At a time when most Nepali youth are either mired in cynicism or desperately trying to win a visa lottery, Puja Gurung has found her niche in Nepal's booming television industry.

At 20, she has a respected television show which she presents with a maturity that belies her age. Aba Hamro Palo (Our Turn Now) on Kantipur Television is definitely not your standard call-in music video program. Held in a comfortable cocktail of English and Nepali, it is a forum for urban youth to speak their minds on subjects ranging from politics to social attitudes, entertainment, careers and anything else that matters.

"I was always hanging around with my friends talking about politics and social issues when I realised that I could do this on camera," recalls Puja. Her challenge lay in finding teenagers who had opinions on more than just music and movies.

Aba Hamro Palo became an instant hit and the friends she recruited to appear on her first few episodes gave way to a deluge of interested participants. "I was surprised to find so many intelligent and radical young people," she says. "Most of the time they talk sense, unlike what adults assume about us." Within 38 episodes, Puja has had school students, engineers, architects, business people, underground metal heads, rappers, gays and lesbians on her show. The only criteria seems to be age: no one above 25 allowed on camera.

Puja began her tv career hosting the fashion-based program Pahiran on Channel Nepal. Puja has proven that if Nepali viewers have access to relevant and interesting programming in Nepali they prefer it to anything on foreign channels. "What we really need to do is connect ourselves with Nepali viewers, give them something that is more lively and unconventional," she says.

Puja is happy to be thought of as an example to her peers. "There is no need to go abroad for jobs because there are lots of opportunities right here in the country," she says echoing something she said in a recent program. "All you need is focus."

Aba Hamro Palo airs at 9PM every Thursday on Kantipur Television