August 16, 2018: Wai Wai Glocal Teen Hero 2018 top 6 finalist has been announced. Bikalpa Dhungana (19 years, Inventor, Tanahu), Deepshikha Ghimire (18 years, Writer, Makwanpur), Prashansha KC (17 years, Social Activist, Rukum), Saugat Tiwari (19 years, Entrepreneur, Chitwan), Sudarshan Subedi (19 years, Ecopreneur, Okhaldhunga), and Swornim Shrestha (17 years, Social Entrepreneur, Sindhupalchowk), have been selected among top 6 candidates for the competition, the only national platform in Nepal to recognize and honor the outstanding teenagers.
This year’s competition received over 532 applications, from fascinating teenagers demonstrating the diverse potential of this often under looked age-group of people. The applicants had demonstrated their skills and expertise, and made an impact in their society, from areas like social work to journalism, from mobile app development and computer programming, to robotics, and from entrepreneurship to community development among others.
Glocal Teen Hero is a platform for Nepali teenagers to share their initiation, creativity, and enthusiasm which will then motivate them and more of the other teenagers in the nation to develop an entrepreneurial thinking.
This is the fourth edition of the first ever program designed in the country to recognize dedicated, passionate, and innovative teenagers so as to encourage their initiatives. Bipana Sharma, a 17-year old child rights activist from Sunwal, Nawalparasi, and Santosh Lamichhane, a young scientist were felicitated with the First and Second Glocal Teen Hero awards in the years 2015 and 2016 respectively. Similarly, Sachin Dangi, Social Activist was felicitated Wai Wai Glocal Teen Hero in 2017.
Started from inside the Kathmandu valley only in the year of inception, the competition this year had reached out to teenagers nationwide and conducted information sessions in various schools and colleges. The reach and interaction with the teenagers were overwhelmingly high reaching to 50000+ teenagers.
To make the program a grand success, this year, Glocal has partnered with Wai Wai as a title sponsor. It is promoted by SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Nepal Tourism Board. European Union and UNDP are the Strategic Partner, Soaltee Crowne Plaza is the initiative partner. Likely, Coca-Cola, VOITH, Panchakanya and Honda as Partners, Turkish Airlines and Yeti Airlines as Airlines Partner. In addition, Prisma Advertising as Creative Partner and Sparrow SMS is the SMS Partner. The initiative is supported by Tara Air, Landmark education, Worldlink, IMS Group, IME, AYON, YUWA, Restless Development, Facts Nepal, SmartDoko, View Your Choice and YesClub Nepal. Partnership with various such organizations working on youth-segment helped the program reach every nook and corners of the country, and ensured no teenagers having talents and potential were left-out from the competition.
The respected 7-member jury panel had shortlisted these 6 amazing teens (ages 13-19) for their achievements, initiations or contributions in any other field outside of their respective school’s or college’s curriculum. The jury panel this year comprises of Mr. Renaud Meyer, UNDP Country Director to Nepal, Mr. Suraj Vaidya, President of Vaidya’s Organization of Industries, Mr. Upaul Majumdar, General Manager of Soaltee Crowne Plaza, and Ranjit Acharya, CEO of Prisma Advertising, Mrs. Srijana Shakya Jyoti, Chief Branding Officer, Jyoti Group, Mr. Ambuj Singh, Country Manager, Coca-Cola Nepal and Ms. Alina Prajapati, General Manager, Glocal Pvt. Ltd.
The selection was based on their applications, resume, the evidence and an essay on their accomplishment. They were evaluated on their innovation, achievement and impact of their works.
These six teens will now go through a six-days-long capacity building workshop before the main award day.
The finalists would be individually interviewed by the panel of judges on September 1 and SMS voting round has opened that will also contribute to select THE FANTASTIC TEEN for the year 2018.