SARIC Rising Tide

B irthplace of the Buddha, the Lumbini province in Nepal is home to ruggedly beautiful hills and mountains, and rivers fed by clear mountain waters. Among its many districts is Arghakhanchi, host to villages in varying stages of economic development. “This is where my roots are, and where I am most grounded,” says SAR100 graduate Asha Khanal . Reflecting on growing up in a village, she talks of reading by candlelight before adding with a laugh, “and that sounds far more romantic than it is in real life! I was born here and in so many ways we were lucky. I owe much to the love of my father, who was a visionary. He installed solar lanterns at home which finally meant no more candles! He also installed a biogas system and a small generator powered by our water mill’s turbine.” Her father’s actions sparked her curiosity and interest in both energy and energy economics. Much as he tried to convince others to use a similar setup, his fellow villagers couldn’t afford the solutions. BREAKING MINDSETS A S HA KHANA L NE PA L 12 13 Energy poverty was one of the main reasons I chose to study electrical engineering. I wanted to find ways to ensure no-one would ever have to grow up in darkness. School, and college, would largely take her away from the area. At her father’s insistence, she studied at government schools—excelling in the classroom and at extra-curricular activities. Her proudest memory, and the one she treasures above any professional accomplishments, remains the day she graduated as an electrical engineer from one of the country’s top universities. Asha’s role today is with the Nepal Electricity Authority. As an Electrical Engineer in the Energy Efficiency and Loss Reduction Department, she’s also responsible for a project tasked with implementing a national streetlight program—a job both technical in nature and heavily dependent on her ability to build consensus among mayors and deputy mayors across Nepal on the twin issues of urban aesthetic and nighttime safety. breaking mindsets