Today, on International Women’s Day, we take a moment to reflect on the role of libraries – not just as places of books and learning, but as safe spaces where knowledge is shared, wisdom is passed on, and communities are strengthened. The Sapana Library was built out of the dream to foster education, encourage reading, and create a shared learning space for the people of Khoramukh in Nepal. But beyond that, we hoped it would become a space for empowerment and support, particularly for women.
Gender equality in Nepal still faces many challenges. Women continue to struggle against deeply ingrained societal norms, gender-based violence, and limited access to education. Literacy rates among women remain lower than those of men, and many opportunities for professional and personal growth still seem out of reach. However, small steps towards change can lead to bigger transformations – and we believe the Sapana Library is one such step.
Our wonderful female Sapana librarianas Pabitra and Jyoti.
A key moment in our journey was when we decided to employ two part-time female librarians. The idea of job-sharing was unfamiliar and, at first, met with skepticism – even from some of our own Nepali project members. In Nepal, full-time jobs are the standard, sometimes requiring employees to work seven days a week. Yet we stood by our belief that this approach could be empowering and beneficial. It would allow these women – both mothers – to earn an income, contribute to their community, and have time for their families. This challenged the local’s notion that work must be all or nothing. But we dare say today, that it’s a success story for everyone involved.
The project’s work just marks the beginning, because it is now in the hands of the local people to bring the dream to life and make the Sapana library a place where women can come together – not just to read, but to share, to support, and to grow. A space where knowledge is not only found in books but in the voices of those who gather here. Whether it’s children doing their homework, mothers exchanging wisdom, or young women finding encouragement in stories.
Among the events that Sapana organized in 2024: a workshop on women health awareness.
On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate the power of spaces like these. Ones that uplift, that offer knowledge and safety, and that recognize the strength in sharing – not just books, but stories, experiences, and wisdom. There is still a long way to go in the journey towards gender equality, but every step counts.
Thank you to the women of Khoramukh, to the mothers, daughters, sisters, librarians and teachers. May the library continue to be a place of learning, gathering and support, and a place that you in turn want to protect and preserve.
Since the opening of our library in Nepal, we have hosted a series of workshops over the past few months – a total of seven. These workshops have enriched the community and provided essential knowledge and skills to our target audience. Our goal is for the library staff to conduct one workshop per month, establishing the library as a vital hub for education and exchange.
Diversity of workshops our library: Focus on creativity, community, and education
The variety of workshops reflects the needs and interests of the people in our region. Here are some highlights:
Traditional kite making
One of the most popular workshops held in our library was traditional kite making during the Hindu Dashain festival. This Nepalese celebration was used to foster the creativity of children and teenagers who joyfully crafted and flew beautiful kites. Despite the lack of wind that day, the children enthusiastically ran across the field to watch their kites soar.
Storytelling by the fire
Another successful workshop was storytelling by the fire. Children gathered in a cozy atmosphere, sipping warm tea, while librarians narrated engaging stories from picture books. Spontaneous dance performances by the brave little ones added a delightful touch, showcasing Nepal’s rich dance culture from a young age.
Social and health topics
A significant aspect of our workshops focused on social and health issues. For instance, we conducted a workshop on “Health Awareness for Women” led by trained health professionals from the village. They imparted crucial information about women’s health, menstruation, diseases like diabetes and cancer, and nutrition. The session concluded with an open Q&A, greatly appreciated by the women who seldom have safe spaces to discuss such topics.
Similarly, the library committee organized a workshop on “Rural Nutrition” to educate people about balanced diets and malnutrition among children in rural areas. This workshop received the highest participation with 43 attendees.
Promoting education and reading skills
Furthermore, we emphasize promoting education and reading skills. A workshop on “Reading with Children aged 10-15” provided library staff the opportunity to support village children in reading and cultivate a love for books.
Due to high demand, we also held a spelling bee competition to test and improve children’s spelling abilities. Winners received school kits comprising pencil cases, pens, and notebooks. Subsequently, local teenagers requested a similar competition, which we are eager to organize.
Positive Feedback and Future Prospects
The positive feedback from our library workshops has been overwhelming. Participants praised not only the diversity of topics but also the chance to acquire new skills and connect with others. These workshops demonstrate the diverse and relevant offerings a library can provide, highlighting the importance of bringing people together for learning and personal development.
In a country where reading culture and libraries are not widely known, we are especially pleased to see older generations becoming curious about what our library offers and its impact. Such progress requires time, patience, and consistency. With continued effort, the rewards will follow.
