New Beginnings, Deeper Roots, and Lasting Change: Spring Update (Q1 2025)
Bidding Farewell to our former Managing Director Rajkumari Dura.
LEADERSHIP & MOMENTUM: A Fresh Chapter Begins
We began 2025 with powerful transitions. We bid farewell to our dedicated former Managing Director, Rajkumari Dura, whose leadership helped shape many milestones at Oda. Stepping into her shoes, we are thrilled to welcome Shalav Rana as our new Managing Director, who brings over 20 years of I/NGO experience and a passion for community empowerment. His first months focused on strategy, team development, and deepening cross-sector collaboration.
We also hosted Tobias Lewers, a young volunteer from England, who supported teacher training, administrative systems, and IT repairs——showing us the power of youthful curiosity and service.
Whether you’ve been with Oda since 2003, or just learned about us, thank you for being our support: you make this incredible work possible. Read below for our favorite highlights from this quarter, and download a PDF here.
Board Member (Right) Welcoming our New Managing Director Shalav Rana (Left)
EDUCATION: Empowering Students with Technology and Global Connections.
13 students received Educase school bags that convert into desks—enhancing classroom learning in resource-limited settings.
6 laptops donated to Shree Dev and Triveni Schools by World Bank Nepal, supporting digital access for school management.
Cross-cultural learning: Dev School students connected with peers in Japan through a shared webinar experience.
Conference representation at the 3rd International Education Conference at Rato Bangala, Kathmandu.
A toilet construction project at Shree Tila School—supported by Rotary Club of Kathmandu—boosted student dignity and hygiene.
Education Materials for Dev School and Tila ECD center of Mahawai - supported by Family & Friends Projects
Planning for a Digital Learning Hub at Oda is underway, aiming to enhance rural students’ access to digital education.
School Kid using Educase Bag as a desk in classroom
HEALTH: Reaching Further, Caring Deeper
HPV vaccinations completed at Tila and Dev Schools—critical prevention for adolescent girls.
Ward 2 declared fully vaccinated after a comprehensive household survey.
Skilled Birth Attendant training underway for our nurse Sunita—60 days of hands-on upskilling.
Our free ambulance service, launched on January 6, is already serving remote patients with local government support.
Preparation began for a large-scale Health Camp, planned in coordination with Mahawai Rural Municipality.
HPV Vaccinations at Schools.
LIVELIHOODS: Scaling Sustainable Solutions
Agroecology for a Prosperous Future (Supported By Fastenaktion)
The pilot phase concluded in February and exceeded expectations:
800 households reached (target: 690)
925 individuals trained in agroecology, nutrition, and kitchen gardening
100 families received fruit saplings and garden support
89% of participants were women, with 41% from Dalit communities
80 awareness meetings held across 40 clusters
Project renewed for 2 years to serve 645+ households in Mahawai
Women led discussions, started gardens, and mapped local cooperatives for future collaboration—sowing the seeds of transformation.
KANTHARI PARTNERSHIP: Innovation in Action
22 students graduated from our Alternative Education Centre with skills in organic farming, hygiene, disaster preparedness, and English.
70 women trained in herbal cultivation and processing, supporting new income sources for the Mahawai Women’s Cooperative.
Ambulance service, supported by Kanthari, became a critical link to emergency care—saving lives in the most rural corners.
EXPANDING MARKETS: Karnali Ratna at the Expo
For the first time, Karnali Ratna women’s products—red rice, timur, cinnamon, and bay leaves—were showcased at the 8th International Women’s Trade Expo in Kathmandu.
Everything was sold out.
This milestone proved that women-led rural enterprises have a market in urban Nepal. We’ve opened doors to potential retail partnerships and national visibility for Kalikot’s farmers.
BUILDING STRONG FOUNDATIONS
Mission & Vision Workshop and SWOT Analysis unified staff under shared values and clarity.
A Communication Workshop equipped our health and education leaders to better tell our story.
Strategic groundwork laid for improved infrastructure and donor reporting systems across departments.
The energy of Q1 sets the tone for a year of deeper impact. With leadership in place, partnerships thriving, and community voices leading the way, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of possibility—and we couldn’t do it without your support.
Thank you for walking with us.
Together, we are planting seeds for lasting change.
Questions? Send us a note at info@odafoundation.org.
With gratitude,
The Oda Foundation Team