In May, BMKF scholars met for an informational interview with Manisha Jha, People Operations Manager for Possible, a remarkable NGO that delivers high quality, low-cost healthcare in Nepal.

Prabha Bohara (nursing), on the left with fellow student, and right, Anisha Gautam (law),  volunteered to share what they learned.

Anisha: “I was inspired by Possible’s motto: "Solve for the patient." We see that people are attracted to hospitals with big buildings and high fees. They think those are the only places that provide the quality health services. But Possible provides high quality care to poor people free of cost. They serve in rural areas where there are no proper heath resources. They embrace challenges with grit. They’re committed towards building simplicity and they also challenge conventional thinking. They want to change the ‘impossible’ to possible.”

Prabha: “Possible also provides job training opportunities to people who have finished their study. I’m very interested! They give this training in Accham and at Charikot Hospital in Dolakha District. They have a very fair, nondiscrimination process to select the right candidates, people who really want to provide service in poor rural communities.”

Anisha: “I was also interested in Possible’s technology tools. They use Asana (a web and mobile app for tracking work) to conduct weekly meetings, to train new employees, and to share everyone’s daily commitment about their main goals and projects.”

For more information, see The Long Road to Healing, a 3-part story in the Atlantic. 

BMKF alumna Grishma Manandar ’11 majored in mechanical engineering. After working as a renewable energy consultant in Nepal and India for several years, she won a scholarship for a master’s in environmental leadership at the University of Flensburg in northern Germany. 

Grishma is currently in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she’s interning for GIZ, a German company that specializes in international development, and conducting research for her thesis.

How’s your German?

“I’m not fluent in German, but I can understand and speak basic things. My classes in Germany are taught in English. In Jakarta, I can kind of blend in. People talk to me in Bhasa.”

What’s the best thing about your graduate study experience?

“Meeting with friends who are from all over the world.”

Why Jakarta?

“I am working with GIZ to develop technology scenarios for green refrigeration, i.e. to see the savings in CO2 emissions by replacing ozone depleting and global warming refrigerants with natural refrigerants.”

How’s the research going?

“It’s been stressful, because the sector I am focusing on is reluctant to give us the data -- even if it’s positive. The whole process of formalities is taking so long and the biggest constraint for me is the time. Here in Indonesia, they still use refrigerants which are banned in EU, USA and even in Indonesia itself. So, basically I am visiting supermarkets (that is my focus area) and collecting as much data as possible. In most of the refrigerators you can see the technical specification. I feel like a secret agent making notes and taking pictures. People look at me weirdly because I take pictures of these cards attached in the refrigerators.”

We have a lot more news! BMKF scholars are teaching in Pyuthan, the Solukhumbu, and the Kathmandu Valley. Five alumni are pursuing graduate degrees in Nepal, in business and education. Several are doing fieldwork for academic, NGO, and government programs on issues including water sanitation, information technology, and women’s empowerment. Others are preparing for government jobs and other opportunities.