Core Team
Swastika Shrestha
Chief Executive Officer, Co-founder and Director of Training and Support
“Imagine if the world were to suddenly collapse and the world as you know it no longer existed. Education needs you to prepare yourself for this.” - This wisdom from my father led me to spend much of my youth developing my life and leadership skills. Eventually, I had the opportunity to facilitate life and leadership development amongst youth in Nepal as well as in the US. After completing my masters from the US, I worked with UNMIN, and consulted for IUCN, WFP, and UNDP. But my passion for working with youth led me to Teach For Nepal where my current role is to nurture leaders to transform classrooms, communities, and the nation.
Krishna Kumar K.C.
Chief of Staff
Over 24 years, I’ve taught in primary and secondary schools in different parts of Lalitpur and spent 10 years as a Head Teacher in Ashrang, one of the furthest VDCs in Lalitpur. I was there for 10 years and learned a lot about the district, and public education. The challenges faced by community schools are tremendous. There are infrastructural problems, policy challenges, the huge distance between students’ schools and homes, and the mindsets, on the part of teachers, head teachers, politicians, parents, and students. But I believe if teachers have energy, and the right mindset, other challenges can be overcome. I’m so proud to be a part of this movement, as we set new trends and raise the leadership skills of a new generation. They are working to build a truly new Nepal.
Amir Joshi
Communications Manager
A decade ago, upon witnessing a single teacher managing 25 students across five different classrooms simultaneously, I found myself pondering how I could instigate a transformative change. Upon completing my postgraduate studies overseas, I resolved to return to my homeland and explore avenues through which I could make a meaningful impact. Embracing the role of Communication Manager at Teach For Nepal, an organization dedicated to eradicating educational inequity in Nepal, I am progressively unraveling the answers, one Fellow at a time. With an extensive background in communications and public relations cultivated since my university years, I have been captivated by the education sector and the fervent hope that our nation will one day thrive through the power of education. In this endeavor, the intervention of educated youth is paramount. Narrating the remarkable stories of our Fellows, Alumni, and students is a source of profound gratification for me.
Ankush Upreti
Head of Recruitment Selection and Matriculation (TFN Alumni)
The transformative experience of the TFN Fellowship opened my eyes to the deep-rooted systemic injustices present in our education system. It ignited within me a profound understanding that youth leadership holds the key to driving meaningful change. Motivated by this realization, I am driven to continue my contribution to the movement. In my current role, I am passionately dedicated to identifying and nurturing aspiring young leaders who possess the burning desire to tackle our nation's educational crisis head-on. I firmly believe that these individuals have the potential to not only effect immediate change but also emerge as lifelong leaders, wielding their influence far beyond the boundaries of the educational sphere.
Jayanti Lama
Head of Training (TFN Alumni)
Having taught children for seven years, I realized the change was only possible by working with the little hearts and minds which drove me to apply for Fellowship and work in the remote part of Lalitpur for two years. The Fellowship journey helped me to know about my own culture and traditions at a deeper level. Being there, I came to know the true essence of life and how each person can help another to aspire even more. The passion for working with kids led me to my current position where I am training and supporting Fellows and reaching out to hundreds of children by helping them dream big. I believe the greatest power we have is the power to choose. So, I chose to work on this movement to end education inequity in Nepal being even more responsible and committed.
Saurav Bikram Thapa
Partnership and Development Manager
I am excited about building meaningful relationships with our partners, building upon a decade of passionate work that has employed innovative pedagogical approaches to reach Nepal's most marginalized and disfranchised communities. My objective is to strengthen Teach For Nepal's ability to address educational inequity by forging strategic partnerships and mobilizing resources effectively. I am deeply passionate about cultivating a lifelong love for learning and personal growth. In my view, education in Nepal should transcend traditional classrooms, encompassing the development of character, empathy, and resilience. I firmly believe that education is not just a transactional exchange of information but a transformative process that empowers individuals.
