Professional Documents
Culture Documents
How To Start A Youth Club in Nepal
How To Start A Youth Club in Nepal
March 2017
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Youth Clubs Toolkit_Peace Corps Nepal
Acknowledgements
Making this toolkit would not be possible if it wasn’t for the help of three people.
First, I want to acknowledge the English teacher Tara Subedi who helped me create a Business and
Agriculture club at the local high school in my community.
Secondly, Alka Verma has been helpful by giving me advice on how to carry the club forward.
Lastly, Kushum Lama helped by translating all club rules, adviser rules, roles of club executive members,
and the club proposal, from English to Nepali Romanization as well as Nepali script.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... ii
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1
Introducing Yourself to the Community ....................................................................................................... 2
Assessing Community Interest in a Youth Club ........................................................................................... 3
Finding a counterpart/advisor ....................................................................................................................... 4
Writing a Proposal ........................................................................................................................................ 5
Registering the Club and Securing Funding ................................................................................................. 7
Creating Club Rules for Members and Advisor............................................................................................ 8
Example Club Member Rules: English ......................................................................................................... 9
Example Club Member Rules: Romanized Nepali ..................................................................................... 10
Example Counterpart/Advisor Rules: English ............................................................................................ 11
Example Counterpart Rules: Romanized Nepali ........................................................................................ 12
Leadership Roles for Club Members .......................................................................................................... 13
Leadership Roles for Club Members: Romanized Nepali .......................................................................... 14
Electing Youth Leaders for the Club .......................................................................................................... 16
Setting Meeting Dates and Times ............................................................................................................... 17
Available Resources for the Club ............................................................................................................... 18
Potential Club Activities ............................................................................................................................. 19
Example: Proposal for Syangja Himalayan Club........................................................................................ 20
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Youth Clubs Toolkit_Peace Corps Nepal
Introduction
This toolkit is intended for Peace Corps Volunteers in Nepal, as well as their community partners, who
are interested in starting a youth club in their community.
This toolkit will walk you through the important steps to take for starting a new club, or re-activating an
existing club, and ensuring that the club is set up to make a meaningful mark in the community.
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Identify what your targeting audience is (eg: 6th-8th graders, 10th-12th graders, boys only, girls only, etc.),
and speak with them to gauge if they would be interested in being a part of a club. If they say yes, then
you should talk with them about what type of club they’d like to be in – generally get a sense for what
they’re interests are.
After you ask the students what their interests are, explain the benefits of forming a club; to make sure
you capture youth’s interest in what you are doing, it is very important for them to know how they will
benefit in the long run. People like to know what they are gaining before they invest their time; especially
in this country. In Nepal, even though people are usually relaxed and not in a rush, free time is limited,
and it’s important that you explain why youth should chose to spend some of their free time on this club.
Next, after you gauge the interest of the students and explain to them the benefit of a club, start slowly. If
you begin too quickly, and make hard rules too quickly about membership and attendance, you might
miss including some members who haven’t heard about the club, but would be interested. Another reason
to start slowly, and not rush into things, is that your language may not be proficient enough to
communicate what you want to say about the club. Therefore, it may be best to lay the groundwork
(talking with students about what they’d be interested in, spending time at the schools, meeting parents,
meeting teachers, etc.) for 4-5 months of your service before actually starting a club.
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Finding a counterpart/advisor
After discovering what club the youth are interested in being a part of, the next step is finding a reliable
counterpart (perhaps called an “advisor”) who will help support the club for the rest of your service and
beyond. Finding a counterpart is very easy, but finding the right counterpart can be much harder.
If you are serious about the club’s work continuing on after you leave site, it’s important to find the right
counterpart/advisor. This person should be reliable, have a good relationship with the students, and
should also have pride in his or her community and thus be motivated and driven to engage youth in
youth development through the club’s activities.
Criteria One: Someone involved in an existing community group, such as a school, health post,
agriculture office, VDC office, mothers’ groups, farmers’ group, or elsewhere. Although these people are
also often busy, their involvement in an existing group may prove helpful later in terms of connecting the
club to community resources.
Criteria Two: Someone who is a good mix of being a “go-getter” and also being reliable. You want the
counterpart to be enthusiastic, passionate and driven, but also to be hardworking, honest, and sincere in
their commitment to youth development (and not simply accepting the position for the prestige associated
with working with a foreigner).
Criteria Three: Someone who demonstrates good leadership skills, including public speaking and
critical thinking skills.
Criteria Four: Someone in their twenties, thirties, or forties. People in this age group are typically both
young enough to be open to new ideas, but also ideally old enough to have established a reputable
position and credibility with community members of all ages.
