Namaste! My name is Aarati Patel, and I am 24 years old. I’m a National Volunteer with VSO. I’m thrilled to take on the Digital Ambassador role so I can amplify the voices of youth and advocate for young mothers and girls' rights through this platform.
About me
I am the Adolescence and Youth Health Coordinator in two municipalities in Rautahat, Nepal as part of VSO’s Active Citizenship Through Inclusive Volunteering and Empowerment (ACTIVE) Programme. We focus on adopting holistic approaches to help youth access vital health services.
From childhood, I’ve witnessed barriers for women and girls in accessing health and education services and livelihood opportunities. Child marriage is also a huge problem in Nepal.
I always wanted to support the people in my community, but I was not getting the proper platform to do so. When I saw the position with VSO I applied, hoping that I could give back to the community, and motivate other young adolescent girls to come out and speak out about their rights.
As a volunteer, I engage and educate youth on SRHR issues through street dramas and roleplays. I also advocate for promoting digital skills for girls and we are developing issues based interactive tools to support young mothers and girls.
I am also developing some podcasts with the youth community on sexual and reproductive health and rights, digital violence and access to education. Read more about the work I've been doing here.
Empowering change: The role of female leadership in advancing women's rights
Growing up in the heart of Madesh Province in Nepal, Aarati Patel witnessed first-hand the harsh realities that many women and girls in my community face daily. Hear how she's supporting girls in Nepal to find their voice and create a world where every girl has the freedom to choose her own path.
Meet our health champions: Aarati Patel
Meet Aarati, a health champion working on youth health rights in Nepal. Her work is helping youth and LGBTQ+ people to access sexual and reproductive health services.
The ACTIVE programme
The UK government funded ACTIVE programme supports the development of active citizenship across the Global South, so the world’s most marginalised people can lead their own development, claim their rights to better public services, and hold people in power to account.