Grantee

Govinda Bahadur Raut has more than 27 years of experience in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) financing and development sectors including providing training and technical assistance to financial institutions in Nepal. He had worked as a practitioner, wholesale lender, and technical assistance provider in areas of microfinance institutions (MFIs) capacity building.

Mr. Raut started his microfinance career in 1994 as an entry-level field staff. Since October 2012, he has been leading the team of Inclusive Banking of Muktinath Bikas Bank Ltd. (a leading “B” class financial institution in Nepal) in the capacity of Assistant Chief Executive Officer. Under his direct leadership, the bank won the “European Microfinance Award 2020” and was an honorable mention in the Global SME Finance Award 2021 in the “Product Innovation of the Year” and “SME Financier of the Year-Asia” category.  During his professional journey, he has been contributing more than 24 years to serving low-income people to uplifting their socioeconomic status through financial services.

After the Humphry Fellowship, he wants to strengthen MSME financing in Nepal which includes but is not limited to sustainable finance, risk management, Artificial Intelligence (AI) based credit scoring/rating, and delivery of digital financial services. He intends to meet the needs of aspiring youths, returnee migrants, women, and smallholder farmers to avail of suitable financial services. Furthermore, he wishes to build a sustainable organizational structure that breaks the barriers to MSME financing and financial inclusion in Nepal.

Mr. Jhapper Singh Vishokarma, a permanent resident of Tikapur-2, Kailali, Sudurpachim Pardesh, Nepal, received his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Master Degree in Structural Engineering from Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus in 1996 and 2006 respectively. He is Life Member of Nepal Engineers’ Association and Member of Structural Engineers’ Association of Nepal.

Before Joining the civil service as a Under Secretary (Senior Divisional Engineer) in 2011 from lateral entry, he worked as a project chief of Tikapur Development Projectin Kailai, lecturer in Acme Engineering college, Kathmandu, consultant for the World bank and ADB funded government rural road projects. Since 2011, he has worked as a Section Chief, Physical Service Section, in Department of Education and Chief of Doti Division at Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC). Currently, as the Deputy Project Director at DUDBC , his main focus area is urban development and development of construction related sector.

Ms. Sushila Thing has more than one decade of professional experience in International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and NGOs working on gender and social inclusion (GESI), disaster risk management, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. She has long experience in strengthening the capacity of local communities and organizations on GESI, and sustainable use, management, and cultivation of forest resources, particularly non-timber forest products (NTFPs). Ms. Thing also has great work experience in the local community’s livelihoods improvement and establishing a good partnership, collaboration, and coordination with government agencies and stakeholders.

Ms. Thing was the former gender development officer at The Mountain Institute (TMI), where she practiced the community–based conservation approach for seven years with different capacities to strengthen mountain people’s livelihoods and preserve their mountain environment and culture. As a regional climate change coordinator for Jumla Hub, she worked in the Nepal climate change support program (NCCSP), and she also worked in Save the Children International, as disaster risk reduction (DRR) coordinator based in Kathmandu.

Currently, she is associated with The Partners Nepal (TPN) as a core team responsible for the climate change adaptation, DRR, and gender programs. Her goal in Humphrey Fellowship is to study the climatic disaster risk management through the gender perspective and integrate the gender plan and program into national development. After Humphrey Fellowship, she wants to continue her research and work to advocate how climate change and disaster risk exacerbate the gender equality.