Institute For Rural Development

Institute For Rural Development Empowering and Guiding the leadership, local communities, and youths to build the foundation for sustainable rural development rooted in Nepal’s ethos

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥At IRD, we believe that mea...
29/07/2026

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।
गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥

At IRD, we believe that meaningful development begins with knowledge that is shared and nurtured together. In the process of teaching, we learn. In the process of learning, we grow. Together, we build stronger communities and a better future.

Happy Guru Purnima to all who inspire and guide us to continue learning every day.

17/07/2026

From the Tadi River to the Likhu River, one trail now connects seven sites of history, faith, and nature in Panchakanya Ward No. 1, Nuwakot.

Over the past months, our team at the Institute for Rural Development surveyed 10.64 km of walking paths with GPS, sat down with local elders and priests to record stories passed through generations, installed directional signage from riverbank to hilltop, and published the trail on Wikiloc, and other international hiking platforms.

This documentary follows that journey: the fieldwork, the people, and the places that make the Kapileshwar Mahadev Temple Hike what it is, from the ancestral Rai settlement at Channethan to the sacred hilltop shrine at around 1300 meters.

A special shout-out to Kasam Bhusal for beautifully bringing this story to life through film. 🎥

This project was made possible through our partnership with Panchakanya Rural Municipality.

The trail is open. Come walk it.

🎥 Watch the documentary: https://youtu.be/cy5LyvduLwc?si=_X_OSWR1uMIiHAb7
🥾 Full trail details: ird.com.np/initiative/hike
🗺️ Trail map and GPS route: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/kapileshwar-mahadev-temple-hike-272770062

More Than a Scholarship. A Commitment to Every Child's Future. 📚✨At the Institute for Rural Development (IRD), we believ...
15/07/2026

More Than a Scholarship. A Commitment to Every Child's Future. 📚✨

At the Institute for Rural Development (IRD), we believe that education is not just about helping a child stay in school—it's about walking alongside them throughout their journey.

Through the IRD Bidya Scholarship Program, we cover the entire educational cost of our scholars through Grade 12, ensuring that financial barriers never stand in the way of their dreams. Beyond financial support, the program provides continuous mentorship, guidance, and encouragement to help each scholar grow academically, personally, and confidently.

Recently, members of the IRD team visited our Bidya Scholars, meeting with their families, teachers, and school communities. These visits are an important part of our commitment. They allow us to understand each scholar's progress, listen to the perspectives of parents and educators, identify challenges, and reflect on how we can strengthen our support in the years ahead.

Every conversation reminds us that meaningful education is built through collaboration. When families, schools, mentors, and communities work together, students are empowered not only to complete their education but to unlock opportunities that can transform their futures.

At IRD, we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing alongside every scholar because investing in a child's education is investing in a stronger, more equitable future for Nepal.

Congratulations to Prashant Panta on an extraordinary year of achievement at Texas State University! 🎉In 2026, he receiv...
12/07/2026

Congratulations to Prashant Panta on an extraordinary year of achievement at Texas State University! 🎉

In 2026, he received over $21,000+ scholarships and awards, including the William Hatfield Hogue Memorial Endowed Scholarship—Texas State University's highest leadership award, along with multiple recognitions for outstanding leadership, academic excellence, and service.

His accomplishments include:

🏆 William Hatfield Hogue Memorial Endowed Scholarship:
Texas State University's highest leadership award, presented to the university's top student leader for exceptional leadership and service.

🥇 Gold Award – Most Spirited Student Leader:
The university's highest recognition for a student who exemplifies leadership, service, and school spirit.

⭐ Overall Balanced Man Scholarship (First Recipient):
Awarded to the student who best demonstrates excellence in academics, leadership, character, and community involvement.

💻 Undergraduate Computer Science Excellence Award:
Recognizes the department's top-performing undergraduate for academic distinction and contributions to computer science.

🌎 Eugene Schurg Endowed Scholarship (National STEM Scholarship):
A national scholarship honoring exceptional STEM students for academic achievement and leadership across Sigma Phi Epsilon chapters.

🎓 Suzanne B. Patenaude Endowed Scholarship:
Awarded to outstanding science and engineering students based on academic excellence, career aspirations, and research potential.

📘 Jeffrey A. Slomka Memorial Scholarship in Computer Science:
Recognizes exceptional promise, dedication, and achievement in computer science.

🌟 Texas State University Support Foundation Endowment:
A merit-based scholarship supporting high-achieving students who demonstrate academic excellence.

These honors reflect years of hard work, resilience, leadership, and a commitment to excellence. At the Institute for Rural Development, we are proud to celebrate young leaders whose journeys inspire others to pursue their goals, lead with purpose, and create meaningful impact.

Congratulations, Prashant! We wish you continued success in all that lies ahead.

Meet the Saarathi 2026 Cohort! 🎓✨Congratulations to the incredible young minds selected for this year’s Saarathi Mentors...
10/07/2026

Meet the Saarathi 2026 Cohort! 🎓✨

Congratulations to the incredible young minds selected for this year’s Saarathi Mentorship Program 2026!

