As part of its commitment to empowering young leaders in environmental advocacy, the GreenShift Project successfully conducted a series of Capacity Building Training sessions for Youth Advocacy Groups (YAGs) across Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City, Kohalpur Municipality, and Bharatpur Metropolitan City. These sessions equipped the selected youth groups with the knowledge, tools, and skills to drive impactful plastic waste reduction and circular economy initiatives in their communities.
The training sessions were held in two phases, with the first taking place on January 29-30, 2025, in Kohalpur for BAS Nepal. The second phase followed on February 25-26, 2025, in Bharatpur for CARD Nepal and Saral Nepal. Led by Restless Development Nepal, the training focused on key themes such as waste management and circular economy principles, project management, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), financial guidelines, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), child protection policies, and communication and branding strategies.
A key highlight of the training was its emphasis on the TagMe campaign as a crucial component of the Youth Advocacy Group’s activities. These youth groups were empowered to lead the TagMe campaign, equipping them with the skills and tools needed to mobilize their communities in mapping and reporting waste accumulation sites.
As part of the campaign, youth organizations were oriented on how to use the TagMe app, a digital tool designed to map and track waste hotspots. With this knowledge, these organizations will now take the lead in training and mobilizing youth volunteers to geo-tag waste sites, provide photographic evidence, and use that data to advocate for improved waste management and push for local government intervention.
“The TagMe app is a game-changer for youth-led waste management. It allows us to document waste issues in real time and push for local government action,” shared a participant from BAS Nepal.
Interactive Learning and Peer Inspiration
To make the training more engaging and interactive, various participatory methods were used, including problem tree exercises to help participants identify environmental issues and develop solutions, interactive games and discussions reinforcing the 3R principles (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), and peer learning sessions. Hem Raj Bhatta, Chairperson of NICE Nepalgunj and a Year 1 grant recipient, shared valuable insights on leading climate action initiatives and overcoming challenges. He encouraged the new grantees, stating, “Our work in Year 1 made a real impact, and I am confident that these young leaders will take climate advocacy to the next level.”
Path Forward: Youth-Led Advocacy in Action
Each youth group finalized their action plans for the upcoming year, outlining strategies to drive environmental change in their municipalities. They were also awarded a grant of Rs. 2 Lakh each to implement their initiatives.
“This training has given me a new perspective on how small community actions can lead to big environmental changes,” said a participant from CARD Nepal.
The training concluded with certification of participation and a commitment from all youth leaders to push for a sustainable future. With strengthened capacity, these Youth Advocacy Groups are now better prepared to lead Nepal’s transition toward a circular economy and sustainable waste management solutions.