Criteria Five: If you can find someone with the characteristics above, who also speaks some English
fairly well, then you’ve hit gold!
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Writing a Proposal
Writing a proposal is the most important initial step when starting a club, as it serves as the guideline to
engage potential members and important community figures, it can help provide structure and foundation
as the club is holding it’s first few meetings, and it will also help you later if/when you decide to register
the club.
Below are the important components to include in the proposal for any club you and your community
want to start. (Note that, if you and your community plan to re-activate an existing club, instead of start a
new club, it will be important to distinguish the club’s former goals and the club’s new goals. Thus, the
PCV should work with the club members to create a new proposal for the re-activated club, including a
new mission statement, set of goals, and objectives.)
Step 1: Introduction
In your introduction, make sure to explain the club’s mission and goals. (Remember that all goals should
be S.M.A.R.T. – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely!) Briefly explain how the students
will benefit from the club, and how you can use existing Peace Corps resources and trainings to teach the
camp members important life lessons and leadership skills. Furthermore, you can explain that Peace
Corps members occasionally host youth development camps, and that by creating a club in your
community, you will have a group of youth who will be well prepared to represent the school at future
Peace Corps youth leadership camps.
Step 2: Benefits
In the second section, explain further how this club will be beneficial for the club’s members, and for the
community as a whole.
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It may also be helpful to have a short section that explains why the advisor is interested and motivated to
serve as the club advisor.
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School clubs do not technically have to be registered. However, if you help create a club without
registering it, the school principal can choose to dissolve the club at any time.
To register any club or group, you must bring an official school letter, written on school letterhead and
marked with an official school stamp (if there is no letter head, the official school stamp will likely
suffice) and principal signature. The letter should be written by the principal, and should explain the
benefits of the club to the community.
When you meet with the respective government office to register the club, bring the school letter and the
club proposal, as well as your club counterpart, who can also help to explain the club’s goals and ensure a
successful meeting.
It is important to know that 10% of the money given from the district to the VDC is earmarked for
children’s/youth club activities. These funds are kept at the VDC office, and are at the discretion of the
VDC Secretary. If your principal writes a compelling letter, and you and your counterpart write a
compelling proposal, you may very well be able to secure access to these funds for your club.
Finally, make sure that your club bears NO political affiliation! Peace Corps is a politically-neutral
organization that does NOT get involved in local politics, so it is important that you do not identify your
club with any political group, even if that political party is promising funds to your group.
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In the school it’s important to create rules for not only the club members, but also for the
advisor/counterpart. These rules for the advisor/counterpart are necessary because you do not want them
take over the club – the point of the club is for the students to learn how to, and practice, being leaders,
not for adults to do so. Furthermore, ensuring student leadership and empowerment will maintain energy
and interest among the club members, while having too much adult intervention might lead to club
members losing interest in the club.
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2. The advisor will remember the club is for the students, and that the students (not the advisor) are
3. The advisor will help the club with logistics, including helping to organize trips (especially
helping if the club needs to hire a bus, arrange for food, and arrange for housing), and helping the
4. The advisor will help ensure the continuation of the club after the PCV leaves the community.
6. The advisor will not be biased in their decisions when it comes to gender.
8. The advisor will not try to take over the club from the student’s control and direction.
9. The advisor will include club president and vice president in every decision regarding the club.
11. During club meetings, the advisor will listen but not interrupt the discussions. Only after the
meeting will they talk to the club leaders and provide their opinions.
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adhyaksha
upaadhyaksha
samyojak
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koshaadhyaksha
klabko baiThakharumaa sabai sadasyaharule aaphno kuraa raakhna paaun bhanera nischit
garna samaya herne
nayãã samaya herne maanchhelaai taalim dine
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When choosing club President and Vice President, ensure that one is male and one female, in order to
maintain a gender balance in the leadership of the club. For these two positions, it is best to choose older
students (who the younger students will listen to and respect), but perhaps to avoid choosing students in
their final year as the President or Vice President, as they may be too busy with other obligations and
therefore not able to fully dedicate themselves to the club.
While the students will elect the students for each position, you and the club advisor/counterpart should
keep in mind the behavior that each of those students has demonstrated in the classroom and in the
community. Ideally, each student elected as a student leader will be responsible, fair, and someone who
the other students look up to. If you or the advisor/counterpart feel strongly that a certain student is not fit
for a position they are elected to, you may ask this student to step down. However, be careful, as this will
send a strong (and incorrect) message to the club members that you, and not they, are in charge of the
club.
