Members Profiles

Teachers that lead the Education Support Network

Sarala Panta

"I married the teaching profession" - Sarala Panta, Change-Maker of the Year 2012

A teacher of Kanya Mandir School, she formed a team that incubated Education Support Network of government school teachers. She has been a leader in this network ever since.

Kanya Mandir School is a government school exclusively for girls in Neukha near Kshetrapati, Kathmandu. Among its teachers, Sarala Pant stands out for her commitment to help students in need. There are many other examples of her benevolence; she has bought food and clothing for her students with money from her own pocket on numerous occasions. Her philosophies are: “it’s the duty of each human being to have kindness and humility” and that “it pays to respect and be kind to others”.

Born in Ragnathpur (Dhanusha), she lives with her parents and siblings in Dhobichaur (Kathmandu). She has been a teacher for 20 years – married to her profession! She spent her first 10 years teaching at a private school and the next 10 years teaching at this government school, which she finds even more rewarding.

Most of her students belong to lower class families, who earn their livings on the basis of daily wages. Some of her students are even domestic child workers. Sarala recalls a particular incident when a student fainted from lack of food while she was teaching. The child’s parents had nothing to eat because they had not earned anything the day before. Sarala also routinely sees her students not doing their homework due to lack of stationery and books, and shivering due to cold in the winter. Yet, her students are hungry to learn and enthusiastic to attend school.

It pains her to see little pairs of eyes searching for food, to see tiny pairs of hands shivering with cold, to see homework undone due to lack of books and stationery. And so Sarala made a commitment to affect change.

Sarala convinced the Kanya Mandir Alumni Association for mid-day meal sponsorship for 18 students who needed them
Sarala initiated a disucssion with Kehi Garoun on stationery distribution, which grew to be the Stationery Project that helps over 1000 students
Sarala is active in designing the KG Gifts program

Rukmini Humagain

I am living my dream-Rukmini Humagain, is a teacher at Adarsha School who thinks that teaching profession means more than source of income. Teaching has become an important part in her life.

Her school is in Naxal, Kathmandu, but she lives in Kaushaltar, Bhaktapur, about 1 hour bus journey. In addition to her teaching job and her dedication to it, she is also a mother of 2 children, is currently doing M.Phil from Tribhuvan University and teaching at a campus in the morning hours. Yet, she regularly nominates her students for KG's gifts and awards program, attends various meetings to help her students and makes sure that her students are receiving stationary and gifts through KG. She is active and hardworking teacher who is concerned about her students and is eager to help them.

She always dreamt of providing service to her society and country and teaching has made it easier to live her dream. She has been teaching for over 15 years in the school.

Out of the 200 students studying in the school, about 75 percent are domestic child workers and 25 percent from a very low economic background. 35 years old teacher Rukmini is dedicated to continue her service and profession for more years to come to build a better society by educating the underprivileged children. She finds her work very satisfying that gives her inner peace and happiness because she has been able to provide education to the children who cannot afford it.

Keshari Ghale Gurung

A mother’s power in shaping the fate of her children-Keshari Ghale Gurung, is 57 years old but her drive to affect change remains youthful.

Keshari Ghale Gurung is a great example of compassion. Before her retirement, she taught at the Balbikash School for more than 30 years. Then, with her heart still set on educating underprivileged children, she started EDUC – Nepal (Education and Development for the Underprivileged Children of Nepal). Currently, EDUC provides education, stationary, text books, meals and uniforms for 45 underprivileged children.

Keshari is 57 years old but her drive to affect change remains youthful. While she was teaching at the Balbikash School, she would regularly perform the janitorial duties (cleaning class rooms, corridors and the kitchen) whenever the helper was on leave and was frequently mistaken for her. She was never fazed by this though, as she believes in no hierarchy with regards to work.

As a child growing up in Singapore, Hong Kong and India, Keshari used to make-believe she was a teacher. When she was 21 years old, after her family returned to Nepal, she finally got her first teaching opportunity at government school called the Balbikash School. Here, many of her students were from poor families and a number of them from the Dalit community. Some even lacked clothes and would attend school barely dressed. The need combined with the despair she saw in these underprivileged students’ eyes touched her and moved her to make a pledge to help them forever.

