Avay Rajbanshi on Clubhouse

Bio

Kochila Gabhur Front (indigenous organization of the Koch Rajbanshis I helped establish.  It is an umbrella organization for many activities among the youth in three districts.  I’m its president).  As President, I collaborate with the following twelve committees: Women’s Committee (it looks after all aspects of women’s welfare and empowerment), Teachers’ Committee (education of indigenous children and welfare of indigenous teachers), Cultural Committee (organization of indigenous cultural programs and festivals), Labor Committee (welfare of Koch workers), Disabled Committee (prevention of discrimination against Koch disabled persons and equitable distribution of allowance and facilities) , Health Committee (blood donation drive and health awareness programs), Advisory Committee (committee of Koch elders who advise) and Agricultural Committee (my community is agricultural-based.  So, I organize programs to educate cultivators in better ways of farming).  I also collaborate outside my organization with the Dialogue Group Secretariat, Jhapa, in the area for the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and Koch Expatriate Organization to connect Koch workers overseas in the Middle East and East and South East Asia for their welfare and resettlement when they return home.

I organize my community to empower itself. I organize logistics and mobilize citizens to make things happen. For example, this winter I organized three things. I helped connect a team of researchers from the United States and Kathmandu with the Dialogue Group Secretariat where they dialogued with various community leaders and with my community. I organized a Koch food festival called Bhakka Day in order to spread the news about indigenous food across the mainstream society. I helped organize annual event of a sister organization. Last October, I raised funds, organized the logistics, invited keynote speakers for the First International Youth Seminar of the Koch community. I mobilize the Health Committee to launch blood drives and spread health awareness of various kinds. On each occasion, I make sure that the logistics work flawlessly. I say a few words about the significance of the event. I invite local elected political leaders to inaugurate various events run by the various committees of the organization. In short, I make things happen, mobilize the citizens and leaders of my community and raise their enthusiasm level and their consciousness through my work as well as my words.