Laurisa Didi shows Rukmini Scholars that there are many things that girls can do

One of the key aims of the Didi Program is to show Rukmini scholars that girls and females can do many different things. In our last program it was Laurisa Osti who served as that example. Laurisa Didi is a renowned Radio Jockey (RJ) of Kantipur FM, a national FM station in Nepal and Program Officer of Maiti Nepal, a nonprofit that helps victims of human trafficking. She came to Pharping to meet with and give guidance to Rukmini scholars. The 22 scholars who were present were very excited to see a strong female personality who is successful at doing something she loves. It was also very interesting for the girls because this is a name they are very familiar with as listeners of radio.

The Bottle House was where we held the Didi Program

Laurisa Didi started the program with a small game where all of the Didis (mentors and older scholars) and Bahinis (scholars) were divided into two groups and we lined up alphabetically. It was an interesting introduction game where we learned more about each other. After the introductions, she showed us more about how a radio station works. It was interesting for all of us to see the photos of the radio station, tower, and the studio. Laurisa Didi asked the Bahinis to describe the pictures and then she explained to us more about her work and how a radio station works and what an RJ does. We were all interested to hear how all of that works since all we could hear was the sound on the radio. There is a lot of technical work and Laurisa Didi made the work sound very interesting and challenging.

Laurisa Didi asked us to introduce ourselves in groups of two

The Bahinis were very keen to understand more about this since the entertainment field is of great interest to them. One of the scholars, Sushmita asked Laurisa Didi about the qualification and skills required to become an RJ as she wanted to become one herself
one day. Laurisa Didi was very energetic as she explained how she became an RJ and how education played a big role in that. She also explained that the role of an RJ was expanding and becoming a stable job. This was important for the Bahinis to understand because the idea that you can do something interesting for a living is very new to them and even many of us Didis. Laurisa Didi invited the Bahinis to come to the station if they were interested to learn more about radio station programming. We hope to schedule a field trip one day for the scholars.

Everybody was interested in learning more about Laurisa Didi’s work

After we talked about her job, Laurisa Didi had us play a small quiz game. She asked questions on various achievements by women. Through the quiz game, Laurisa Didi was able to share the message that women are working in very diverse fields and achieving success. In a fun way, we all learned that women have equal talent and capability as men. She inspired not just the Bahinis, but all of us to chase our dreams and do something that we love the most.

After the quiz, Laurisa Didi asked one of the Bahinis to volunteer in reading an article and Pari volunteered to read this to the group. The article was about female doctors. The point of the article was that women are now working in many different fields that were traditionally only for men. Laurisa Didi explained to us that if girls and women have the courage and wish to get ahead and do something we really believe in, then we cannot be pushed back. She really inspired us and gave us more courage to follow our dreams.

Finally, Laurisa Didi asked the Bahinis if they had any questions about what we talked about. We Didis were very happily surprised to see the Bahinis actively participating as most of the hands were raised with questions from the group. It seems like the Bahinis were eager to know more about how radio stations work and how to get into that type of field. One of the Bahinis, Anju also asked Laurisa Didi about her work with Maiti Nepal. Laurisa Didi was very happy to hear questions about this because it is something very important to her to be able to help vulnerable girls and women. She explained to the Bahinis about what Maiti Nepal does and how it is operated. Didi also talked to us about human trafficking, gender violence, and HIV/AIDS. Laurisa Didi covered many topics interesting and serious, and in a way all of us could relate to.

The happy group after the program with beautiful scenery in the background.

After the program, Laurisa Didi asked us to give her some feedback. All of the scholars were divided into group of six where they discussed and gave feedback, which was all very positive. Anju handed a Thank You note to Didi for her time and wonderful program. We then had a short photo session and refreshments with the group. We want to thank Laurisa Didi again for this great program. It was not only motivating for the Bahinis, but for us Didis too.

Prabritti Nepal
Rukmini Didi