EDUC is the fruit of this pledge. Keshari wanted to see her students study in better conditions and her students wanted this as well. Yes! They wanted to study in a better school where the infrastructure was intact and they could wear ties, belts and colorful uniforms! The dream of EDUC was their answer and first became reality through the encouragement and financial support of Keshari’s elder brother. Since its opening, EDUC has been finding more and more ways of attracting funds. At present, EDUC has 2 quotas of teachers paid by the government. All the other expenses are covered by Keshari's loved ones (her daughter, nieces and nephews abroad who raise money overseas for EDUC) and by KG’s gift angels and sponsors who contribute towards students' uniforms and stationary.

Though EDUC is now a reality, Keshari has not finished dreaming. She longs to touch the lives of even more children. Increased funding would enable her to enroll more students, but more importantly would also allow her to open EDUC to illiterate mothers. As a mother herself and the founding mother of EDUC, Keshari knows the power a mother has in shaping the fate of her children.

Dipak Chaulagain

I am only a medium to bring change in my students' lives-Dipak Chaulagain, has been teaching for 13 years. In this time, his fascination in and enthusiasm for his chosen profession have not waned. (

'After finishing his secondary education in Kavre, Dipak Chaulagain came to Kathmandu for further studies. Here, at a government campus, he studied education to become a teacher. Students of education are required to gain teaching experience towards their practical exam, which Dipak did at the Krishna Mandir School, a government school in Kshetrapati. Upon completion, the school was eager for him to stay on as a teacher to fill a vacant position. For Dipak, their offer was a dream come true and marked the beginning of his wonderful journey in teaching.

It's been two years since Dipak began his association with Kehi Garoun as a self responsible member. He gladly pays his monthly Rs. 100 membership fee without waiting for KG to collect it because he recognises the effect which this money can have, even on the lives of his own students.

Now aged 35, Dipak has been teaching for 13 years. In this time, his fascination in and enthusiasm for his chosen profession have not waned. There are about 150 students at the Krishna Mandir School; almost all from poor families and about twenty percent of which are domestic child workers. Dipak considers himself privileged to teach all of these students. He understands the impact which education can have on their lives and sees himself humbly as a medium in bringing about their change.

With his monthly income of Rs. 13,000 (USD 146), Dipak looks after his family’s quotidian needs including the education of his 4 children. He, together with some of his colleagues, also provide meals and purchase school uniforms for some students in his school.

Nima Rajbhandari

A face that glows with satisfaction-Nima Rajbhandari, When she enters the classroom with a smile on her face and a hello in the form of 'good morning everybody', the students cheer up. It makes her day.

Teacher Nima Rajbhandari’s face always glows with satisfaction who has been teaching passionately at Shanti Siksha Sadan since the last 12 years. The students she has been teaching are from the families who are from a very low income bracket or are almost at a point of destitution. Their parents are street vendors, rickshaw drivers, maids and daily wage labors. It makes it worse when they cannot even afford a square meal despite working day and night. For them, meal is the first priority and it should be! Children's education comes later. But even in this scenario, they have been sending their children to the school and teacher Nima appreciates it.

She had been helping the students without stationary by providing it herself. After she found KG helping the students with stationary, gifts and awards, she has been relieved.

Teacher Nima studied in a government school herself. After SLC, she had to work to support her family and that obligation introduced her to teaching. In the beginning, it was solely to earn money but slowly teaching gripped her and made her addicted to it. She graduated in economics and teaches the same in the school. When she enters the classroom with a smile on her face and a hello in the form of 'good morning everybody', the students cheer up. It makes her day. 42 years old teacher Nima has been living this treasure of a life every single day.

DESIGN FOR CHANGE (DFC):
Design for Change is a global movement where children drive the change. It provides a framework for communication and collaboration.

