Archives: Teams

Shanti Raut

Scholarship Program Recipient

Agricultural Officer

Growing up in Kavrepalanchok, Shanti Raut understood the challenges that financial hardship can place on a family’s dreams. Her parents worked hard to support her education, but the cost of school and college made continuing her studies uncertain. After learning about Nepal Youth Foundation through a family friend, Shanti was selected for NYF’s Scholarship Program, which supported her education from Class 9 through the completion of her bachelor’s degree.

That long-term investment changed the course of her life. With NYF’s support, Shanti was able to pursue higher education without the constant burden of financial insecurity. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the Agriculture and Forestry University, becoming the first in her family to achieve this milestone and opening the door to a professional career.

Today, Shanti serves as an Agricultural Officer, working directly with farmers to improve productivity, promote sustainable farming practices, and strengthen food security in rural communities. Through technical training, agricultural programs, and hands-on support, she helps farmers increase their incomes and build more resilient livelihoods.

Shanti’s passion for agriculture is deeply personal. Having grown up in a rural community where many families depend on farming but lack access to resources and technical knowledge, she has witnessed firsthand the challenges farmers face. Her work is driven by a commitment to improving those realities and creating opportunities for future generations.

She envisions a Nepal where every child, regardless of financial circumstances, has access to quality education, and where agriculture is modernized, respected, and recognized as a vital profession. Through her work with farmers and her encouragement of young people to pursue education, Shanti is helping create positive change at the grassroots level.

Her advice to future leaders is simple: never give up in the face of financial or social challenges. With determination, hard work, and a commitment to serving others, meaningful change is possible. Through her dedication to agriculture and rural development, Shanti Raut is helping cultivate a stronger future for Nepal.

Dr. Nisha Rai

NYF College Scholarship Alumna

Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Dr. Nisha Rai’s journey to becoming a physician began with determination and sacrifice. Raised by parents who worked as daily wage laborers, she studied in government schools under full scholarship programs and completed her intermediate science education through merit-based support. After being nominated under a government scholarship to pursue her MBBS, Nepal Youth Foundation stepped in to provide a monthly allowance that made it possible for her to continue her medical studies with stability.

From 2009 to 2014, NYF supported Nisha through its College Scholarship Program. That support enabled her to complete her MBBS degree and become a registered medical doctor, turning years of hard work into a lifelong profession of service.

Today, Dr. Nisha serves as a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist at a primary-level government hospital in Dhading. Working in a region where access to specialized maternal healthcare is limited, she provides essential antenatal care, safe delivery services, and reproductive health education. Through her clinical practice, she is helping reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality while strengthening the health of entire communities.

Nisha believes that access to healthcare should not depend on geography or income. Her vision for Nepal is a country where quality medical services reach even the most remote regions. In the future, she also hopes to support underprivileged children in their education, helping build the next generation of skilled professionals within Nepal.

Her advice to future leaders is simple and grounded in experience: believe in hard work, strengthen your knowledge and character, and use your education to serve your own country. Through her dedication to women’s health and rural service, Dr. Nisha Rai is helping shape a healthier Nepal for the next 35 years and beyond.

Benju Lwagun

Director

Benju Lwagun is a writer and development professional dedicated to equity and justice. As a Global Voices writer, she has covered critical issues in Nepal, including migrant workers’ rights, women’s empowerment, and the impacts of caste-based discrimination.

Her career spans more than a decade in development communications and public relations across Nepal and Myanmar. Fueled by a commitment to social change, she co-founded the Technology for Equity and Justice (TEJ) Learning Center, serving as its Director of Growth. The center provides software engineering fellowships for marginalized young people, empowering them with tech skills.

Benju’s own journey was supported by the Empowering Dalit Daughters (EDD) scholarship from the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF), which helped her earn her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Journalism and equipped her with crucial communication and teamwork skills. After living and working in Myanmar and Jordan for the last ten years, she is now living in Kathmandu, Nepal. In her free time, she enjoys singing, listening to music, and reading.

Suresh Chapagain

Director

Suresh Chapagain is a legal professional (LLM) and a graduate of Kathmandu School of Law. His areas of expertise include corporate law, banking, international trade, insurance, intellectual property, jurisprudence, and contract law.

He has successfully represented large companies in various courts and possesses in-depth knowledge of corporate, civil, and criminal law. He was actively engaged in court practice for seven years. Since 2017, he has been serving as a Corporate Lawyer at Everest Bank Limited, one of Nepal’s prominent commercial banks.

