Project Sapana

GrowByData firmly stands on the belief that technology, data, and education, if played together can transform people, businesses, and societies. Being a data company, one of our focuses in CSR has been to provide digital literacy to people lacking proper guidance and access to technology.

Team ‘Project Sapana’ approached our executive team with a message that “role models” played a vital role in shaping students. With correct guidance and confidence required at various stages of their life; role models would help steer the students in the right direction. GrowByData collaborated with Project Sapana, an initiative led by Kailash and Himal Pandey. Kailash Raj Pandey is an incoming MPA/ID candidate at Harvard Kennedy School. He graduated from Middlebury College in the US with a degree in Computer Science and Economics. Himal Raj Pandey, another founding member of Project Sapana second-year student at Williams College, MA, is interested in the intersection between Neuroscience and Computer Science.

The goal of this project is to democratize access to the information ecosystem. With this approach, there will be more career prosperity, hence, a reduction in inequality in educational fields. Furthermore, the founders reiterated that excelling on a particular subject wouldn’t give them the advantage to secure a job or scholarship, but honing their ‘soft skills’ and being up to date on the job market played a critical role.

On July 19th, 2022, GrowByData’s employees offered their expertise on “Workplace soft skills.” This was led by Sonal Joshi, Associate Director of HR, Suraj Raj Pant, Engineering Manager, and Prasanna Dhungel, Managing Partner. Our Team successfully conducted a workshop focusing on topics of leadership and technical expertise in various office scenarios.

Additionally, on July 27, a 3-hour shadowing session was organized in which 12 students from Kankali Secondary School were engaged with four different departments from GrowByData. They were given a chance to learn about different steps of completing a task after meeting professionals in a non-confidential setting.

Around 30 energetic employees participated in this project through presentations and shadowing programs. Through this experience, they were able to improve their leadership and interpersonal skills as well as learn the efficiency of an organization. Through direct interaction with GrowByData executives, students were also able to get a clear picture of their career opportunities in Nepal. They were able to dream of a better future!

Sharing her experience, one of the academically top students proudly mentioned this project, giving her the courage to speak in front of a large audience. Not only that, but she was also able to voice her opinion confidently! She attributed this to Project Sapana’s unique classroom exercises and the opportunity to engage with industry professionals. Seeing the female leads in a tech company like GrowByData also gave her confidence that she could one day be in such roles.

On August 19, Prajjwal Shakya, Ambika Adhikari, Subekchhya KC, and Suraj Raj Pant represented GrowByData at Project Sapana’s closing ceremony. Ambika Adhikari represented GrowByData and highlighted the significance of this project, which could benefit both the students and companies in Nepal. Bridging the gap between academia and industry not only made an impact on the company’s employees’ morale but helped students – the future of our nation gain confidence in themselves.  Students who had planned on getting a low-tier job were now dreaming of working in a big company like ours.

Kailash and Himal are currently institutionalizing these efforts through a social enterprise called “Equity Bridge Nepal” that contributes to educational equality by focusing mainly on the high school level.