Gift Angels

Angels are sponsors whose helpfulness are an inspiration. Angels typically are five times as giving as sponsors. We use the term 'Angel' because they are, in a simple way, messenger of change.

"KG’s work is a double bonus"-Prem Kumar Subba.

Prem Kumar Subba is a semi-retired development specialist with more than 30 years experience in the children’s welfare and education sectors.

The spirited 64-year-old from Kathmandu has been funding the KG gift-pool for the last two years and wholeheartedly supports KG’s mission to bring about change through self-responsibility. Mr Subba, whose interests lie in literature, film, travel and interacting with the youth, is also very taken with the way KG motivates young people to work as staff or volunteers and gain valuable experience in social work. He appreciates the fact that this is a double bonus: youngsters, who find it difficult to get a job, are gainfully employed; and the exposure KG gives them to the management and logistics of a non-profit organisation means that the sector, with a severe skills shortage, is likely to gain able workers in the future.

Prem Kumar Subba

"The satisfaction that I get by this is no match to any monetary value" - Sudarshan Pandey

Mr. Sudarshan Pandey is an IT professional based in the US. He has always been into community service. He was looking for ways to give back to the Nepali community as he has seen many people struggling with education and basic needs for living. For various reasons, what he wanted to start didn’t actually transpire hence he was keen in finding someone/something that was at least close to what he believes in. While he was researching, he came to know about KG through his wife, Mahima.

He wanted to do something in the education sector as well as other areas and KG gave him the perfect opportunity to help. During the getting to know phase, he realized that KG and it’s team take their job seriously and sincerely and that they can be fully trusted because they share the ONE and ONLY passion and that is to help others. The satisfaction that he gets by this is no match to any monetary value and for this he is grateful to KG people.

He wishes KG all the best and he honestly feels that this organization is the future to representing the Nepali community. He has supported multiple causes and encouraged his friend V. Singh to support. Mr. Singh is also a KG Angel but wishes to remain anonymous.

Sudarshan Pandey

"Motivation I get from the happy faces" - Prerna Bhatta.

Prerna Bhatta is one of the co-founders of Kehi Garoun. In 2006, her sister-in-law asked her if she was interested in social work. She instantly said yes and the journey of Kehi Garoun began for her. In the process of registering KG, Prerna along with her friends, went to District Administration Office, Kathmandu and consulted many other organizations to learn about the functioning of an organization. After the completion of registration process, they started fund raising. With the raised fund, they started mid-day meal program for children of Pragati Siksha Sadan, Lalitpur.

During the initial days of mid-day meal program, Prerna used to go to the school and provide mid-day meals. Seeing the happy faces of the young children, she got enormous satisfaction. That satisfaction always keeps her motivated to be the change. She still helps KG with fund raising, mobilizing khuttruke and submits her membership fees on a regular basis.

Prerna is an active and educated person who chose to be a housewife. She found many ways to contribute to the wider community. She feels everyone – housewives, professionals, retired professionals, students can find ways to be the change with KG.

Prerna Bhatta

‘Innovation in Sustainability’ - TheeGo applies latest technologies and innovations towards sustainable prosperity.

"Every day we hear and learn about the most pressing problem of today’s world like climate
change, environment degradation, uncontrolled population growth and their endless impacts
on humanity. These problems and often referred as side products of industrialization,
transportation, technological encroachment and rightly so. All of these are here to address the
short term needs of people but completely eclipses their long term impact and ignores the
need of sustainability. We know it is very daunting task to sacrifice the short term need and comfort for long term sustainability. Investing in innovation requires patience, focus and expertise. To achieve our goals we have ventured into generation and distribution of sustainable energy using renewable sources and techniques, introduction of clean and green electric vehicles for rental services, charging stations for electric vehicles. Thee- Go has three companies FGE, G&G and SRIBIT goal of innovation for sustainability."

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends." – Richard Bach

The Fouding team:

Arati Paudel, Vice President, holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and culture. She has always been interested in social work.

Prerana Bhatta, General Secretary holds a Bachelor's degree in sociology and economics. Her interest is in encouraging housewives to play active roles outside their homes.