In addition to his corporate role, he has worked as an advocate and legal advisor for social organizations. He is also the founding Vice President of the Law Students’ Society, Kathmandu.

Suresh grew up in J House (now called Olgapuri Children’s Village) and received a scholarship from the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF), which supported him in completing his higher education. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music and has a keen interest in literature and reading.

Soni Joshi

Director

Soni identifies herself as a gender advocate, educationist and a social entrepreneur.

The past three decades have seen her active involvement in the field of Women and Children’s Development with a number of social development organizations.

She is a founder member of Zonta Club Kathmandu and since its inception has served as the Secretary and as the Chair for Advocacy, Leadership, Service and UN Committees. At present under Zonta International she is working as the United Nations Committee Chair of District 25 which encompasses Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

She also currently serves on the Board of SAATHI the pioneer NGO working on domestic violence and is also with Burn Violence Survivors (BVS) – Nepal which works for and with burns survivors. Soni is a Past President of ASMAN (Association of St. Mary’s Alumnae) in Nepal. She is the first Nepali woman to become President of Active Women of Nepal (AWON) formerly known as the American Women of Nepal.

She has been actively involved with United Nation’s Women’s Organization (UNWO) of Nepal in a myriad of roles. She has served as the Past President of CHETANA (Center for Health, Education, Training and National Advocacy) which has as its special focus the plight of the differently abled women and girl child. In her role as a Board Director of many educational institutions (both primary levels to higher level education) she is amongst a group working to bring about a change to the conventional method of teaching in the country. She is a strong advocate for the education of the girl child.

She has been awarded with the Women Leadership Achievement Award by the World Women Leadership Congress Awards in February 2015 and the Women Super Achiever Award in February 2017. She has recently been included as the Country Patron for Nepal of World Women Leadership Congress.

Choodamani Poudel

J House & Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Alumnus

Children’s Home J House & Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Alumnus
Director, Nepal Disabled Association – Khagendra New Life Center, Kathmandu

Choodamani Poudel’s life changed while he was receiving treatment for his leg at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Disabled Children. Recognizing his circumstances, Prof. Dr. Ashok Kumar Baskota connected him with Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF). Soon after, Choodamani was welcomed into a school hostel supported by NYF, where he began the educational journey that would shape his future.

From 1986 to 1996, NYF provided Choodamani with education, stability, and care. That foundation opened doors he never imagined possible. He went on to earn two master’s degrees—one in Health Care Management and another in Education Planning and Management—transforming early hardship into opportunity.

Today, Choodamani serves as Director of the Nepal Disabled Association Khagendra New Life Center in Jorpati, Kathmandu. He leads programs focused on empowerment and rehabilitation for children and adults with disabilities, using an integrated approach that includes medical support, education, vocational training, employment pathways, and assistive devices such as prosthetics. His work reaches individuals in some of Nepal’s most rural communities.

Before this role, he founded and ran an inclusive school for eight years and served as a regional chairperson of the National Federation of the Disabled – Nepal. He credits NYF as the source of his inspiration, having witnessed firsthand how even small support can transform a child’s life.

Choodamani envisions a prosperous and peaceful Nepal where the next generation has access to equal opportunity, justice, and meaningful work. His advice to young leaders is simple: complete your education, apply your knowledge in service of your community, and help build the Nepal you wish to see.

Nirmala Gyawali

Olgapuri Children’s Home (Formerly K-House)

Olgapuri Children’s Home (Formerly K-House)
Disability Rights Advocate / Public Relations & Fundraising Manager, Ability Development Society Nepal (ADSON)

Born visually impaired, Nirmala Gyawali grew up in a world that offered few educational opportunities for blind children in Nepal. What could have been a story defined by limitation instead became one of possibility, resilience, and leadership—thanks to early access to education and unwavering support from NYF.

Raised in NYF’s K-house (now known as Olgapuri Children’s Home), Nirmala received long-term support from 1989 to 2004. At a time when Braille education was available in only one school nationwide, she was enrolled at the Laboratory School in Kirtipur and later supported through a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, followed by a second degree in English Literature. In 2005, she was awarded a scholarship through the US-PLUS program to complete a 26-month course in the United States, further strengthening her skills as an advocate and leader.

Education opened doors not only for Nirmala, but for her entire family. Her sister became the first blind woman in Nepal to earn a master’s degree, and both of her siblings now work as teachers in Kathmandu—powerful examples of what access and opportunity can make possible.

