My Leadership-in-Action project this summer is taking place in Kathmandu, Nepal, where I am volunteering with The Women’s Foundation Nepal. The organization supports women and children who are survivors of domestic violence and/or extreme poverty, providing shelter homes, orphanages, and vocational training programs. In the Kathmandu district office, which is where I am primarily working, I get to interact with the SSBU aspect of the organization which focuses on women’s pursuit towards financial independence. Through SSBU, women work in textile manufacturing, where handmade good are exported internationally. The women save a percentage of their earnings to become economically self-sufficient.

I also had the wonderful opportunity to visit the district office in Bhaktapur, an area slightly outside of Kathmandu. In Bhaktapur, I got to engage in interviews with women who have achieved financial independence, safety, and security away from their abusers. Many of the women have opened up their own shops, and one woman I interviewed now runs her own farm. It was incredibly moving and inspiring to hear these women’s stories and how much they have overcome.

Although my LiA work this summer doesn’t directly connect to my research last summer, there are meaningful overlaps. Last summer I worked in a lab setting and did research on imagination in the brain. My work last summer allowed me to learn more about the brain, and gain a deeper insight into cognitive psychology. This summer, I have been able to utilize all that I have learned, both from my psychology research last summer, and various courses I have taken at Columbia, to gain a deeper insight into the psychology of trauma and resilience. These insights have deepened my connection to the women I’ve interviewed and enriched my contributions to the organization. I decided to pursue this project because I wanted to give back to the women in my own community of Nepal, as well as understand the psychology of trauma from a deeper and pragmatic understanding.

I have attached a picture of the farm I conducted interviews in during my in-field work day in Bhaktapur.