KATHMANDU, Aug 14: Santoshi Rana says that the need to believe in what she’s doing or who she’s listening to is what drives her. Working as a Media, Communication & Program Coordinator at ChangeFusion Nepal, Santoshi, 32, believes in breaking out of her comfort zone and trying to conquer her fears.
She’s articulate as she expresses her opinions and states that living her life without any regrets is what she aspires to do.
Can you tell us about the differences you found in the social organizations you worked for in London compared to the work you do at ChangeFusion Nepal?
In ChangeFusion Nepal (CFN), we work with youth in the field of social entrepreneurship. We are also involved in rewarding and recognizing hidden heroes who have made a difference to the communities through the Surya Nepal Asha Social Entrepreneurship Award for which we have recently announced the call for nominations/applications ending on September 10. The work I do in CFN is very different because I have always worked in the corporate sector. I did however work with OXFAM while in London as part of their ‘I am in’ campaign to end poverty. I also interned with the Hemophilia Society UK. With both organizations, I never had the chance to get hands-on experience that I’m doing with CFN right now. With Oxfam I was involved in fundraising while with Hemophilia society I was involved in political lobbying with the British Parliament.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job and how do you deal with it?
The most challenging aspect of my job has been seeing ideas turn into viable ventures. It takes a lot of effort from us as a team and from the individuals we support. Overall, more than a challenge, it has turned out to be a great learning experience. I deal with it by trying to be as realistic and organized as possible.
Your opinions on brain drain, and how hard or easy is it to make a comfortable living in Nepal?
Brain drain has its own positive side to it. Once the individuals who go abroad start earning, they do tend to send part of their income back to the country or try and contribute in some way. Not necessarily everyone might give back but even if some of the drained population does that, it still impacts. On the other hand, reverse brain drain is very good – we have a lot of individuals who have come back after gaining exposure and are making a lot of positive changes. As far as making a comfortable living is concerned, it completely depends on the individual and how one makes use of the opportunities available.
Your interests and passion.
My passion has always been to work in the social sector because of which, after years of working in the private sector with organizations like GE, American Express and Cision UK, I decided to come back and work in the field of social entrepreneurship. My interests lie in a variety of things – I have always been interested in understanding armed conflict and the role women can play as social and political actors along with my love for social entrepreneurship – thanks to the work I do at CFN. Apart from that, I love reading, traveling and writing.
The work motto you absolutely adhere to.
The one advice I always remember has been from one of the managers I worked with and it is ‘Only get affected by someone who you look up to.’ In your professional as well as personal life, you tend to come across a lot of people who say or do a lot of things you won’t like, and this advice has helped me through.
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