Since returning to Nepal in 2007, Nirmala has dedicated her life to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. After six years working with the International Organization for Migration supporting Bhutanese refugees, she now serves as Public Relations and Fundraising Manager at Ability Development Society Nepal (ADSON), helping provide education, skills training, and livelihood support to more than 1,500 children and adults with disabilities each year.

Nirmala’s advocacy has led to tangible change—from promoting wheelchair-accessible classrooms and sign language interpretation to founding Kathmandu’s first Braille library, which remains in use today. She also helped ensure Olga’s Promise was reproduced in Braille and continues to advocate for disability-inclusive systems nationwide, including accessible banking that allows blind individuals to live independently.

“I envision a Nepal where disability is not a barrier to living, working, or achieving your dreams,” Nirmala says.

Her message to future leaders is clear: “Whatever you do, make it inclusive—so that no one is left behind.“

Dr. Alisha Rasaili

Empowering Dalit Daughters Alumna

Empowering Dalit Daughters Alumna
Ophthalmologist, Government Hospital

Dr. Alisha Rasaili’s journey with NYF began in 2006, after she completed her School Leaving Certificate with outstanding marks. Though she dreamed of continuing her education in Kathmandu, social and economic barriers made that path feel out of reach. After learning about NYF’s Empowering Dalit Daughters (EDD) program through a newspaper and completing a competitive application and interview process, Alisha was selected for support that would change her life.

Through the EDD program, NYF supported Alisha for three years, enabling her to pursue higher education at a well-established college in Kathmandu. Living and studying in the capital at a young age helped her grow both academically and personally, exposing her to new opportunities and shaping her confidence as a future leader.

Today, Dr. Alisha serves as an ophthalmologist at a government hospital, where she restores vision and improves quality of life for patients with limited access to healthcare. Working at the municipal level, she provides specialized eye care at minimal cost, easing the burden on families who might otherwise go untreated.

“Serving people at the ground level is deeply meaningful to me,” she shares. “As a specialist in a government hospital, I can reach those who need care the most.”

Alisha is also committed to building a healthier Nepal beyond hospital walls. She conducts health camps, promotes public health awareness, and works to bridge the gap between communities and the healthcare system. Her vision for Nepal’s future includes stronger healthcare systems, political stability, inclusive development, and equal opportunities for the next generation.

To future leaders, Dr. Alisha offers simple but powerful advice: remain honest, stay humble, keep learning, and always be a voice for the voiceless. Through her work, she is creating the Nepal she wants to see—one patient, one community, and one restored vision at a time.

Budhani Tharu

Vocational Education, Industrial Tailoring Graduate

Vocational Education & Career Counseling (VECC), Program Alumna
Industrial Tailoring Graduate & Small Business Owner, Dhangadi

Budhani Tharu was 21 years old when her life finally changed. After more than 15 years in the Kamlari system as a bonded child laborer, she was rescued and given her first real chance at freedom. Sent away from her home as a young girl, she spent her childhood working from dawn until dusk—without a voice, protection, or choice.

Even today, it is difficult for her to speak about those years. “I was just a child, but I worked from morning to night—scared, voiceless, invisible,” she recalls. Alongside endless household labor, she was responsible for caring for another child, despite barely knowing how to care for herself.

After her rescue, Budhani was introduced to NYF’s Vocational Education and Career Counseling (VECC) program. Trust came slowly. When she was offered industrial tailoring training and later a job in Kathmandu, fear resurfaced. “For a moment, I wondered if this was another trap,” she says. But Budhani chose courage.

She completed industrial tailoring training and went on to work at a garment company in Kathmandu, where she spent the next decade rebuilding her life. She gained skills, confidence, and financial independence, got married, became a mother, and began shaping a future of her own choosing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Budhani returned to her hometown—not in fear, but with savings and a dream. Today, she owns and operates a small tailoring and garment shop in Dhangadi, supplying affordable, high-quality clothing to the local market. Her business supports her family and provides employment to two other women seeking a path toward independence.

“Nepal Youth Foundation transformed my life—from servitude to entrepreneurship,” Budhani says. “I now live with dignity and can help create opportunities for others.”

Budhani believes education and skills training are key to breaking cycles of poverty and inequality. Her hope is simple yet powerful: that no child will ever be forced into bonded labor again, and that every girl will have the chance to learn, earn, and live with dignity.

It is time to break the chain.