Khika Prasad Nepal
Community Liaison Manager
I taught at different schools since 2004 and later changed my teaching profession to enter the development field. Subsequently, I’ve worked at various organizations working in the development field for more than 12 years. I completed my Masters of Sociology from Tribhuvan University. Teach For Nepal is the best platform for me to work in my community through the Municipal Leads and Fellows. As a Community Liason Manager, I work closely with Fellows, Municipal leads and the community. I feel accomplished when I see Fellows working so hard in the schools and community and bringing a real change.
Madhav Prasad Devkota
Leadership Development Manager, Dang (TFN Alumni)
As a TFN Fellow, I wasn't just teaching Science to my students; I wanted them to learn many other things like personal hygiene, community’s sanitation, and balanced diet, among others. And as a Leadership Development Manager, I have become a role model, a source of inspiration to the Fellows and help guide our Fellows which would help them face all the challenges in their Fellowship.
Pratik Ghimire
Trainer & Impact Manager - Maths (TFN Alumni)
I come from an average family of Janakpur. All of my childhood and school years pushed me to believe that education is the light of hope; the light that has the power to shape an entire generation, and that is why I applied for the Fellowship. The passion for working with kids led me to my current position where I am supporting Fellows and reaching out to hundreds of children by helping them dream big. I believe the greatest power we have is the power to choose. So, I chose to work on this movement to end education inequity in Nepal being even more responsible and committed.
Ruma Maharjan
Events Manager (TFN Alumni)
It was during the two years of my Fellowship that I realized the change we always talk about - the change that our country needs is possible. I was convinced that this can happen with equity in education. All forms of inequities and biases can be resolved only when every kid attains a quality education that enables them to reach their potential despite their backgrounds. I strongly believe in this and therefore I joined the TFN staff team soon after graduating as a Fellow. My previous experience as a recruiter and now as an Events Manager gives me sheer joy knowing that I play an important part in this movement of equity.
Sujina Shakya
Leadership Development Manager/ Selection Coordinator (TFN Alumni)
I started as an average student who often felt challenged in school. Today I am proud that I am the first in my family to complete the degree and turn as a Fellow who touched so many lives which helped them to turn their fate despite the harsh reality of living in the village! As a Leadership Development and Selection Coordinator, I want to continue this journey by reaching out to more classroom and children in the coming days collaborating with the new Fellows.
Alina Shrestha
Leadership Development Coordinator, Tanahun (TFN Alumni)
Born and raised in the rural part of Gorkha, I experienced struggles and hardships during my early childhood. My parents could hardly afford quality education for me and my two brothers. Also, government schools those days were not equipped to cater to our needs. Soon after completing schooling, I moved to Kathmandu in order to pursue my higher education. I completed my bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Amrit Science Campus. During my undergraduate studies, I worked as a teacher in a high school near my place in Kathmandu. Since teaching was already a passion to me, and when I heard about TFN, I immediately thought of joining as I was highly impressed with the vision and wanted to work towards ending education inequity in Nepal, I served as a Fellow in one of the public schools at Sindhupalchok from 2018-2020. During my Fellowship, I have learned about our education system and the reasons why our schools are mostly ill-equipped to serve the basic education needs of students. So, I believe, Fellowship has helped me grow personally and professionally. I thus want to use the resources and learning and my experience from the community to better the lives of people. During my period as a Leadership Development Coordinator, I would share all of my experience and learning to support Fellows in every way possible in their journey.
Anish Dhakal
Recruitment Coordinator (TFN Alumni)
Having to share two years of my life and shaping young minds was, in a word, awesome. After the Fellowship, I became more aware of the injustice in our community. I realized that I needed to do more and be more. The two years in Dang has trained me to be a leader and a problem solver. Despite having a dream to continue my education, I have halted my plans for a few years and decided to continue with this journey. As a recruiter today, I am looking for another me in the mass of thousands of enthusiastic individuals from the STEM field. With this journey, I will instill the idea of bringing change through a transformation in classrooms. So if there is an engineer, scientist, or innovator in you, remember, I am looking for you to replace my role as a Fellow.
