Bikalpa Nepal has created a youth platform for sharing, healing, and questioning—meeting physically and conducting AVP workshops with care leavers (youth were staying in care homes but not there anymore). We met a few times before and came to the conclusion that we should share our issues and care for each other. It is a form of youth from different backgrounds from the age of 16–30. They are struggling to adjust in the community. We organized and facilitated a few workshops with them where everyone expressed that they have gained courage to respect themselves, have new friends, a platform to share issues, and strongly felt that it should continue.
During the workshop they enjoyed so much with games, sharing affirmation, exploring their core self and self-care strategies.
They also expressed that they are so much disconnected from family and local community- Nature, culture and bonding roots – had trauma and distress situations. Some of them attempt suicide. It is very difficult to adjust in the community after getting out from Institutions/orphanages. They showed and shared low self-esteem/confidence, low life skills- even not being able to do personal care, talking to new people, low capacity mixing up with others, fear, not able to initiate/ express ideas, opinions, not even able to ask any question, submissive nature. If anyone asks simple question they get confused how to answer what to say…. That’s why they get quiet. They are curies to know about why it happened to them?
