Why Nepal?
At the end of 2008, Nepal was ranked 142 (out of 177 measured) in the UNDP Human Development Index, with 38% of Nepal's population of 24 million living below the UNDP defined poverty line. To put this into context, there are 24% of the population trying to survive on less than 70 pence a day.
The pattern of poverty in Nepal is disproportionately concentrated on rural areas, and amongst women, children and lower castes. Rural poverty is exacerbated by a lack of education, skills, access to credit, and a lack of alternative employment opportunities. Moreover, levels of poverty in rural areas has been aggravated by Nepal's decade long civil war, and the continued disturbances to law and order in many parts of the country (Sunsari, often facing severe challenges to peace and security). Labour mobility, financial services, and commodity markets have been disrupted in rural areas, and the delivery of basic public services in rural areas has deteriorated significantly from an already very low level, adversely affecting livelihoods.
Addressing these challenges and reducing rural poverty requires solutions that are long-term and tailored at a grassroots community level. This is the starting point for Project UB.
What Do We Do?
Development Nepal has been running Project Ujyalo Bhabisya ('A Brighter Future') in the Sunsari district of Nepal since 2000.
Through Project Ujyalo Bhabisya, Development Nepal works with the poorest individuals and communities to improve access to essential resources and opportunities and to build knowledge and skills.
Project Ujyalo Bhabisya is community-led, with each programme determined through discussion with the community itself about its needs and preferences. The project is managed by Development Nepal's trustees, in collaboration with UCHEP, a Nepali organisation. Development Nepal's role is to design the project, to facilitate its development, to ensure it is effectively implemented and to provide the majority of funding.
Trustees
Christopher Kelly
Christopher Kelly works for KPMG’s East Africa Development Assistance practice out of Nairobi. Chris has extensive experience of working in Nepal having overseen Development Nepal’s pilot Project Ujyalo Bhabisya programme in-country in 2001, and having been involved with Nepal since volunteering on SPW Nepal's health and environmental awareness programme in 1996-97. Chris has returned to Nepal on numerous occasions to support the evolution of Project Ujyalo Bhabisya, and to run workshops in Nepalese and English. Chris has an MA in Governance and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, UK, is a Chartered Accountant (ICAS), and, as a chair, trustee and adviser to other development and volunteering focused charities, brings a range of skills in institutional and partnership capacity building, finance and governance.
Email: chris[at]developmentnepal.org
Brian Wong
Brian Wong is a senior associate in law firm, Burges Salmon LLP, specialising in commercial disputes resolution. He has broad experience of fundraising and community action at a local level and maintains an interest in supporting local projects in the developing world. Brian has a MSc in Development Management.
Email: brian[at]developmentnepal.org
Charlie Ullman
Charlie works as an Investment Consultant for Towers Watson. His background is in physics, maths and philosophy, and so focuses mainly on the technical (IT and communications) side of things at Development Nepal. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.
Email: charlie[at]developmentnepal.org
Nick Renshaw
Nick is a consultant working for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in their Public Private Advisory practice, and specialises in project finance for public services. Nick is a trustee and founding member of Oxford Development Abroad and currently sits on the advisory board of the U8 global student partnership for International Development. In 2006 he graduated from IDD, University of Birmingham with a MSc in Poverty Reduction and Development Management having previously studied Geography at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. During his studies. Nick completed his dissertation on the interface between research and policy at the Department for International Development (DfID), which is pending publication. With his background in development and experience in professional fundraising, Nick focuses his efforts on project monitoring & evaluation; and fundraising for DN.
Email: nick[at]developmentnepal.org
Bartholomew Shaw
Bart Shaw is a policy official at the Department for Children, Schools and Families. He has been an advisor for Development Nepal since 2007, focusing mainly on reporting and data collection. He has a MA in Governance and Development with his dissertation on rebuilding state institutions in Somalia
Email: bart[at]developmentnepal.org
Roland Hancock
Roland is an education consultant working in the public sector in the UK. He has a background in education and project management and an Msc from the London School of Economics in Population and Development. His dissertation focused on the causes of famine in Sub-Saharan Africa. Roland has been an advisor to DN since early 2009.
Email: roland[at]developmentnepal.org
Advisors
The trustees are supported by a wider team of informed and interested individuals most of whom have either lived or worked in Nepal, or have other skill-sets that the trustees have felt would be valuable in supporting Development Nepal.
Inner Advisors
Catherine Smith
Catherine is Senior Programme Officer with the Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), New Delhi, managing projects in the education unit. Since graduating from IDD, University of Birmingham with an MSc in Poverty Reduction and Development Management, she has been involved in participatory project management, research and M&E in areas of social development and environment, across the UK, India and Tanzania. Her dissertation focused on household energy and rural livelihoods in Tanzania. Catherine will be advising on M&E activities with Development Nepal.
Outer Advisors
Mike Scott
Mike Scott was a volunteer on SPW's health and environmental awareness programme in Dang district during 2000-01 and has since returned on several occasions in various volunteering and research capacities, including a stint acting as a consultant for the World Bank. Whilst at university he set up a student-led charity (www.odauk.org) which aims to financially and practically assist community-initiated projects in the developing world. He oversaw the general running of the charity, as well project initiation and implementation. Mike also based his thesis research on the plight of the Kamaiya peoples, who until recently had been held in bonded labour in far western reaches of Southern Nepal. Mike speaks fluent Nepali and Tharu (a Terai-based dialect) to a high standard.
Rebecca Picton
Rebecca Picton works for the British Council as a programme coordinator on a Department for International Development (DfID) funded school partnership programme. She has an MA in Social Development from the University of East Anglia, and completed a dissertation on the sustainability of development NGOs, in particular Gurkha Welfare Trust, a UK-based NGO working in Nepal. She has been involved in charitable projects in South Africa and Zimbabwe, but has a particular interest in Nepal as she has family connections there.
Daniel Sefton
Dan Sefton works for a firm of solicitors in Exeter. He was previously an editor and researcher, latterly senior managing editor at reference publishers Debrett's Ltd. He has been an advisor to Development Nepal since 2005.
Rajit Gholap
Rajit Gholap is a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers UK specialising in charity audits. Rajit manages various aspects of Development Nepal's finances.
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