Kritesh Bhatta
Database Management Coordinator (TFN Alumni)
I believe that the empowered and motivated youths in the nation have the utmost potential to give much more back to the community they serve. As a Teach For Nepal Fellow, back in 2018, I served at Parsa district and taught English to around 280 secondary level students which happened to be a turning point in my life where I witnessed and experienced the appalling situation of a community school in reality and not through the news on the national newspapers anymore. At the end of my two-year Fellowship, I was much more determined to continue in the education sector and study more about it and bring the unmelodious realities into light through my work. As a Database Management Coordinator, I work to utilize the data in order to study and generate knowledge and tell something about the world that one didn’t know before in relation to education.
Bhumi Rana Magar
Leadership Development Coordinator, Dhanusa (TFN Alumni)
My journey in Teach For Nepal started from being an intern to a Fellow, and now I am a Leadership Development Coordinator of Dhanusa. The journey of four years in Teach For Nepal has helped me understand the urgency to solve the prevailing problem in our public education system. And, I believe education is the key to the change we want to see in ourselves and our community. During my Fellowship in Parsa, I worked directly with the students, school administration, and the community and worked for the 'ONE DAY' vision. It was only possible due to the support system of Teach For Nepal. It helped me to believe in myself and in various cases when I was stuck. As an LDC, my vision is to be that support system and guide, mentor, and help the fellows in their leadership journey toward solving education inequity.
Nimmi Basnet
Content Lead - English (TFN Alumni)
I had never stepped into a public school before my Fellowship. In 2019, when I decided to do TFN Fellowship, little did I know about the urgency and the crisis of the public education system in Nepal. My experience as a Fellow in a rural village of Sindhupalchok opened my eyes to the ages-long educational inequity and injustice. When I entered the classroom, I was completely taken aback by the situation of the students. A 10th grader couldn’t write a simple sentence in English and a ninth grader was confused between the alphabet ‘b’ and ‘d’. This worried me and made me realize how we often talk about the BIG and trivial things in life and overlook something so basic and simple as providing quality education. The logic was pretty simple for me– I wanted to do my bit. I tried to focus on the little things, and I wanted to make a difference in my community. As an English Content Lead at TFN, I aspire to reach thousands of such students through outstanding Fellow teachers and help them learn English and thrive as leaders because I believe “The people who do little, good things can change the world.”
Rashmi Thapa
Recruitment Coordinator (TFN Alumni)
While serving as a Fellow in Bodgaun, Sindhupalchowk, I believed that ‘change in education inequity is possible and the existing problem in education is solvable,’ the only thing needed was more time and commitment towards work. I am a people person; I tend to leverage new networks into a learning platform. No matter their age or academic background, I am passionate about working in the field of education and with young leaders. With this mission in mind, I am here at Teach For Nepal to find youths who believe in working for a purpose. To escalate this movement, more individuals are needed in the community where I have served my last two years. I am also aware that finding those specific right-minded youths, who would work for change, will be the next big challenge. But I am up for it. As a recruitment coordinator, I will work on to finding outstanding university graduates and young professionals who could work as passionately as myself.
Sadhana Shrestha
Selection Coordinator
After completing my Master's Degree from Germany, I decided to move back with a dream of doing something purposeful in my own country. I joined Teach For Nepal knowing how impactfully it has been working towards ending the education inequity in Nepal. It gives me great satisfaction to know that the work I am doing and the energy that I have invested will make a difference. As a Selection Coordinator, I am determined to select those best-fit candidates who are passionate about making an impact in the classroom as well as in the community.
Samit Shakya
Content Lead, STEM (TFN Alumni)
I identify myself as an Artist. During my Fellowship days, I incorporated arts with Science; that's why my students felt connected with my teaching style. I believe my passion for science helped my students develop their academic and leadership skills. My passion helped me and my students to grow. This experience showed me the power of passion. As a STEM content lead at Teach For Nepal, I want to help youths incorporate their passion with teaching to contribute to Nepal's children.
