26th October 2022, Kathmandu
My grandfather used to share a philosophical story when I was a kid. “Life gifts a transforming opportunity to an individual, once or rarely twice.
It is believed that the opportunity comes before you, fully soaked in oil, extremely slippery (metaphorically of course). Now, the person, based on what he/she does, determines their life. If the individual holds the opportunity tightly, without caring about the stains, and not letting it escape, he/she is gifted a beautiful life. If it escapes, the damage has been done.”
Now, though this story has its own interpretations, what I have learned from it is to always be attentive to opportunities and dedicate yourself to get the best out of them. Huawei’s Seeds for the Future was introduced to me while my final semester exams were going on.
I was excited and motivated to apply for this program, seeing the exposure, training, and events.
Afterward, I was selected for the top 20 and my interview was scheduled for 11:30 am, while I also had my exams at 1 pm. Despite the rush, I gladly did my best in both and got the good news in the evening alongside the brilliant 6 minds. That’s where it all began, my transforming opportunity.
On day one, we arrived in Bangkok in the evening and headed straight toward the Grand Fortune Hotel. There the teams were introduced by their team captains alongside every country translating the, “Dream It Possible” song into their own native language.
On day two, they organized an opening ceremony, visited the United Nations office, and had a cruise dinner. The next day, we delegates visited The Royal Palace, Meta-verse Expo, and Iconsiam Market. The Fourth day was Global Village day. We were taken to Assumption University, one of the top universities in Thailand.
Every country got a stall where flags and unique items from their respective nations were displayed. Later, a conference was held where all delegates were given the challenge to develop solutions from a list of problems given. Team Nepal partnered with delegates from Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
We presented our solution on “Gender Equality.” On Day 4, we visited Huawei’s Office where we were greeted by the CTO of Huawei explaining the research and technologies Huawei has been working on. Then the Chief Innovation Officer took a seminar on the Organization structure and functioning at Huawei.
In the afternoon, the delegates left for Hua Hin where we were provided all the training and where the final competition took place.
In Hua Hin, they had lectured and seminars on Leadership by R. Akwése Nkemontoh, one of the world’s leading Leadership Coaches. They took classes and exams on AI, Digital Power, 5G, Cloud Computing, and Panel Talks on Meta-verse between Day 4 to Day 8. Aside from that, delegates also refreshed with Water parks, Beach dinners, and dance parties. But to keep us focused, various mind calmness and motivating sessions were also organized.
For the Tech for Good competitions, we were guided by reputed expert mentors. They also trained us on Problem formulation, solution deriving, business modeling, market analysis, business pitch development, etc.
All 24 teams from 16 nations presented their ideas in two rounds on the final day. Team Nepal presented their project, “Advait” where I was honored with the chance to deliver the pitch. We won the third position and were selected for the Accelerator camp held in Singapore.
The experience was surreal, beautiful, inspiring, and foremost motivated us to work hard and be the better version of ourselves.
I am thankful to Huawei, the ASEAN foundation, and the team I shared this journey with. Though it’s tough to present these moments in words, the following are a few lessons that I would love to share:
- When you dream it, it’s possible.
- Always be open to opportunities and grab them quickly.
- Success is all about sacrifices and priorities. Choose them wisely.
- Always prioritize your mental health above anything. Never let anyone affect it.
- Leadership is all about taking responsibility.
- Visit and connect with international communities as much as possible.
- Check your emotions and never let them impact your decisions.
- Everything happens for a reason.
- Maintain a low pitch and calm posture while delivering your point. It will present make you more professional and convincing.
- Always dress properly with proper hygiene. It impacts the perspective of everything you deliver.
