Britain-Nepal NGO Network (BRANNGO) held a conference on the challenges of operating as an NGO in Nepal on Wednesday. Diplomats, non-profit pioneers, and journalists attended the event at the British Embassy, Kathmandu.
The conference kicked off with a welcome speech from Nick Hinton, the chairman of BRANNGO. British Ambassador His Excellency Mr Rob Fenn addressed the conference with his take on the recent developments since the nationwide Gen Z protests in early September.
“We are still trying to spend British taxpayers’ money in a really effective and accountable way which helps accelerate development in Nepal, including inclusive development,” Ambassador Fenn clarified the British position on Nepal’s development following the Gen Z protests. He added that the difficulty in generating employment for youths in the country led to protests in his understanding.
Journalist Kunda Dixit shared his views on the Gen Z protests and sentiments surrounding them. Commenting on the anti-aid rhetoric surrounding the Gen Z protests, Dixit said, “We have to take a look back at the development assistance and where we have come in the past 20-30 years. You just have to look at the development parameters of Nepal in the last 30 years. The multidimensional poverty index has dropped from 65 per cent to about 20 per cent. Maternal mortality rate has come down,” he said. “How did all this happen despite a war that lasted ten years, corruption, wastage, leakage, and poor governance? The partnerships between Nepal’s development partners and the government were still delivering despite all the flaws.”
A number of projects and their progress were also showcased in the conference.
Chhatra Rai, the principal of Golden Peak School, informed the gathering on the charitable support from the school and its students to community schools across the country.
Likewise, Dr Jangmoo Sherpa from Action for Nepal elaborated on the organisation’s role in empowering local communities to develop resilience through improved health outcomes, education, clean water and economic sustainability.
Dilip Singh Rai, who previously worked as a porter in the Everest region, explained how New Futures Nepal and Everest Mera Foundation (EMF) jointly worked to improve livelihood in the Mahakulung Rural Municipality through activities like care for orphaned children and support for porter families.
Luvana Shrestha of Jaya Mental Health shared about the positive impact of mental health intervention in Ilam, a district with one of the highest suicide rates in Nepal.
Gele Bhote from Stay at School explained how infrastructure support to schools of Solukhumbu has helped retain students and teachers. He also shared about the progress of students supported through a Fellowship program for students of the region.
Barend Toet, the editor-in-chief of Nepal Connect, informed the participants on the progress with Nepal Connect as a bridge between developing Nepal and the rest of the world.
“We have reached the point where we upload well-produced content daily. We are growing ‘roots’ in Nepali soil, where we must build a productive branch,” said Barend. “In that context, we are exploring partnership options. Most important for you is that we can now handle your stories of contributions to Nepal’s development.”
He also announced an initial soft launch, featuring a showcase magazine bundle, for mid-January 2026.
