Ram Raj Pokhrel, iLEAP Fellow 2008

SAHAMATI: An Institution for Equitable Development

Senior Program Officer

NEPAL

Organization

SAHAMATI is an indigenous non-governmental development organization based in the Nawalparasi District of Nepal. SAHAMATI has worked diligently to promote social justice, equity, human rights, self-help promotion and people centered development since its establishment in 2001. SAHAMATI advocates for sustainable development and a strong civil society where women, children, and ethnic minorities form and enjoy access to new social and economic opportunities. It works towards these objectives through policy advocacy, organizational development, micro finance activities, leadership development, and cooperative models.

Work, Accomplishments and Challenges

Mr. Pokhrel is a Senior Program Officer of SAHAMATI, and one of SAHAMATI’s founding members. Responding to what he sees as the widening gulf between rich and poor in Nepal and the nominal access provided to women, children, and disadvantaged to participate in community development, Mr. Pokhrel directs projects that seek to improve community livelihoods and encourage equitable development through a participatory self-help approach. He has successfully developed programs that provide education and assistance to the community in such areas as capacity building, social mobilization, institutional development, and the promotion of indigenous knowledge, practices, and skills. As a learning institution, SAHAMATI is constantly looking for ways to improve its own organizational system, the planning and implementation strategies of its programs, and the service it provides to communities and partner organizations.

Value of iLEAP Fellowship Program

Mr. Pokhrel considers his participation in the iLEAP Fellowship program to be vital for his organization to better serve the communities it partners with. By participating in the iLEAP Fellowship program, Mr. Pokhrel wants to gain a better understanding of strategies designed to foster sustainable development, critical dialog between organizations from urban and rural backgrounds, and optimal practices and approaches for organizational management. The iLEAP experience will provide opportunities for Mr. Pokhrel to improve his leadership and professional skills in organizational management and program coordination; learn more about issues that pertain to service, volunteerism, and community development; and cultivate relationships with organizations in Seattle working in the same field as SAHAMATI.