She Belongs: A Daughter's Right to Be Family

Summary

In February 2026, Console Mission took important steps to strengthen its work in rural and urban Nepal. Following board discussions, members sought permission to continue Our Study Place—a vital base for understanding the needs of schoolchildren. This initiative laid the foundation for our project She Belongs: A Daughter’s Right to Be Family, which addresses the urgent need for safe, supportive environments for girls who lack parental care.

Story & Activities

• Village Engagement: In the second week of February, two board members formally approached village authorities with a letter to secure permission for continuing Our Study Place. This center helps identify children’s needs and prepares them for life after school.
• Self-Managed Home: From this foundation, CoMi launched a Self-Managed Home in an urban flat with three rooms—one for sleeping, one for study, and one for cooking. Initially, no women volunteers stepped forward to support the girls. In response, a founding member, himself a father, took responsibility under safeguarding policies. He minimized personal interaction while ensuring structured timetables for study, cooking, cleaning, and daily routines.
• Urban Challenge: Land costs in urban areas remain a major barrier. Yet cities are the hubs where children from across Nepal come for education. Those with relatives may manage, but many—especially girls without parental support—struggle. In Nepali society, girls are still too often not seen as equal family members, making this project essential.
• Network Support: CoMi continues to leverage its network to place children under age 10 without parents in hostels and to manage scholarships. While profit-focused hostels exist, CoMi identifies affordable, trustworthy options.
• Beyond Shelter: The Self-Managed Home is more than housing. It connects with schools and colleges, offering activities and counseling to help girls stay focused on their studies. It also provides timely support when personal or social issues create barriers. Importantly, it addresses the growing trend of teenagers planning to migrate abroad for work or study, helping them see education as a pathway to dignity and opportunity at home.

Impact

• Girls gained independence and responsibility through structured routines.
• Vulnerable children accessed hostels and scholarships through CoMi’s network.
• The Self-Managed Home became a hub for counseling and academic support, reducing dropout risks.
• The project highlighted systemic challenges—urban costs, societal attitudes toward girls, and migration pressures—and offered innovative, cost-conscious solutions.

Challenges

• High cost of land in urban centers.
• Limited volunteer engagement, especially from women.
• Societal norms that undervalue girls as family members.

Looking Ahead

CoMi envisions scaling the Self-Managed Home model to connect more deeply with educational institutions, expand counseling services, and strengthen scholarship support. With sustained donor engagement, we aim to build a future where every girl belongs, is valued, and has the opportunity to thrive.

• Project_Report20260224.docx (DOCX)

How Console Mission Began

In 2010, when Console Mission was consulting to get registered as an NGO, a question was raised: Why one more NGO? Our team was not aware of the existence of several NGOs. The person who raised the question was a native English-speaking nationality. Truthfully, it was not only that person's concern—everyone outside Nepal was questioning the impact that NGOs could make, given their large numbers.

That made me thoughtful. I set up an initial five-year period to understand the need for Console Mission. The question was clear: Why, despite numerous NGOs, is sustainable change still in question? That question became Console Mission’s research question.

Questions That Guided Our Journey

• Why does the change brought by NGOs through their projects not last?

• How were projects implemented that did not continue after the end?

• Why are NGOs working in the same place and for the same cause?

• Why are volunteers not fostering within NGOs? Why do they change professions so quickly?

To reach a conclusion, Console Mission conducted surveys, interacted with beneficiaries, and observed the vulnerable and victims. It was challenging to find or meet victims, but Console Mission did it—by partnering with a Home that helps those living on the street, mainly women and girls. These were not only elderly mothers, but also young girls, some of whom had returned to Nepal from brothels. When they went back home, they were kicked out by their own children—because they had left them when they were young.

The Vision Behind This Project

This project is now on the GlobalGiving online fundraising platform. It focuses on building a house for teenagers and young people coming from rural areas who have no financial capacity to pursue further study. It is mostly linked with the community learning centre called Our Study Place (an initiative of Console Mission).

OrStdPlc began in the community, mainly in rural areas. Those who graduate from school need to come to town to join vocational colleges and trainings. This place—called the Self-Managed Home—gives them a space to live and learn life lessons by managing the home together.

Pilot Phase: 2019–2023

This project was tested from 2019 to 2023 and did well. At first, beneficiaries were managed at a Safe House, but it was found unsuitable for this group. This group does not belong to the already victimised. The Self-Managed Home was designed to prevent such anti-social issues.

Current Status

The fund collected is kept safe in Console Mission’s bank account. We are hoping to raise more through this channel. Before launching on GlobalGiving, Console Mission shared this idea with existing INGOs in Nepal and with those concerned about human trafficking and the need for girls’ education.

Why Girls?

Console Mission identified that if girls receive quality education—both formal and informal, at home and in the community—they become agents of drastic change. Once a daughter becomes a mother, she doesn’t just move from her parents’ house to her husband’s or in-laws’ house—she takes her qualities with her. What she learned at OrStdPlc—self-discipline, the ability to speak up, and the skill to identify what is right and wrong—goes with her.

Console Mission found that it is not impactful or essential to speak up on issues like child labour or child marriage on behalf of others. These are their problems. Legal action may settle things temporarily, but psychological distractions—revenge and other evils—remain. Therefore, it must be none other than the individual herself who speaks up for her rights. Only then can NGOs, individuals, or concerned organisations support effectively.

What This Project Provides

This project focuses on creating a place where girls can stay while studying. It also connects them with others from similar backgrounds—those coming from outside to study in Lalitpur, the hub city—so they can get help whenever needed.

Their needs include:

• Psychological and emotional support – Console Mission plays the role of guardian.

• Representation of academic progress – advocating for their educational journey.

• Financial support – for non-scholarship students who face expenses for trainings or travel.

• Safety from human traffickers – having a home linked with police authority keeps them protected.

Urban Challenges

This project is based in an urban area, so construction costs are high—higher than what is presented. But Console Mission is hopeful to receive discounted rates, especially for land, which is costly in urban settings.

This project is based in an urban area, so construction costs are high—higher than what is presented. But Console Mission is hopeful to receive discounted rates, especially for land, which is costly in urban settings.

Links:

• Empowering girls through education and safe housing.