Sandeep Kumar Dahal
Leadership Development Coordinator - Sindhupalchowk (TFN Alumni)
I believe that everyone in this world, irrespective of their caste, race, gender, and economic status, has some knowledge. If that knowledge remains confined to one person, it is useless. But if that knowledge gets translated to people in the simplest way possible, it would bring change. So, for me, Teach For Nepal is a movement where knowledge transfer occurs between people. I see Teach For Nepal as a platform for the amalgamation of contemporary knowledge possessed by the educated youth of Nepal with the possessor of rudimentary knowledge - the folks of rural Nepal. I firmly advocate that sustainable progress is only possible in our country if our future generation is geared up with contemporary knowledge and its roots. Teach For Nepal provides that platform, so I am here at Teach For Nepal.
Robin Chaudhary
Leadership Development Manager, Parsa (TFN Alumni)
I come from a family that preferred government jobs as a dream job one should pursue in life. While doing my Bachelor’s in medical laboratory technology, I got an opportunity to volunteer for the Urban Health Care and Training Center which helped me get hands-on experience in the grass-root level and that indeed brought big notable changes in me. After my graduation, I worked as a Teach For Nepal Fellow for two years which gave me a clear picture of what education inequity and social injustice looked like in real life. Now joining the TFN staff team as a Leadership Development Manager, I want to surpass all my energy and experiences to all the new Fellows and strengthen the belief that one day we are going to end the education inequity in Nepal.
Sulochana K.C.
Recruitment Coordinator
I always look forward to working with inspiring people. Especially, I gravitate towards the people who try to make a difference in the realm of education and push me to enhance my capabilities. Having worked in the education sector as a teacher and in various other capacities, I have been able to understand that education should not be a privilege but the right of every human being. As a Recruitment Coordinator at Teach For Nepal, my role would be in finding the right person to do the right job.
Swechha Pokharel
Finance Coordinator
Having received continuous guidance and support from some of the most brilliant teachers and mentors, I have experienced that a teacher’s imprint on a student is not just limited to the precinct of a classroom or a few exam papers. My teachers have been my guiding light who have helped me navigate my personal and professional life with greater self-esteem and dignity. Many times, I simply emulated their qualities out of sheer admiration and in doing so, I know I have become a better person than I would have been without their presence. Their trust in my ability grounded me with the solid foundation of acceptance and perseverance. Joining TFN has further extended this feeling of gratitude as I witness many outstanding Fellows sacrifice their comfort while they venture into this challenging yet rewarding journey with a sense of urgency to remove education inequity.
Amir Khokhali
Admin Assistant
When I was attending my last three years at school where TFN Fellows were teaching me, I never thought I would be working for the very organization then. Hadn’t it been the motivation from them, I wouldn’t have dreamed about living in Kathmandu or studying here itself. Once I am done with my studies, I would love to change the perspective of people in my community that even kids from villages, if given opportunity, can turn challenges into an opportunity. I was studious and active in both school clubs and other extracurricular activities. Because of this active engagement, I got a fellowship at Samanata Foundation for my high school where I got to study science as my major in Pentagon International College. I am currently pursuing computer application in Janamaitri Multiple College. While doing my undergraduate, I decided to join TFN to assist, learn and most importantly get involved with a community of people actively working towards the mission to make all children in Nepal get an excellent education.
Sirjana Dhital
Office Assistant
I was born in the village of Chatredeurali in Dhading. There are 12 members in my family - my parents, and my nine siblings. About 12-years ago, I moved to Kathmandu to be closer to my brothers, who were living here. I’ve been working at Teach For Nepal since it started. I don’t understand everything about this movement, but I think it’s really good to see young people going to teach in rural government schools. Only the boys in my own family got to attend school. I believe all children should get the opportunity to learn and have a bright future.
