In this open letter to her mother, Lorène Tonati — former Country Coordinator in Nepal — shares about her 3-year experience at LP4Y.
Maman,
Three years, it’s the time none of us had forecasted for your daughter to be away from home, three years to miss each other, to miss the important family reunions, but finally, three years of learning and of finding out how to exist and grow separately.
When you dropped me with Papa at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport back in 2021, I was flying for the first time in the land where Buddha was born: Nepal.
Younger, maybe braver, particularly hopeful and trustful of my skills and personality, I was so happy and confident I would make a difference.
As you know, since childhood I wanted to change this mad world into something better. As a child I thought it would happen through my spying skills (which I still hope haha), and back then, to do it as an engaged and committed worker. Yet, at that time I was full of insecurities I couldn’t even name, probably to show both of you my brave face when you were so stressed and worried for me. We said goodbye, who knew for how long, and at the time, we didn’t know that it was the last time we would see this version of ourselves. Because, Maman, there is no doubt that 3 years later, I am no longer the same person than when I was 24 years old. So to me, the one word to describe this transformative experience is changes. Let me walk you through some of them.
For the first time, I understood the power of collaboration and how the combination of people with different skills, yet all SO motivated and determined could create a great impact in society. A society where too often, everyone is defeated by the size of the challenges. Over 3 years of time, I worked closely in Nepal with 25 amazing Catalysts from Nepal, India and France. And together, we have trained 735 Youths. At the end, 73% of the graduates found a job. Said like that, it’s just a data, but the life trajectory of these young women have taken a turn, forever. This is called change.
Generosity is one of the values I experienced. From the meal we share all together every lunch and dinner, to the one we take at the house of the Youth when we meet their family and discover their life’s conditions, food is this one factor of togetherness. I also found generosity in the sisterhood the Youths demonstrated towards each other. I remember Nikita Tamang, a young mother taking the training in TDC Kathmandu of winter 2023, who publicly took the mic to congratulate and appreciate the determination and efforts put by Kamala Doli (also a young mother and widow of TDC), who worked until 2AM the same night to rehearse again and again the presentation of her life project plan. Kamala didn’t know how to write Nepali, barely spoke at her arrival, but she rocked that presentation. What a generous act of kindness to be seen and recognized, this brings change in oneself.
Finally, I could describe all the important skills I developed through the handling of my mission of Country Coordinator, from leadership to management skills, public speaking skills to report writing… and I would say these are necessary to the values that got stronger: I believe more than ever in people, in our capacity to change our society. We are stronger individuals that know how to rely and work together…
To me, this is what LP4Y is: a workshop to build individuals and communities stronger, a place that believes in people’s potential, especially the Youth, to become change-makers.
So yeah, Maman, I am about to come home, but I am no longer the same person, and somehow, I just love it.
With love,
Lorène
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