Over the next 12 months, these passionate changemakers will embark on a transformative journey of college application mentorship, intellectual exploration, community service, and leadership development — guided by dedicated mentors and driven by purpose.

We can’t wait to witness their growth, resilience, and creativity as they pursue ambitious goals, unlock new opportunities, and create meaningful impact in their communities.

Join us in celebrating and cheering on the Saarathi 2026 Cohort as they begin this exciting new chapter! 💙

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this journey possible.

Institute for Rural Development proudly marks the first chapter of our Education Reform Initiative with the establishmen...
03/07/2026

Institute for Rural Development proudly marks the first chapter of our Education Reform Initiative with the establishment of the first-ever library at Araniko Secondary School, Madhuwan, Bardiya, since the school's founding. Through the collective effort of collecting books in Kathmandu, transporting them across the country and setting up a dedicated learning space, we have opened the doors to new opportunities for students. This library is envisioned not as a traditional room of books, but as a Living Library—one that integrates reading into everyday learning through classroom book crates, reading passports, and dedicated reading time that nurtures curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to everyone who made this initiative possible, especially our dedicated IRD team members, Sandip Oli, Ujama Koffie and Bakery with Library, and all the individuals who donated books, contributed their time, and believed in the transformative power of education. This is only the first chapter, and we look forward to writing many more stories of change together.

🌾📱 They came to help their mothers. They ended up leading the room.As part of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Young Profe...
28/06/2026

🌾📱 They came to help their mothers. They ended up leading the room.

As part of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Young Professionals and Students Programme (APTYPS) 2026, From Field to Feed set out to train rural women farmers of Panchakanya Rural Municipality, Nuwakot in digital content creation and social media selling.

When low literacy became a challenge, the solution came from an unexpected place—young girls from Grades 8 to 12. Across five days and five wards, they became the digital bridge for their mothers and grandmothers: filming, captioning, posting, and empowering entire households through technology.

Remote roads. Real smiles. Remarkable success.

Because when you invest in a young girl, you invest in an entire community. 💚

📍 Panchakanya Rural Municipality, Nuwakot
🌾 From Field to Feed | APTYPS 2026
🤝 Implemented by the Institute for Rural Development (IRD) with the support of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity.

Special thanks to our dedicated facilitators, Mohit Bhusal and Sushma Paudel, for their invaluable guidance and commitment throughout the programme. We also extend our heartfelt appreciation to the participating Schools, Panchakanya Rural Municipality, and Likhu Rural Municipality for their collaboration and support in making this initiative a success.

The wait is finally over! 🎉The results for the Saarathi 2026 Mentorship Program🎓 have been released.Thank you to every s...
23/06/2026

The wait is finally over! 🎉

The results for the Saarathi 2026 Mentorship Program🎓 have been released.

Thank you to every student who took the time to apply and share your story with us. We were inspired by the passion, ambition, and potential reflected in each application.

📩 Please check your registered email for your application status and further instructions.

Congratulations to everyone selected—we look forward to beginning this journey with you!

𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐲𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞At IRD, collaboration is the pillar of how we drive change. What makes us unique i...
21/05/2026

𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐲𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞

At IRD, collaboration is the pillar of how we drive change. What makes us unique is our bilateral approach: we immerse ourselves in ground realities, working alongside communities and living their day-to-day challenges, and then carry those lived stories into policy spaces to effectively advocate for them.

This philosophy brought us to Saudiyaar, a rural Tharu village in Dang, where a local Gurukul has been serving students with bare minimum resources. For a long time, we dreamed of installing a digital smartboard to bridge the educational gap. Today, that dream is a reality.

With the launch of the Vidya Prawaha Initiative, a digital intervention aimed at bringing quality education to rural spaces, we are officially ready to start virtual classes! 💻📚

This milestone was made possible by an incredible ecosystem of collaboration:

>>A massive shoutout to Puja Khatri, Aakash Baral, and Bikram Paudel from Soka University of America, whose proactive leadership brought this vision to life.

>>Our deep gratitude to Rotaract SOKA and Rotary Dang for their invaluable support in bringing these efforts to fruition.

>>The 3-day initiation phase became truly whole thanks to Anugya Nepal, Dronaacharya Pokhrel, and Sabeena Thapa from Rotaract Chandragiri, who conducted a vital health and hygiene camp for the community.

>>A special thank you to Mr. Roshan Dahal (Rotary Dang) for effectively facilitating the entire process at the local level.

This is just the beginning of an impactful journey. We look forward to how it unfolds and can't wait to launch our virtual classes soon! 🚀

APPLY! APPLY! APPLY!Summer Program 2026 at SHAPE Balapan is brought to you with the motive to understand the recent poli...
11/05/2026

APPLY! APPLY! APPLY!

Summer Program 2026 at SHAPE Balapan is brought to you with the motive to understand the recent policy for elementary schools in Nepal. When we eliminate formal examinations, who has to work to successfully implement better alternatives?

Qualifications:
Motivated to learn
Able to commit 7 to 10 hours a week
Studying in Grade 12, on a gap year, or in undergraduate studies
Commitment to be on the field to conduct interviews

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Ghorahi

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