Wedu and Nepal Communiversity collaborate to nurture women leaders for social innovation

On 14 January 2025, Wedu and Nepal Communiversity partnered to support three exceptional women—Swechchha Singh, Ritika Shakya, and Sneha Khanal—in participating in the Social Innovation Fellowship 2025. This collaboration reflects our shared mission of fostering women’s leadership and enabling meaningful change across South and Southeast Asia.

A Hands-On Approach to Social Innovation

The Social Innovation Fellowship was an immersive, eight-week programme conducted across three culturally diverse regions of Nepal—Helambu in the Himalayas, Panchkhal in the hills, and Janakpur in the Terai. It offered fellows the opportunity to engage with local communities while addressing real-world challenges. Guided by three interdisciplinary courses—Social Entrepreneurship, Intersectional Identities, and Project Management Tools—the fellows immersed themselves in community contexts, developing practical solutions to pressing challenges.

By engaging directly with individuals and communities, the fellows explored meaningful ways to respond to local issues while building empathy, trust, and an entrepreneurial mindset. The programme culminated in an intense design sprint, where participants applied their learning to develop innovative ideas for social impact.

The fellowship was a flagship programme of Nepal Communiversity, a pioneering institution reimagining higher education in Nepal. Communiversity’s vision aims to bridge the gaps between academia, industry, and community to foster transformative learning experiences. Through initiatives like this, the institution enabled participants to contribute tangible solutions to social challenges, integrating local knowledge with global perspectives.

Championing Local Change

Each of the 2025 fellows brought a distinct perspective and passion to the programme, all of whom participated with financial support from Wedu’s Income Sharing Agreement (ISA) programme:

• Swechchha is committed to advancing mental health awareness and community development. She believes that engaging directly with local communities allows her to design tailored, impactful initiatives addressing specific regional needs.
• Ritika is passionate about strengthening connections within her community and championing women’s leadership and education. She values Wedu’s ISA model for its flexibility and alignment with her aspirations to create broader opportunities for women.
• Sneha leveraged her expertise in architecture as a tool for innovative problem-solving. Through the fellowship, she sought to refine her technical and entrepreneurial skills, equipping her to address challenges through thoughtful design.

The Social Innovation Fellowship taught participants the importance of pausing to reflect, rather than rushing through life. This shift in mindset was particularly evident during the course on Intersectional Identity, which encouraged fellows to be more mindful, inclusive, and empathetic in every space they entered. Many cultivated an entrepreneurial mindset which allowed them to analyse situations more effectively—a skill they previously lacked. Travelling through diverse communities further enriched their perspectives, revealing the realities of their surroundings, the unique wisdom within each community, and their remarkable capacity for self-sustenance.

As Swechchha aptly expressed, “Engaging directly with local communities allows us to design tailored, impactful initiatives that address specific regional needs.”

This sentiment encapsulated the fellowship’s transformative power. Ultimately, one of the greatest lessons shared by participants was that not all questions need immediate answers; some reveal themselves over time, while others remind us that not every question requires resolution.

Reflecting on the Path Ahead: Building Lasting Impact Together

Nepal Communiversity and Wedu are committed to creating opportunities for women to lead and contribute to meaningful social change. For Wedu, this partnership aligned with our mission to support women leaders across South and Southeast Asia by providing tailored mentorship, leadership training, and financial support through the ISA programme.

While Nepal Communiversity has no immediate plans for a subsequent fellowship, this initiative contributes to a long-term vision for impactful leadership and transformative education. Communiversity expressed their honour in partnering with Wedu and has shared their hopes of working together in future programmes to nurture the next generation of change-makers.

As the Social Innovation Fellowship 2025 concluded, we looked forward to building on the experiences and insights gained through this collaboration. Together, we aimed to amplify the fellowship’s impact, ensuring that more women would have the opportunity to create lasting change in their communities.

About Nepal Communiversity

Nepal Communiversity is a pioneering initiative that bridges academia, industry, and community to redefine higher education in Nepal. By incorporating local knowledge and prioritising hands-on learning, it ensures students not only gain theoretical insights but also engage in real-world problem-solving to drive meaningful social change.

About Wedu

Wedu is a not-for-profit organisation committed to supporting women to thrive as leaders and create positive change within their communities. By offering mentorship, leadership development, and financial support, Wedu continues to champion women across South and Southeast Asia in their pursuit of meaningful leadership journeys.