Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON) » 6th Executive Committee (2016

Himal Mahat

President, AYON

Mr. Himal Mahat is 29 years old active young citizen of Nepal. His academic specialization is Sociology and Rural Development in Bachelor’s degree. His professional expertise includes youth engagement in the different sector and research, training facilitation, peace-building and community development. He has also been awarded National Youth Award 2016 from Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS).

He was elected as the president of AYON from August 2016 to 2018. He has also been involved in various civil society organizations including Nagarik Aawaz (Peace Ambassador), Youth Partnership for Development and Peace Nepal (YSP – Nepal, Ramechhap as Founder President), UTTHAN – Nepal (Founder General Secretary), Nagarik Aawaz (Peace Builder) and Namuna Integrated Development Council (NAMUNA) Rupandehi, Youth for Youth campaign (co-national coordinator), District Cooperative Union Ramechhap (General Secretary).

He got involved in youth sector in 2005 as a youth volunteer at Nagarik Aawaz, Lalitpur, Nepal. He led various social, youth and women issues movement in the district and national level. Now, he is also a successful youth entrepreneur in Nepal.

Anil Simkhada

Vice-President, AYON

Mr. Anil Simkhada is one of the active youth activists of Nepal. He has facilitated various leadership training and workshops. He has done Masters in Sociology from Tribhuvan University, one of the reputed universities of Nepal. He has 10 years of experiences working with youths.

He is the founder and CEO of Rope Access Nepal Pvt. Ltd. He has also served as a Chief Operating Officer at Pasa Yard, the organization provides spaces to organize different trainings.

Bharat Badayar Joshi

General Secretary, AYON

What’s the boundary? What’s the base? For the dreamers with learning spirit, the sky is not always the limit.

I am one of such dreamers who has always been participative through thought processes. I am an MSc in Physics from Patan Multiple Campus and BA in Psychology from Tri-Chandra College. My endeavors have always been thoughtful and beneficial for our organization.

During my student life at Tri-Chandra, I had had lots of felicitations and plausible achievements. I have leadership qualities proving myself in my organization.

I am a voracious reader and a keen learner, always fond of traveling, experimenting with the facts to draw concrete results, reading, writing, helping others and have sportsmanship as one of a prominent trait.

I am a person with such dynamics from one of the remote villages of Far-Western Development Region at Parshuram, Dadeldhura. I am a crunchy answer to all those who stereotype Far-Westerners as backward and incapable, not because of position but through my works.

Satyendra Yadav

Secretary, AYON

Mr. Satyendra Yadav is one of the motivational youth leaders of Southern-East Nepal. He has great influence and contribution in his locality to bring positive change. He has advocated eradicating child marriage and dowry system for the community he belongs to.

With his valuable contribution to breaking stereotypes, he has served to create youth-friendly policy in national level as well. He aspires to become a political leader to bring meaningful positive changes in his community.

Narayan Kandel

Treasurer, AYON

Mr. Narayan Kandel is 27 years old Chartered Accountant (from Institute of Chartered Accountants of India). His professional expertise includes youth engagement in a different sector and research, training facilitation, peace-building, and community development.

He was elected as the treasurer of AYON from August 2016 to 2018. He had also been involved in civil society organization namely Gaja Youth Club, Baglung.

He got involved in the youth sector in 2009 as a youth volunteer at Gaja Youth Club, Baglung. He led various social, youth and women issues movement in the district and national level. Now, he is also a successful youth entrepreneur in Nepal.

Jagdish Kumar Ayer

Member, AYON

Mr. Jagdish belongs to Far Western part of Nepal. He is pursuing an undergraduate degree in B.Sc. Physics from Tri – Chandra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University. In his early days, he had gained and exercised his leadership qualities in various fields. To enhance his leadership qualities; he was actively involved in different associations. He was honored to be a president of Junior Red Cross Circle during 2008 – 2010 and also the member of Youth Connection Center (YCC). He is a youth social activist and has led various leader camps. He got a chance to participate at Youth SAARC summit held in Kathmandu during 2012.

He was actively involved for 2 years at AYON in the voluntary work after the massive earthquake. Now, He has led different capacity building campaigns and youth work camps. He had attended the National level consultative workshop on Sexual Reproductive Health (SRHR) organized by Right Here Right Now (RHRN). Currently, he is leading the SRHR issue at AYON. He is also an active member of Young Female Leaders Forum (YFLF).

Pranav Raj Regmi

Member, AYON

With determination, innovation and a hand that never withdraws to those in need, I am Pranav Raj Regmi, a social work student, board member at AYON and president at Yatra. I did my schooling from V. S Niketan school, completed my plus two in science from Xavier International and as every other science student aspires, went off for engineering in India. After three years of trying to cope up with engineering, I returned abandoning it. Well, my journey from that Pranav to this Pranav I am today hasn’t been at ease. However, I always believed that ‘hard work can make miracles happen’ and this is what kept me going. From convincing my parents, hearing of criticism and sarcastic comments from people to building up the years I lost, life has never been a bed of roses since then. After a few months, I joined BASW at K&K International College, thinking of starting all over again. Nevertheless, things did not work as to my expectations. I tried earning but the stress didn’t serve me quite well. I tried every way possible to manage my physical, financial and emotional condition but the odds were never in my favor. Hence I gave up on trying new occupations every day and started focusing on my studies.

