Building practical pathways for learning, leadership, participation, and opportunity across Nepal.
Youth Development & Leadership for Change (YDLC) is a Nepal-based organization creating practical pathways for people to build skills, take responsibility, access opportunity, and contribute to stronger communities. We are building the programmes, partnerships, and systems needed to make that work useful, responsible, and sustainable.
Leadership should be developed through practice, not postponed until later.
Young people are already making decisions, solving problems, supporting their communities and shaping the environments around them. YDLC exists to create more structured opportunities to develop the skills, confidence, relationships and practical experience needed to do that work well.
The gap we are working on
Practical capabilities that can be applied beyond a classroom or single programme.
Opportunities to practise responsibility, communication, decision-making and collaboration.
Meaningful ways for people to contribute ideas, take responsibility and work with others.
Programmes that connect learning with practice
YDLC develops and delivers programmes that connect learning with practice. Our work is organized around four pillars, expressed through a finalized five-programme portfolio.
Practical learning opportunities that build knowledge, skills and confidence.
Exploring ideas, tools and approaches that can improve how people learn, participate and solve problems.
Developing communication, collaboration, initiative, decision-making and other practical leadership capabilities.
Creating opportunities to contribute to communities through projects, partnerships and meaningful participation.
Understand → Practice → Participate → Lead → Reflect
The developmental methodology of the Leadership & Community Practice Fellowship — the intellectual core of YDLC's programme system.
Understand
Build practical knowledge and understand context, self, and community before action.
Practice
Rehearse and apply skills and methods — taught and practised, not only lectured.
Participate
Engage with peers, mentors, communities and institutions responsibly.
Lead
Practise responsibility, initiative and decision-making through real work.
Reflect
Review what worked, what did not, and what should improve.
The objective is not simply to deliver activities. It is to create learning and participation that people can carry into their communities, education, work and future responsibilities.
Seven principles behind the work
- Participation should be meaningful
- People should have opportunities to contribute, not simply attend activities.
- Learning should lead to practice
- Knowledge becomes more useful when people can apply it.
- Responsibility should be shared
- Leadership should involve accountability, not status.
- Relationships matter
- Strong programmes depend on trusted relationships among participants, mentors, families, educators, institutions, and communities.
- Safety comes first
- Participation must operate within clear safeguarding and conduct standards.
- Evidence matters
- YDLC should distinguish between what it plans to do, what it has done, and what it can demonstrate.
- Transparency builds trust
- The institution should communicate clearly about its status, finances, decisions, limitations, and results.
An institutional ecosystem
YDLC works across a broader ecosystem rather than treating participants as the only stakeholder.
Participants & learners
People who take part in YDLC programmes and activities.
Volunteers
People who contribute time, skills, and practical support.
Mentors
People who share experience and guidance within a defined mentoring framework.
Educators, families & caregivers
People and networks that influence learning, participation, and opportunity.
Community organizations & schools
Local organizations, schools, and educational institutions that shape community opportunity.
Institutions, partners & supporters
Civil-society organizations, professional and technical partners, funders, and public institutions.
YDLC welcomes relationships with institutions, companies, universities, community organizations, and public bodies. Organizations are presented as partners only when a relationship is formally confirmed through a verified record.
Based in Nepal, developing within Nepal
YDLC is based in Nepal and is developing its work within Nepal. Our geographic reach will be described according to where programmes and activities have actually taken place — not according to ambition. We do not claim “across Nepal” merely because we intend to work nationally.
- Home base
- Nepal
- Current operating stage
- Founding / programme development
When verified programme activity exists, the website will show the relevant geographic coverage. We do not list cities, districts or provinces without verified programme records.
Programme architecture finalized — building through defined gates
YDLC's programme architecture is finalized. Individual programmes move from design to operation through defined governance, safeguarding, implementation, and evaluation gates. A programme's status reflects its own development, not a statement about YDLC's institutional maturity.
The institutional concept, the four-pillar framework, the operating approach, and this public platform.
Governance appointments, the programme portfolio, and operating systems.
Programme delivery, participation, monitoring, and public reporting.
Registration is complete. No verified programme outcomes have been published yet.
