Long before Krishma Subedi understood terms like advocacy, leadership, or public policy, she was already stepping into spaces where change was taking shape. At just 13, she became president of a children’s club formed under CWISH, a position she held until she was 16. She attended meetings with local governments, helped organise community programmes, wrote funding proposals, and spoke up on issues ranging from child rights to gender-based violence. Looking back, Krishma sees those formative years as the foundation of the person she is today. “I often say my passion for community work began long before I understood words like advocacy or policy.”
Yet what shaped her most was not the meetings themselves, but the people she met along the way. Although she attended a private boarding school, many of her closest friends came from government schools. Learning, collaborating, and growing alongside them exposed her to the vastly different realities children could experience within the same community. Those friendships nurtured empathy and planted the seeds of a lifelong commitment to creating opportunities for others.
By 17, Krishma was already working with organisations such as ENGAGE and AYON, strengthening her leadership skills while deepening her understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals. Today, alongside her professional career, she continues to serve her community as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in foster care and mentors young girls through Play Like a Girl.
A clear thread runs through every chapter of her journey: a belief in the transformative power of guidance, opportunity, and community. That belief eventually led her to create छोरी Beyond Borders.
The organisation was founded on a simple yet powerful idea: every young woman deserves someone who believes in her potential. Through one-on-one virtual mentorship, छोरी Beyond Borders connects accomplished Nepali women across the globe with young women seeking guidance as they navigate education, careers, and life’s many uncertainties.
Its purpose goes far beyond offering advice. It creates a space where young women feel seen, supported, and empowered to imagine possibilities they may never have considered.
For Krishma, the inspiration was deeply personal. After completing her undergraduate studies and beginning her career, she found herself reflecting on the choices that had shaped her life. Many, she realised, had been driven by practicality rather than purpose.
“Somewhere along the way, I felt distant from the person I wanted to become,” she says.
As she connected with other Nepali women living and working abroad, she discovered that this feeling was far from unique. Building a life away from home often came with uncertainty, isolation and a lack of guidance. The path forward was rarely straightforward.
At the same time, she came to appreciate the extraordinary power of representation. Seeing another woman with a similar background achieve what once seemed impossible has the ability to redefine what we believe is possible for ourselves. That realisation became the cornerstone of छोरी Beyond Borders.
“It was the belief that visibility, sisterhood and mentorship create possibility,” she says.
The organisation’s name reflects that vision. Whether a young woman grows up in a bustling city or a remote village, her dreams should never be limited by geography, circumstance or access. Krishma hopes that one day, a young girl in the furthest corner of Nepal will find a mentor who helps her see a future far bigger than the one she imagined for herself. Building that community, however, has not been without challenges.
One of the greatest has been balancing ambition with reality. While she has always wanted to contribute to Nepal, she also understands the responsibilities that come with being raised in a middle-class family.
“I couldn’t simply return home and start something without resources or a safety net,” she says.
“I carry responsibilities to build stability, create a future and honour the sacrifices that brought me here.”
Like many first-time founders, self-doubt accompanied the early days of छोरी Beyond Borders. She questioned whether anyone would join, whether the idea would resonate or whether it would make a meaningful difference.
But people showed up.
Women from diverse backgrounds began sharing their stories, offering support, and building genuine connections. What began as a deeply personal idea steadily grew into a thriving community. Together with team members
Dr. Anita Silwal and Hara Pushpa Subedi, Krishma transformed an individual vision into a collective movement. That growing circle of support became her greatest motivation to keep moving forward.
As more young women aspire to become leaders and changemakers, Krishma believes initiatives like छोरी Beyond Borders have never been more relevant. Yet she is equally clear that inspiration alone is not enough.
True empowerment, she believes, requires equitable access to opportunities, greater representation in leadership and systems that recognise the diverse realities women face across different communities. Whether through education, meaningful employment, leadership development or mentorship, lasting change happens when institutions, communities, and policymakers invest in creating pathways that allow women not just to participate, but to thrive.
At its heart, छोरी Beyond Borders is about expanding horizons. It is about helping young women believe in possibilities they may not yet be able to see.
For Krishma, that mission is profoundly personal. It is rooted in the values instilled by her hardworking parents, the encouragement of family and mentors and the communities that shaped her. Above all, it is driven by a simple hope: that every छोरी, no matter where her journey begins, grows up believing that her dreams truly know no borders.