Anupama Pokhrel, Treasurer, is the Lead Researcher at Kehi Garoun. She holds a Master's degree in sociology. Her primary interest is in social inclusion.

Renuka Adhikari, founding member, holds a bachelor's degree in English and economics. Her interest is in capacity building of charity organizations.

Suraj Pokhrel, a student of Bachelor in Business Studies at that time, provided coordination support.

Previous board members

B.R. Pandey
Beena Pandey
Maheshwor Juju
Dinkar Man Pradhan.
Particular thanks to Neejan Shrestha, Bikesh Bohora and Sukhad KC

Advisors- Alumni

Dadhi Adhikari is an economic lecturer in TU, currently in Uni of New Mexico.

Prakash Tiwari (New York) is a student of sociology in CUNY

Surendra Bhatta is an International Development Professional who works as a Freelancer.

Alok Maskey is a restauranteur. He looks to represent KG in his alma matar St.Xavier's School and was a member in 2012.

Arvind Ramaswami is a chartered accountant based in Manila. He provides suggestions regarding long-term sustainability.

Nakim Uddin is a chairperson of an entertainment company. He is interested in channeling youth towards social change.

Arudra Burra teaches philosophy at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi.

Bishal Shrestha is a student in Canada. He joined KG's Trust Board when he was a director at a management school in Nepal.

Sara Adhikari (Kolkata), a journalist for 25 years both in India and the UK, is the founder of Small Change, a communications agency for non-profits.

Rajeshwor Pradhan is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant. He also serves as the Jury in KG Awards and Gifts program.

Shreshna Basnet is an ethnographic researcher. She provides editorial and research guidance.

Volunteers - Prashant Karki, Jeevan Shrestha, Deepshikha Rana, Situ Shretha, Dinita Adhikari, Shrayashree, Kiran, Shreya, Sanjina, Nischal, Neejan, Bikesh, Sukhad, Atul, Atulya, Gaurav, Paridhi, Palija, Ankita, Vaskar, Anel, Ayushma, Santosh, Sumnima, and Yunisha, Rajesh, Ramon, Nisha

Staff Alums

Muna Myriam Chaour, a social worker interested in active learning for children, originally from France, impressed 4 schools with her fun-learning sessions in 2012.

PRAVENDRA MAHARJA
Coordinator of Dignity Circle,
is interested in microbiology and travel

Saruna Subba, alum volunteer-staff, a master's degree in HR, streamlined our HR and stationery distribution modality for education network in 2011.

Staff Alumni:Prakash Pandey, Suraj Pokhrel, Utsav Bhandari

Pallavi Manandhar is a Graduate of BBA-BI of batch 2008 from Ace Institute of Management. A kind hearted girl who has a keen interest in social work, she manages the Gifts Program.

Ram Dagaura is a staff member of KG. He is a helpful and hardworking man. He is a KG- Complex Supervisor and also provides support to organizational activities.

Aashish Joshi, a fresh BBA-BI Graduate from Ace Institute of Management, is Finance & Admin Officer. He is caring and curious person who is trying to figure out what he wants to do.

Deepika looks after the kitchen and the office premises. She is swift in her works. She works like a Ninja. She likes to learn English in her spare time.

KEHI GAROUN TEAM

KG Members support our administrative expenses so we can channel 100% of donation to charity-beneficiaries

Umanga Pandey

Umang is the founder of the organization and leads the team. A philosopher and a management consultant, he leverages his experiences in some of the world’s leading institutions as he explores models of change-in personal as well as social contexts.

Pratima Rajthala

Pratima is a nature enthusiast, an interior designer and a student of sociology. She coordinates empathy workshops. She has facilitated teachers workshop in over 16 schools. She also facilitates Awakin Circle sessions.

Nabin linkha

Nabin is a sports enthusiast and loves interacting with children. He is the lead facilitator for Design for Change and coordinates on-going activities of Empathy Clubs and facilitate KG Circle activities.