We are committed to maintaining this momentum, eagerly anticipating more exciting workshops, and we’ll keep you updated along the way.
Today we would like to introduce you to our dear and valued librarians. During our time in Nepal, we were able to get to know them as villagers who all live and grew up in Khoramukh and as applicants for the library staff positions. After a selection process and several days of trial work, we finally decided on Pabrita, Jyoti and Rajesh based on their skills, commitment and willingness.
What we would like to mention here is that we deliberately wanted to employ people from the village, even if this meant a longer training period and more patience for us due to less education than in the city. Giving people from the village a chance first is very important to us.
We have entrusted them with the task of looking after the children and visitors to our library, as well as managing the library on site. Thanks to the skills and hard work of these young employees, it is possible for the day-to-day running of the library to function well.
All library staff are paid by Sapana. Two of the employees share a 100% workload as they both have young children. This means that they can still work and have the opportunity to earn their own money.
Roles and Responsibilities
The library staff’s tasks include maintaining the books and the entire collection, cleaning the premises, ordering, registering and shelving new books and lending them to library guests. In addition, monthly workshops are offered, which are organized and supervised by the librarians. We are very proud to tell you a little more about these three today.
Meet our librarians at Sapana Library
Pabitra Sunar
Age: 26 Workload: 50% Children: one little boy Professional experience: Sewing teacher for two years, teacher at Lwang School
What I like about working in the library: I love the relaxing atmosphere in the library and it’s a great place to meet my friends.
What do I like to do in my free time? In my spare time I like to cook new recipes, look after my son and watch TV.
What is my favorite book and why? My favorite book is “Ejoriya” by Subin Bhattarai because it describes a captivating story and beautiful characters. It deals with love, hate and conflict of the family members in the story. Since the story is set in Nepal, I have a special connection to it.
I think the library brings us: Sapana Library brings us joy and excitement as well as welcome changes in our lives.
What is my dream? My dream is to impart and share knowledge and education and to work in the library in the long term.
One famous person I would like to meet in my life is: If I had to choose, it would be great to meet Michelle Obama. She is such an inspiring and empowering personality and I would love to hear her insights and wisdom first hand.
Something special about me is: I am very good at teaching children and have a comfortable way of expressing myself. I am good at presenting the knowledge from books in a way that is easy for children to understand.
What else I would like to say is: I think libraries are magical places where you can immerse yourself in different worlds through books. They offer a treasure trove of knowledge, inspiration and a sense of community.
Jyoti Devkota
Age: 27 Workload: 50% Children: Proud mother of a little girl and a boy Work experience: Sewing teacher for two years, teacher for six months, working in my own restaurant
What I like about working in the library: The library is a paradise for me to escape into the world of books.
What do I like to do in my free time? In my free time, I like to learn something new and play with my children, watch YouTube videos and listen to audio books.
What is my favorite book and why? My favorite book is “Yogmaya”. It is a historical book by Neelam Karki. This novel gives a comprehensive understanding of the women’s rights movement in Nepal.
I think the library brings us: It brings us happiness and quenches our thirst for knowledge.
What is my dream? My dream is to set children on the right path and help them to read books.
One famous person I would like to meet in my life is: Haribansha Acharya from Nepal. He teaches us that being sad does not mean giving up. Flowers can bloom even if they grow from stones. You should learn to spread happiness in the outside world.
There is something special about me: I believe in the joy of continuous learning and in sharing our knowledge!
What else I would like to say is: The innocence of children has a special place in my heart.
Rajesh Gurung
Age: 24 Workload: 100% Children: none Work experience: Teacher for six months, tourist tour manager for three years and photographer for five years
What I like about working at the library: Sapana Library is a very peaceful place where I can discover new things and do research on all kinds of topics.
What do I like to do in my free time? In my free time, I like to research about my interests, such as nature, wildlife and photography.
What is my favorite book and why? It is “Usle Diyeko umer” (NEPALI) by Buddhi Sagar because it contains many stories where the author has learned a lot and teaches us a lot about daily life and the mistakes we have made in our lives.
I think the library brings us: The library encourages the reading habit and brings new wind and three jobs to our village.
What is my dream? My dream is to become a successful person.
One famous person I would like to meet in my life is: This is Nims Dai from Nepal. He is a famous Nepalese mountaineer, known from the movie “14 Peaks – Nothing is Impossible”. He teaches us to never give up in life.
There is something special about me: I can live in the same place for a long time without getting the feeling that I’m getting bored.
Another thing I would like to say is: Don’t hesitate to learn new things in life, and NEVER give up!