Programmes
YDLC's finalized five-programme portfolio is in development. Operational programme details appear here as programmes are formally approved and published.
YDLC's five-programme portfolio is finalized; individual programmes are in development. Operational programme details will appear here as programmes are formally approved and published.
Board & governing body
YDLC's governing body provides oversight, accountability, strategic direction, and stewardship as the organisation develops its institutional work in Nepal.
Chairperson
Pratish Shrestha
Provides overall governance leadership, chairs governing-body discussions, supports institutional accountability, and helps ensure that YDLC remains aligned with its purpose, policies, and responsibilities.
7 years of relevant experience.
Vice-Chairperson
Shreya Khanal
Supports the Chairperson in governance responsibilities, contributes to strategic oversight, and helps maintain continuity in institutional decision-making and organizational development.
3 years of relevant experience.
Secretary
Alka Basnet
Supports effective governance administration, maintains organizational records and meeting processes, and helps ensure that decisions and institutional responsibilities are properly documented and followed through.
3 years of relevant experience.
Treasurer
Hari Dulal
Provides governance oversight of financial stewardship, supports responsible financial planning and reporting, and contributes to accountability in the use of organizational resources.
5+ years of relevant experience.
Programme & Strategy Director
Bhim BK
Provides strategic and programme-level oversight, helping connect YDLC's institutional direction with programme development, implementation quality, learning, and longer-term organizational priorities.
15 years of relevant experience.
Safeguarding & Ethics Lead
Nalin Shen Thapa
Supports the organization's safeguarding and ethical standards, contributes to responsible practice, and helps ensure that participation, programme delivery, and organizational conduct are guided by safety, dignity, confidentiality, and appropriate accountability.
5+ years of relevant experience.
Member, Partnerships & Community Engagement
Raj Thapa
Contributes to relationships with communities, institutions, partners, and stakeholders while supporting responsible engagement and opportunities for collaboration aligned with YDLC's purpose.
5+ years of relevant experience.
How we hold ourselves accountable
Governance
How decisions and responsibilities are structured.
Safeguarding
How YDLC works to protect safe participation and respond to concerns.
Finance
How financial information and reports will be disclosed as the organization develops.
Policies
The policies that guide responsible operation.
Impact
How YDLC intends to measure results rather than simply report activity.
Evidence, not vanity statistics
YDLC distinguishes between plans, activities, outputs, outcomes, and verified results. Public evidence will be added as programmes are implemented and reporting periods are completed.
Plans
What YDLC intends to do.
Activities
What YDLC actually delivers.
Outputs
What is produced or completed.
Verified results
What evidence demonstrates changed.
No participant numbers, success rates, or impact percentages are displayed until supported by verified records. YDLC does not present testimonials as evidence of impact.
Credibility depends on what we refuse to exaggerate
Credibility depends not only on what an organization says, but also on what it refuses to exaggerate.
We will not invent impact
No participant numbers, outcomes or success rates without evidence.
We will not overstate partnerships
Organizations will only be presented as partners when relationships are formally confirmed.
We will not present plans as achievements
Planned programmes and future ambitions will be clearly labelled.
We will not publish unverified legal information
Registration and official organizational details will appear only after verification.
Our development path
- Step 1
Establish the institutional foundation
- Step 2
Formal registration completed
- Step 3
Build governance and operating systems
- Step 4
Launch and document programmes
- Step 5
Establish monitoring and reporting
- Step 6
Publish verified evidence
- Step 7
Improve through learning and review
First annual report — following the first complete reporting period. No specific date is published until a reporting period has genuinely concluded.
Registered in Nepal.
Youth Development and Leadership for Change (YDLC) is a Nepal-based organisation registered in Nepal.
- Legal name
- Youth Development and Leadership for Change
- Public name
- YDLC
- Country
- Nepal
- Business address
- New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Legal status
- Registered in Nepal
Registration number, registration authority, registration date, and PAN/tax information are not publicly listed. These details are held internally and published only if explicitly approved.
Be part of what YDLC is building.
There are several ways to engage with YDLC as the institution is established.
YDLC does not request donations until the organization’s legal and operational setup supports that request.