SOYAH

The problem that we are addressing are:

1. Lack of efficient platform to connect Readers and Leaders:

 Still, Today, most Leaders, Authors writes a book to share their idea and knowledge. The youngster is even interested to learn, progressing, and growing. But, the problem lies when the youth find reading books tedious and too boring. Due to the decline in the focus span, youngsters don’t prefer to read the book. 

Various surveys and data suggest the same people no longer prefer reading books. Digital Book World, in partnership with Jellybooks Founder Andrew Rhomberg, shared survey data that reveals only 60 percent of books purchased are ever opened. 

2. Lack of quality teachers: In besides major cities in Nepal students lack access to quality teachers.

3. Lack of accessibility and affordability: In underserved or underprivileged communities, in Nepal, the majority of children and youth are not connected to the internet and can't afford it. As per Nepal Telecommunication Authority, only 12% of Nepalese citizen has a broadband connection. 

Poverty and lack of quality teachers are the factors contributing to the problem.

 As a consequence, the majority of students drop out of school in the early days and get involved in less productive work thereby leading to long-term poverty.

Soyah is a learning platform where Readers meet Leaders through a video, which lasts around 90 minutes. We collaborate with industry authors, philosophers, entrepreneurs, problem solvers, creative thinkers, and educators to produce and distribute their own learning materials (as we call it, Learning Fest). In comparison to the traditional platform of books, we give faster, cheaper, and better alternatives for both authors and aspirants to teach and learn. We'll have a 90-minute course with many chapters (5–9), i.e., multiple short videos lasting from 7–18 minutes. 

Soyah aims to be a platform connecting Readers and Leaders. Currently, we are providing a course on Leadership and Entrepreneurship and very soon we do plan to create an academic course for students in K12 on the various subjects. Through our web portal, students can access the desired course. 

In collaboration with the community schools, we will create a learning center in schools in which students from underprivileged communities can access the course through the learning lap, where learning happens through the use of a projector. 

Also, students with access to the internet can directly access the course from web protocol.

Our primary targeted audiences are students of K-12. Also, we do serve the students of undergraduate, graduate level, and young professionals without courses on soft skills and upskilling courses. 

Currently, we are providing a course on Leadership and Entrepreneurship and very soon we do plan to create an academic course for students in K12 on the various subjects. 

 Some of the social impacts that we will have are:

1. Easy access to information: We provide authors and aspirants with faster, cheaper, and better ways to teach and learn through the medium of video.

2. Accessibility & Affordability: Students can access our course from our web portal. Those who don't have access to the internet can access it through our learning center built in collaboration with the respective school.

3. Help young people become a Changemaker: As our Course  (Fest) is on the theme of Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Problem Solving.

4. Develop a learning behavior: We have developed Fest by accepting a reality of great decline in Focus Span and the learning behavior of people, 90 minutes video with each chapter of 7-18 minutes.

5. Economic prosperity: Authors will have a great advantage to enjoy financial benefits thereby creating a bigger impact.

6. Mastermind Community: In weekly fellowship activities, they can share their idea and receive feedback from one another and also develop the team to work together. We emphasize learners to become a changemaker and support them in Project-Based Learning.

I come from remote Nepal, Arghakhanchi. Still, there in my hometown students don’t have access to quality teachers. Neither do they have an internet connection. A similar is with my co-founder Sandip Paudel.

Though we wanted to emphasize only the web portal as our targeted community isn’t ready and can't afford to have an internet connection. Thus, we planned to build a learning center in partnership with respective schools.

Those who can afford to have an internet connection can easily access the course through our web portal.

There are 4 major reasons to apply to Solve:

1. Access Mentorship and strategic advice.

2. Join a powerful network of great leaders and problem solvers.

3. Receive funding.

4. Gain exposure and build credibility.

Currently, learners can learn from 2 mediums: one is books and the other is free content on Youtube. The problem is book is slow and ineffective whereas Youtube lacks premium content. Youth are attracted to video content but they can't find a platform where they can get access to in-depth knowledge like of a book.

Soyah gives exactly what youth are looking for: in-depth knowledge in a structured and faster way. We developed Soyah by observing the learner's behavior of short-focus span. Because of this, our course (fest) is 90 minutes long, with several chapters ranging from 7 to 18 minutes in length, which students may easily complete. Also, they have access to live interaction with authors, weekly fellowship, the graduation ceremony of each course.

For the next 1 year:

1. Impact 500 students through the program “Be One Fellowship”, monthly subscription/ membership.

2. Launch the academic course (with subjects: Science and Math) for the students of Grade 10.

3. Produce and distribute an additional 30 learning fest (courses) by this year.

4. Expand course from Leadership and Entrepreneurship to auto-biography. 

For the next 5 years:

1. Impact 2000 students through the program “Be One Fellowship”, monthly subscription/ membership.

2. Launch the academic course for the students of Grade 1 to Grade 12.

3. Partner with a minimum of 100 corporate houses as their upskilling platform.

4. Focus on One-on-One consulting features.

5. Expand in the diverse courses.

6. Start One-on-One consulting features.

7. Build a minimum of 50 learning centers in various schools in remote Nepal.

We will achieve them with some of our anticipated partnerships:

1. Rotary District 3292: This collaboration will pave the way for massive influence and accomplishment. We can reach and impact members of both Interact and Rotaract (Rotary-sponsored clubs) as well as various corporate houses owned by Rotarians through this collaboration. What's more, three of Rotary's most powerful leaders, two of whom are past governors, are authors in SOYAH.

2. Peace First Organization: This organization helps young people create and lead peace projects in society. This collaboration will provide us access to the relevant community of youths. Also, the Global Director of Program is coming up as the author of SOYAH.

3. Edusanjal.com:  Nepal's largest educational information portal is Edusanjal. This partnership will enable us to establish relationships with Nepal's numerous schools and institutions, allowing us to thrive in the B2B market. Also, Chief Business Officer is the author of SOYAH.

4. Golden Gate College, ABI Group of Companies, Everest Leather Industries are our other partnerships in the B2B sector.

Qualitative Measures are:

1. Customer feedback & Satisfaction.

2. Net Promoter Score: Measure the customer experience. We want to maintain it on 8-10 on a scale of 0-10.

3. The assignment provided at the end of the course: 

Quantitative Measures:

1. Impact 500 students by 2023 through the program “Be One Fellowship”, monthly subscription/ membership.

2. Partner with a minimum of 100 corporate houses by the period of 5 years.

3. Produce and distribute 30 learning fests (courses) by this year.

4. Students Retention & Churn Rate: 

5. Graduation Rate: Students will have to complete the given assignment at the end of the fest i.e. course.

We are using the website as a medium to deliver our courses to students,

Business Model:

Currently, we are running Be One Fellowship under which 10 students have enrolled as the 1st batch. These students paid a monthly subscription fee to join. Soon, we will expand to the Academy Model.

We have 3 plans:

1. B2C: Through our like “Be One Fellowship” we will continue serving the students through our learning fest i.e. course. We'll also incorporate one-on-one mentoring with our author, which will aid in long-term revenue growth.

2. B2B: We will collaborate with businesses to serve as their employee upskilling platform, as well as engage in their success through one-on-one mentoring.

3. Ad placement: If necessary, we will additionally put the ad of an appropriate B2B partner to ensure a long-term business relationship.

Currently, we are running Be One Fellowship under which 10 students have enrolled as the 1st batch. These students paid a monthly subscription fee of 6.5 dollars to join. Soon, we will expand to the Academy Model.