“Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.”
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A heartfelt conversation with people who are capable of understanding your words can heal great wounds. As an NGO working for women’s empowerment, we are willing to apply both traditional and unconventional methods to achieve our mission. Women from Dhading-Osrang have been battling with patriarchy for a long period. They’re uneducated and poor. The only weapon they can use to rise from the social prejudices and binding traditions are their words. These words contain the fire of revolution and the desire for progress.
Warming Hearts thought the most effective and immediate method of empowering these women would be to provide a platform to speak these words that their hearts have desired for so long. To increase the effectiveness and power of these words, we planned to gather the women of Dhading-Osrang and let them voice their words together, with the people who understand each other and have gone through the same challenges. In this setting, women feel confident that their words will be both understood and appreciated, unlike in more familiar environments such as their own homes.
With these probable benefits, on February 12, 2021, we started the ‘SHE Talks’ program, a platform for open dialogue and discussion. This momentous occasion saw approximately 40 women from diverse backgrounds come together, eager to share their stories and ignite a spark of transformation within their hearts.
The discussions held during the ‘SHE Talks’ program shed light on the prevalent lack of awareness surrounding family planning and reproductive health within the community. Undisturbed by societal taboos, Warming Hearts Nepal adopted an inclusive approach, involving both men and women in driving balanced and sustainable change.
By fostering open dialogues on sexual and reproductive health, the program instilled a newfound sense of empowerment among participants, liberating them from ignorance through shared experience, open dialogues, and collective learning.
