We are extremely grateful as we start our Davis journey, Community Center to Empower the Future Generation of Rural Nepal, which will be implemented at Panchthar, Nepal this summer.

Ram is a PhD student in Physical Chemistry at the University of Chicago. Ram’s PhD thesis examines developing mixer for studying DNA and protein kinetics. Previously, he went to Earlham College where he majored in Chemistry, Physics, and Math. As for me, my name is Sujan and I’m currently a full-time MBA student at the University of Chicago (Booth School of Business), specializing in Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, and Business Analytics. Previously, I went to Colby-Sawyer where I studied Business Administration. Ram and I both hail from Nepal and met at UChicago over an International House event. We both are currently Ralph Nicholas Fellows at I-House as well.

To give you some context, Panchthar is a small district in the far-eastern part of Nepal. Mostly agrarian, the region has been hit by outmigration of a generation of young and capable Nepali populace. As someone from middle income families ourselves, Ram and I deeply connect with the unfathomable exodus of youths like us from rural regions of Nepal. That is where we saw a need and decided to act on it. And, that is when we decided to partner with Nepal Tea Foundation (NTF) to restore peace and harmony in Panchthar by empowering their youth to create economic opportunities locally and discourage outmigration. NTF operates multiple projects in Panchthar and is also 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit. While I currently advise the foundation, I am one of the co-founding members of the foundation and have seen great projects germinate out of a great team at NTF over the years. One of those projects sought out by the local community is the Panchthar Youth Community Center (PYCC) to empower middle to high school students to encourage and find economic opportunities in Panchthar or locally through educational and recreational programs.

During the project, PYCC’s 4 rooms will be revamped to transform into recreational, conference, e-learning and counseling rooms. The center will host a variety of training and vocational education with the support from active volunteers of NTF and local educational institutions to help youth discover their potential and passion in the local community.

We virtually kick-started our project officially by communicating our project details and timeline with the NTF team. Before Ram and I get on the ground, we will be working closely with NTF over the next few weeks and months to start all the preparations and ensure we start the project strongly from the get-go!