In 2010, Kalpana Gurung and her husband Simone Galimberti started thinking about new ways to encourage members of the society, especially youths to volunteer with and for persons living with disabilities, in particular visually impaired persons, in a simple and accessible way, believing in locally rooted, sustainable, unpaid forms of service.
In 2011 ENGAGE was established at Kathmandu District Office as an NGO (registration 746) and in 2013 ENGAGE received the official affiliation with the Social Welfare Council, under the Ministry of Women, Children and Welfare Affairs. In the spring of 2013 a small office was opened in the Kathmandu Valley.
Struck by the obstacles faced by youths with visual impairment and more general by youths living with disabilities but also by their incredible resilience and determination, the ENGAGE Team felt inspired by their unique potentials. Guided by experts from within the disability community, ENGAGE piloted and learned and progressively revised our model till developing the approach here presented centered on combination of sport, volunteering and personal and professional development through leadership enhancement that are the foundations of ENGAGE Empowers.