship and Tech Training Program for young adults in Nepal
Daya Foundation was born out of a deeply personal mission: to provide higher education and career opportunities to orphaned and disadvantaged youth in Nepal, particularly young women. Having grown up in a children home myself, I could see the systemic barriers that hinder access to post-secondary education. My goal was to create a structured, sustainable, and scalable program that would not only provide financial assistance but also equip students with skills, mentorship, and career support to help them build successful futures.
There were 3 main initiatives:
Produced by Holly Johnson
Daya Foundation Education Scholarship Program
FCR Study
Impact & Future Growth
In just 5 years, the program has awarded 120+ full scholarships at the bachelor's level, with a strong emphasis on female students and those from rural Nepal. Beyond financial support, students have gained valuable skills, confidence, and career opportunities, breaking cycles of poverty and social exclusion.
As the Executive Director of Daya Foundation, I led the program design from the ground up, focusing on four key pillars:
1. Needs Assessment & Research
To ensure the program effectively addressed the unique challenges of students that grew up in foster care and children homes, I conducted a research study (attached). This involved interviewing over 60 participants from 33 orphanages across Nepal to identify trends and barriers in access to higher education. The study revealed common obstacles such as financial insecurity, lack of guidance, and gender-based disparities, particularly in rural regions. These findings informed the structure of our scholarship and support model.
2. Scholarship Model & Selection Process
The core of the program is a merit- and need-based scholarship designed specifically for students who have grown up in orphanages or come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. To ensure fairness and impact, we implemented a rigorous selection process based on:
- Academic performance
- Personal motivation and career aspirations
- Socioeconomic background
- Commitment to community
Additionally, we committed to gender equity, ensuring that at least two-thirds of the recipients were female to counteract deep-rooted disparities in higher education access.
3. Holistic Student Support
Recognizing that financial aid alone is insufficient, I structured the program to include:
- Skills Development: Workshops on digital literacy, communication, and leadership.
- Career Counseling & Mentorship: Pairing scholars with mentors in various industries to provide guidance.
- Internship & Job Placement: Partnering with local businesses, NGOs, and international organizations to create pathways for employment.
- Mental Health & Well-being Support: Establishing a support network to ensure students’ emotional and psychological well-being.
4. Building Strategic Partnerships
To scale the impact, I initiated partnerships with:
- Local Colleges & Universities: To facilitate enrollment, supporting Daya students access to College scholarships and financial aid and academic support.
- Private Sector & Corporate Donors: To encourage funding and long-term sustainability.
Girls in Tech Training (GTT)
I launched Girls in Tech Training (GTT) in rural Nepal with a mission to empower young girls by equipping them with essential digital skills. Having spent years traveling in the far west during my youth, I saw the deep gender disparities that kept girls disconnected from technology—many lacking the confidence to even approach a computer. In partnership with a local company, I created GTT to introduce these girls to tools like Microsoft 360 and the basics of coding, sparking a shift in how they see themselves and their potential.
We began with the fundamentals, meeting the girls where they were—often at their very first encounter with a computer. I guided them through hands-on sessions, teaching everything from scratch: how to navigate software, type their first commands, and write simple code. Each lesson was designed to build not just skills but self-assurance, turning the unfamiliar into something they could master, step by careful step.
GTT is about opening horizons. By weaving tech training with a quiet encouragement to explore, I’ve seen these girls evolve from tentative newcomers to eager learners, discovering a world of possibility at their fingertips. This project isn’t just about teaching tools—it’s about giving them the confidence to claim their place in a tech-driven future, one keystroke, one breakthrough, one bold moment at a time.
Pumo Ri
I launched Pumo Ri in Nepal with a simple yet ambitious goal: to help students transform their skills into pathways for financial independence. The name "Pumo Ri," meaning "the mountain daughter" in Sherpa, reflects the spirit of resilience and creativity I wanted to instill in the program. Designed for scholarship recipients, it’s a hands-on initiative where participants learn to build something tangible—both in craft and in opportunity—while discovering their potential as entrepreneurs.
The journey began with a practical first step: creating bags and purses. We took these handmade goods to local stores and e-commerce platforms, turning ideas into sales. My role has been to guide the students every step of the way, offering support in product design, logistics, and the essentials of marketing and sales. It’s about more than just making a product—it’s about understanding how to bring it to life in the marketplace.
What drives Pumo Ri is the belief that skills, when nurtured, can open doors to a self-reliant future. By blending creativity with business know-how, I’ve watched students grow from learners to makers, building not just goods but confidence and possibility. This initiative is a foundation for them to stand on, a chance to shape their own economic story, one stitch, one sale, one idea at a time.