On 2016, I started working as a trainee at Ayon. I am very much determined when it comes to working and this is why I got elected as a board member. Later I took over Yatra. Though these were and are the grand steps of my life, handling them alongside studies has not been a lap of luxury. Managing time has been a challenge lately, but this faith I have in a better tomorrow makes me forge ahead and brings out the best in me every day.

I am the entrepreneur of my life and this is a part of my story. I still look up at a bit longer journey, a few hurdles of struggle, a number of downfalls and then a little higher I see the successful me.

The only advice I have for youths like me in today’s world is, get out of your comfort zone, taste your very first failure, get prepared to lose a few riches of your life, experience the adventure of uncertainty and never forget to believe in your hardship because trust me when I say, that is what pays you off in life.

Niraj Bag

Member, AYON

“You are never too young to change the world, Come on work together to achieve it”.

Mr. Niraj Bag is a youth activist & young physicist pursuing his master’s degree in physics from Tribhuvan University. He is passionate to work for youth empowerment, gender equality, and human rights. His journey to activism started with an organization named NEEDS Nepal at the age of 17. He is founding Coordinator of Youth Connection Centre (YCC) and current Board Member of AYON.

He has coordinated various programs, campaigns & dialogues like the National Youth Assembly, Youth Mock parliament, Voter Education Program, Youth work Camp etc. Besides these, he has worked as Laboratory instructor supporting research activities for undergraduate students in different colleges.

He is also the Secretary of District Voter Rights Forum, Kathmandu, and member of the SDG-16 working group; Currently supporting the government to achieve SDG goal No. 16. He was a National Observer of provincial and federal elections of Nepal 2017.

Sanjay Kumar Kushwaha

Member, AYON

Mr. Sanjay Kumar is an aspiring youth leader with many years of experiences in various field. He is a member of Nepal Red Cross Society and a trainer at Nepal Kyokushin Karate.

With his keen interest in sports, he inspires many youths to build up their leadership capability through sports.

Tulasi Ram Chaulagain

Member, AYON

Mr. Tulasi is a youth activist who has served as a district coordinator at F-Skill Pvt.Ltd for 3 years. He is the founding president of District Youth Network, Udayapur, Nepal.

After the completion of his academic study from Tribhuvan University, he became active on advocacy campaign on the issues of youths. He has done masters in Sociology and served his community through many different projects.

He empowers youths in the locality to bring them together for social change.

Sarita Lamichhane

Member, AYON

I used to be told that, I will fail; this is not unusual in Nepal where visually impaired women are discriminated.

I am a blind woman by birth and hail from a remote village in Nepal where people are socially and economically backward. As they lack education and awareness they believe that disability is a curse from the past life. Although my parents are extremely supportive of me, the society, unfortunately, isn’t.

At the age of 6, I got an opportunity to enroll an inclusive school which took me 10 hours of walk from the village. So, I decided to stay back at the hostel and as I was the youngest, the teachers there were not very concerned with my education.

Therefore, I used to learn Braille from my father when I visited home. I remember a conversation between my grandmother and a relative, a parent of a blind boy when I was about 12 years of age. “I am lucky that I have a boy, he can do whatever he wants. But your son has a blind daughter and she can never go out.” When I moved to Kathmandu for higher studies, I lived in a hostel where I met other blind women and knew about many other troubles they were facing. From then on I became interested in supporting youth and started working with different organizations as a volunteer always focusing on the support of youth.

Kanthari is an international institute in South India. This institute provides 7 months leadership training for social change makers. When I was selected in Kanthari leadership training, I also got a government job offer. But I refused my government job and I attended 7 months Kanthari leadership training. Now I graduated from Kanthari (www.kanthari.org).

At this crucial time, I have realized that the youth need motivation, confidence, and training to survive in a male-dominated society along with skills that make us employable. Nepal is still a conservative society which is inefficient to empower us; we have to empower our self. Therefore I have joined AYON.

Seema Lamichhane

Member, AYON

Seema Lamichhane is an executive board member of AYON. She recently graduated from Chakrabarti HaBi College of Law, where she studied Law. She is passionate about advocating for human rights, gender equality and reproductive justice on both a domestic and international level; empowering women, youth, and minorities.

She was one of the 75 participants selected for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) summer school on human rights in 2015 in New York. She also was appointed as the Youth Ambassador for Youth and Human Right for World Youth Summit for Peace 2016, at Lahore-Pakistan.

She has interned for various legal and youth organizations including Office of Attorney General Nepal, District Court, Kathmandu where she garnered knowledge on Legislative Affairs and hands-on experience on Judiciary Systems of Nepal. She has previously served as a Counsellor, Project Officer, Vice-Speaker, Program Operator in Nobel Academy, Class Nepal, Youth Parliament Nepal (YPN), Right to Information (RTI) Nepal accordingly.

She has coordinated several programs related to youths including Youth Mock Parliament. She is also a television program presenter of ‘SeroFero’ program developed by Yeti Media House. An advocate by profession, she intends to pursue advanced studies in human rights and international law and prepare herself for a career in human rights activist so to be able to better serve women and underrepresented communities across the country and the world.

Seema believes in the power of galvanizing younger generations, who embody the potential of our future to secure equality and justice for all.

Muna Shahi

Member, AYON

Miss. Muna Shahi is a popular female leader of Nepal. She has led various advocacy campaigns in order to ensure meaningful participation of youths in decision-making level.

She is active in social works. She encourages youths to do something useful in life. Youths get motivated by her works and words.

She aspires to become a political leader of Nepal to enhance youth capacity so that they will contribute to nation building.