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To maintain regularity, it is ideal to meet at least twice a month. Fridays are typically a good day to meet,
as they are often half days at school, and the students are already accustomed to using this time for extra
curricular activities.
Ultimately, however, when deciding on club meeting dates and times, make sure to ask the club members
what work for them, and for their parents. If the students can’t ever attend the club meeting, then there is
not point in holding them.
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District Level
District Health Office – Medical equipment such as bandages, health related trainings, etc.
VDC Level
Health Post – Medical equipment such as bandages, health related trainings, etc.
Community members –books, pencil, pen, chia, biscuits, chow chow, space for training, somewhere to
hold meetings, water, etc.
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Painting projects around the community anytime youth and school clubs
Team building activities (picnic, etc.) anytime youth and school clubs
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Benefits
Our club will set up programs in which the students will able to visit successful business owners and
farmers in Syangja and Pokhara. The students will learn how to run a successful business in Nepal, how
to generate income, and how to grow different varieties of food in their communities.
Life Skills
What the students will gain from membership in this club is: public speaking and critical thinking skills,
general leadership skills, project design and management skills, the knowledge of how to run a successful
business, effective money management skills, resume writing and business letter writing skills, and an
understanding of how to utilize business skills to ensure food security. These skills will help the members
be accepted into a credible university program and get good jobs, will help the community by teaching
business skills to the youth that they can teach their parents, and will help the country as a whole by
developing a new generation of food security and business leaders in Nepal.
Our main goal was to teach the participants how to address societal issues with youth in their community.
Our idea was to work with the training participants (mostly teachers) on a program to deliver the material
to local youth. That could mean a “GLOW/BRO” type camp, an after school club, etc. Likely best to let
your training participants choose how they feel it would be best to deliver the material.
The advisors should not take part in club decisions, advisors should not be bias in their decision when it
comes to gender, they should treat every situation equally, they should not try to run the club, they should
include club president and vice president in any decision regarding the club, and they should give the
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student a voice in meetings. When the club having their meetings they should give a lessoning ears and do
not interrupt the meeting after the meeting they can talk to the club leaders.
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1. Alka Verma
Background: Alka ji successfully establish two community based insurance projects and
have a lot of experience working with youth clubs. Alka ji is also part of the LGL task
force in Nepal and Inclusion Diversity Committee.
Email: averma@peacecorps.gov
Phone number: +977-980-200-3151
2. Raju Kandel
Background: Raju ji have experience working with you clubs. He also information on
where PCVS can locate information on youth clubs and working with them.
Email: rkandel@peacecorps.gov
Phone number: +977-980-200-3127
3. Kishor Ghimire
Background: Kishor ji is very knowledge about fruit tree plantation in Nepal. If you
have any questions about fruit tree you can contact Kishor ji.
Email: kghimire@peacecorps.gov
Phone number: +977-980-200-3205
4. Anuja Lamsal
Background: Anuja ji is part of LGL task force in Nepal and also Gender and
Development Committee (GAD). If you have any questions about Gender inclusion in
your club you can contact Anuja ji.
Email: alamsal@peacecorps.gov
Phone number: +977-980-200-3157
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6. Chakra Bishwakarma
Background: Chakra ji is Peace Corps Nepal Training Coordinator, he is a certified
language tester and he speak perfect English. If you have any questions about translating
something from English to Nepali he is able to help.
Email: cbishwakarma@peacecorps.gov
Phone number: +977-980-200-3116
7. Mingma Tamang
Background: Migma ji is very knowledgeable about writing grants and doing project
design and management. Mingma ji knows a lot about PCV live and Google drive. So if
you have question about finding information about clubs, leadership programs or you
want information on what other PCVS around the world is doing with their club project.
Feel free to contact Migma ji.
Email: mtamang@peacecorps.gov
Phone number: +977-980-200-3144
8. Kushum Lama
Background: Kushum ji is a Senior Language Coordinator Facilitator for Peace Corps
Nepal PST and IST. She is very helpful with any questions dealing with translating
English to Nepali or Nepali to English. If you have any questions about translating from
English to Nepali she is happy to help.
Email: lamakushum@gmail.com
Phone number: +977-980-200-3204 or 980-112-2995
9. Mario Dillon
Background: My experience range from creating a club, helping club members’ to
create events and organizing trainers and guest speakers.
Email: ndillon657@gmail.com
Phone number: +977-980-200-3191
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Additional References
Life Skills and Leadership Manual. Publication No. M0098
Major festival and public holidays in Nepal: Speak with Mingma Tamang about books in the Peace Corps
IRC related to Nepali festivals and holidays.
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