Dear Partners, Friends, well-wishers, and Co-workers,

I am incredibly humbled and honoured to join the NLR Nepal as the new Executive Director. As I step into this role, I am acutely aware of the opportunities and challenges being faced by the communities we serve.

Across the nation, persons affected by the leprosy, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation has prevented them from realizing their full potentials – are struggling to get appropriate treatment, good jobs, gain access to health care or receive a quality education. And unfortunately, too many serving organizations are seeing significant increases in demand for vital services while facing a combination of challenges including restricted program funding, lack of liquidity, weak infrastructure and systems, overworked and a reliance of funding that does not cover full costs.

How are we to respond?

We could simply accept that there is not and will not be enough resources to address the social challenges being faced by persons affected by leprosy and persons with disabilities. I believe the NLR Nepal will bring together appropriate resources, capacity building and partnerships to drive real on-the-ground change in our communities. We will serve as champions of the great work being done for the leprosy affected persons our funders. 

The NLR Nepal has been working in line with the Nepal Government’s NTD roadmap (2021-2030) and the multi-annual strategy prepared in the year 2019 for the 3 years 2020-2022.

 

Driving Effectiveness & Impact

We are seeing radical shifts in how the social sector works including unprecedented cuts in resources, disruptions from technology, policy changes at the federal, provincial and local levels, and continuing increases in demand for services. To ensure our funders and partners cannot only compete but can thrive in this new reality, we will be working on how to offer new and expanded services, strengthen our capacity building programs, create peer networks, and develop new funding partnerships for the benefit of the persons affected by leprosy.

 

Adapting How We Work

We are also improving the way we work as an organization.  We are refreshing and revitalizing our strategic plan in line with the roadmap to the ZERO LEPROSY, exploring new systems and technology to better serve, and improving our ongoing work as an enhanced experience.

I am deeply grateful to the entire team here at the NLR Nepal – our Board members including the Chair and the NLR Nepal staff – for their support and assistance in helping me transition into this position.  Also, I would like to express my sincere appreciate to our international team especially to our International Director and Nepal Desk Officer for their unwavering dedication and generosity leading this amazing work since 1977.

As the NLR Nepal looks to adapt and respond to the changing needs of our communities, I hope we can count on you to join us as thought partners and co-creators of game-changing strategies that drive innovation, strengthen our NLR Nepal and disrupt the cycle of poverty so that all persons with disability can thrive regardless of their areas of residence.

Our experiences working with 15 municipalities has been a very encouraging one as the NLR Nepal concept and the objectives are now fully owned by the local government and are well appreciated.

I am pleased to convey the message that our relationship with the government, international partners and other stakeholders have been very good during the year. With the little effort of ILEP supported organizations working in Nepal has formed a consortium platform in the name of Nepal Partnership for Zero Leprosy, Neglected Tropical Disease and disability (NPZL-NTDD) which will be continued in future as well.

For our achievement, I would like to thank the government authorities, all the international and national partners, well-wishers, co-workers and staff members for their consistent technical, financial and moral support.  Finally, we would like to bid farewell to the Outgoing Country Director
Mr. Himalaya Sigdel who retired in December 2021.

Thank you.

Bikash Man Singh

Executive Director