Master Training of Trainers (MToT) on Facilitating Gender Transformative Manual Year-III
The five days MToT on Facilitating Gender Transformative Manual Year-III under Hamro Sahakarya Project was conducted on 21st -25th April, 2025 at Hotel Yellow Pagoda, Jamal in Kathmandu. The Training enhanced knowledge and skills of 31 SHGs volunteers along with project team members to explore strategies to engage individuals, families and communities to address harmful norms and discriminatory practices. The training motivated participants to develop action plans, take small steps for change, review and improve their plan. Participants were encouraged to apply critical knowledge and skills from Year I and II manual for the social norms change and collective mobilizations. The training also provided an opportunity to reflect on participant’s journey and plan for long term to sustain the change.
The participants represent from four different partner organizations of the project; JuRI, Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO), Center for Dalit Women Nepal (CDWN), and Nepal Dalit Sewa Samaj (NDSS). Among them 21 were women and 4 were men. The training was facilitated by Rain Barrel Communication team using feminist pedagogy and adult learning process mainly focusing on self- reflection exercises, group work, interactions, games and other activities. It focused in the principles of “Learn one, do one and teach one” that encourage participants with their commitments for actions.
“I was struggling to set my goals how and what, there was no visible way for future. I represent from Madeshi community early marriage is one of the harmful norms which is widely practiced in my village. My family was also thinking about my marriage at the same time I was connect with the SHGs. The trainings and reflect classes helped me to shape my own future pathways. I decided to complete my education, be independent before marriage that I shared and convince to my parents also. Now I feel like a very vibrant, colorful and confident community leader who can influence for change as change agent in our community.” said Rabita Kumari Yadav, community volunteer from Sarlahi
“From the trainings and working as a community volunteer in the project I got opportunity to enhance my capacities and coordination skills with local stakeholders. I have good networking and recognition as a community leader. I am invited by local government in various events and recommended for leadership role in local governance mechanism; recently I am member of ward judicial committee.” – Sonu Achhami, Community Volunteer from Kavre
“I gained enough confidence through the trainings and reflect classes to put my ideas and views in front of the stakeholders, local governments. My communication and negotiation skills have become efficient that I can deal with any problems and convince people. People trust me, they visits me to address issues of domestic violence or any types of disputes in the family, neighborhood. I am recognized and respected as a community leader in my community.” – Nilam Sony, Community Volunteer from Kailali
The Year–III training manuals includes twelve different sessions like; introduction to Year-III, social change, engaging for change, strategies for engaging individuals and families, strategies for engagement-community groups, strategies for engagement- community leaders and key influencers, planning our actions, implementing and reporting back on actions, implementing and refining actions, showcasing our successes, and reflection on the three-year learning journey.
On the first day the training was formally started with a warm welcome remarks from CDWN President Ms. Laxmi Pariyar. Latter, it was handed over to the RBC team for the facilitations. The five days facilitation of gender transformative manual successfully facilitated with the necessary knowledge and strategies to effective execute/facilitate the reflect sessions. The training fostered meaningful discussions on relevant tools and reinforced the importance of collective efforts in driving community development initiatives developing community action plans and implementing it for social norms change, engaging local CBOs and governments for their ownership and sustainability of the movements.
In the closing session the board members, senior management team from partners’ organization, Governance Thematic Head and Project focal person from UN Women were also participated to congratulate participants for their successful two years journey and also motivated them to keep the momentum addressing harmful social norms and gender stereotypes.
Rain Barrel trainers team along with UNW project focal person commitment, hard work and engagement was appreciated through awarding appreciation letters during the closing session. Participants also received certificate for their engagement during training. The five days training was concluded with summarizing key discussions, highlighting participant’s commitments to move further with year-III curriculum, reviewing and monitoring the change driven by reflect classes and contributions of project in their life, family and community by closing remarks from CDWN President-Ms. Laxmi Pariyar.
Group photo of MToT participants narrating the Change Story in the piece of Art