This year’s call for the next Impact Hero received a record breaking total of 96 inspiring changemakers, who are doing life-changing work in 26 different countries.

With the evolution of our program, we selected 8 changemakers forming the Impact Hero Class of 2024 where they have been participating in our year-long accelerator— the Lead-to-Regenerate acceleration program. This program, which we have continuously evolved and polished, is to help us better understand their work and identify their exact support needs. In addition, it is also a prerequisite to be considered to become the winner.

Choosing the winner has never been an easy feat, but after a phenomenal 6-month journey with all the heroes, it is with great pleasure that we introduce to you our IMPACT HERO 2024…

👑 IMPACT HERO 2024 : Surya Karki

Country: Nepal

Organization: UWS Nepal

 

An educator who built 82 schools in remote regions of Nepal, providing educational opportunities for over 14,000 underprivileged children

In Nepal, one in four children cannot complete eight years of basic education due to economic reasons. Born and raised in a remote village himself, it took Surya two and a half hours on foot to reach the nearest school.

With the encouragement of his single mother who understood the importance of education, he would continue to make that walk and go to school, until he eventually won a national scholarship to study in the capital, Kathmandu, and earned a master’s degree to study in China.

Upon returning to Nepal and visiting rural areas, he observed that the restrictive access to education had stayed the same and decided to commit to reforming the education landscape in Nepal.

Drawing from his past experiences in starting up educational institutions, Surya established UWS Nepal in 2015.

To date, UWS Nepal has established 82 elementary and middle schools, providing education to over 14,000 children in rural areas of Nepal. What’s more, by successfully implementing programs such as teacher training, menstrual hygiene workshops for female students, and school meal programs to reduce dropout rates, UWS Nepal boasts a 92% completion rate of basic education in its partner schools. Through collaboration with the government, they aim to expand these programs nationwide to address educational disparities across the country.

 

Reasons for Selection

  • In addition to the incredible achievements UWS has achieved, Surya demonstrates a big vision and a long-term perspective, positioning himself to lead the country’s education moving forward.
  • In 2024, UWS began initiatives to broaden its educational programs in partnership with the Nepalese government. This demonstrates their commitment to advancing educational reform throughout the country, emphasizing both physical infrastructure and curriculum enhancement, establishing them as key players capable of making national-level changes.
  • There is a clear need for support to cover operational costs of approximately $72,000, which would enable government-affiliated educational programs to reach 7,000 children in 10 schools over the next five years. Earth Company is confident that these national-level educational initiatives will have a significant impact.
  • Surya boasts a proactive approach to acquiring the necessary knowledge and a willingness to reevaluate his leadership. He has the potential to fully utilize Earth Company’s support to realize his vision.

 

Message from Surya

Closed Caption:
”Hi, everybody. My name is Surya Karki and I’m the co-founder and director of the Nepal, and the Earth Company’s Impact Hero 2024.
I’m excited, very excited, surprised, very happy, and grateful for the opportunity. This is really an opportunity to make a real difference for those who need it the most, the most vulnerable communities of Nepal.

I still can’t believe it, but here we are finally at the starting point of a new journey. This is a new beginning with Earth Company and I can’t wait to get started.

Our goal is to provide quality education for over 10,000 Children in Western Nepal. We will empower these communities, give them a voice, and help them find solutions to their biggest challenges. ”

 

 

Together with our new Impact Hero, Surya Karki, Earth Company will be committed to supporting children and their parents in the most marginalized communities in Nepal until December 2026.

We also have some exciting news! Surya’s visit to Japan has been confirmed for our 10-year anniversary event, “Earth Company Tokyo Pop Up,” scheduled for October 6, 2024. We are thrilled about the opportunity to meet our supporters in Japan. Event details will be announced next month in August. Please save the date and stay tuned!