Finding My Strength: My Journey with the ARC Program

[Sandhya Bhandari]

Hello everyone, I am Sandhya Bhandari. Currently I am working as a Community Facilitator at CWSN. This is my first job and at the beginning, I felt nervous and confused. As a student, I was looking for a job and luckily got the chance to work as a Community Facilitator because someone else was leaving. From the beginning, I felt that this work is not just a job, but a chance to learn and grow. When I first joined, everything was new to me. I had to visit communities, talk to people and understand their daily lives. At first, it was difficult to understand my role and communicate with different people. Through the ARC project, I slowly started to learn. I learned to listen to people and understand their problems, and respect their strengths. Before, I used to talk more but now I listen more and learn from others.

Another important part of my journey was becoming independent. My home was far from CWSN and I was staying with relatives, which was not comfortable for me. Through my work and the salary, I earned, I found the courage to make a change. I decided to move out and live on my own. It wasn’t easy setting up a room from scratch, managing expenses and cooking for myself felt like running an entire household. But with the emotional support and bonding of my team, I did it. With time, I became more confident and comfortable. This journey has changed me. Now I feel confident, independent, and able to handle my life. I am very thankful for this opportunity.