Gaurav Rana

Gaurav Joined KG in 2014 after completing his master's abroad, to start a guidance counseling programme. His aim is embarked on a journey to understand relationship and life better, one day at a time.

Pravendra Maharjan

Pravendra is a Masters Graduate in Microbiology. He loves to work with children. He is the Program Executive and coordinates all the KG Giving activities.

Rajesh Siddhi

Rajesh is a local of Kathmandu. Studied computer science and Biology in the US. Returned and started an entertainment business, love studying about Buddhism and Nepali culture history, and enjoying being close to nature.

Bidhya Hirachan

Bidhya treasurer, is moved by social justice and climate change issues. A graduate of Tourism school in Salzburg, Austria, she founded Mustang Trails, a specialty eco-tourism company.

Sara Subba

Sara is a development consultant in Nepal. She works on issues of indigenous rights and environment. After studying in the US, she returned in Nepal to work at the Mountain Institute.

ALUMNI

Nabraj Khanal was program officer

Rishav Shrestha was an active member and volunteer

Shilpa Sahi Gurung was staff for 2 years.

Samjhana KC ,a student of Saint Xavier was staff

Aashish Joshi, a fresh BBA-BI Graduate from Ace Institute of Management, is Finance & Admin Officer.

Sarad S. Dhunjel was an intern. He is MBA graduate from Ace Institute of MAnagement

Myriam Chaour, a social worker from France, promoted active learning for children in 2012

Pallavi Manandhar is a Graduate of from Ace Institute of Management. She managed the Gifts Program for 2 years.

Sushmita Satyal, an MBA student, is a Program Officer.

Pravendra Maharjan is an MSC student at St Xavier College

Shrayashi Rayamajhi a BSW student of Saint Xavier College was program intern and volunteer

Reecha Acharya, a graduate of Development Studies, leads the Education Venture.

Aleena Shrestha is an MSC student at St Xavier College

Shreshna Basnet is an ethnographic researcher. She provides editorial and research guidance.

Shristi Bhetwal a BBS students from St. Lawrence, is a programme officer.

Saruna Subba

Krishna Tiwari,graduate from Ace and Budhanilkantha School, is a programme coordinator.

Saruna Subba, alum volunteer-staff, a master's degree in HR, streamlined our HR and stationery distribution modality for education network in 2011.

Saurav Shrestha
Founder of S&S Lekhaa Services.

Deepika looks after the kitchen and the office premises. She is swift in her works. She works like a Ninja. She likes to learn English in her spare time.

Initiate a Passion Project

GIFTS PROGRAM

GIFTS PROCESS

Selection Criteria

I would like to sponsor meals for a time period...

Survey for Members
June 2012

Additional Membership Queries
So that we know our members better.

Treat Reality As a Whole

Sequence of Team Building

Program Design

Self-Responsibility

How can you become an agent of change with KG?

Change Agents - Enacting Change

Change-Maker of the Year 2012

Initiators & Executors

Enablers & Supporters

Teachers that lead the Education Support Network

Gift Angels

KEHI GAROUN TEAM

Umanga Pandey

Pratima Rajthala

Nabin linkha

Gaurav Rana

Pravendra Maharjan

Rajesh Siddhi

Bidhya Hirachan

Sara Subba

Initiate a Passion Project

GIFTS PROGRAM

GIFTS PROCESS

Selection Criteria

I would like to sponsor meals for a time period...

Survey for Members June 2012

Additional Membership QueriesSo that we know our members better.

Treat Reality As a Whole

Sequence of Team Building

Program Design

Self-Responsibility

How can you become an agent of change with KG?

Change Agents - Enacting Change

Change-Maker of the Year 2012

Initiators & Executors

Enablers & Supporters

Teachers that lead the Education Support Network

Gift Angels

KEHI GAROUN TEAM

Umanga Pandey

Pratima Rajthala

Nabin linkha

Gaurav Rana

Pravendra Maharjan

Rajesh Siddhi

Bidhya Hirachan

Sara Subba

Survey for Members
June 2012

Additional Membership Queries
So that we know our members better.