How One Opportunity for Prabha Created Many More

At a time when young people across Nepal are thinking deeply about the future of their country - calling for accountability, opportunity and change - the question is increasingly urgent: who will lead what comes next?

For Prabha, a Pestalozzi alumna from South-East Nepal, that question is closely reflected in her journey.

At Pestalozzi, students like Prabha are supported not only academically, but to think critically, take responsibility and engage with the world around them. Leadership is not something to grow into later, but something to practise early, through real roles, real decisions and a clear expectation to contribute beyond oneself.

After graduating from Pestalozzi in 2015, Prabha went on to study Economics at Princeton University. During a fellowship with Daayitwa Nepal, she worked closely with women entrepreneurs, seeing how economic independence can transform lives - even in the face of discrimination and poverty. Their resilience shaped her decision to pursue economics and sparked her interest in entrepreneurship.

Her path has since taken her into global leadership spaces - from five years at The AES Corporation developing clean energy solutions to becoming an Obama Foundation Scholar, a programme that equips service-driven leaders to tackle global challenges.

What stands out is how she has chosen to apply that experience.

In 2021, Prabha co-founded Aakar Nepal, alongside fellow Pestalozzi alumna Chhiring, in partnership with the Samaanta Foundation - creating a mentorship-driven fellowship where young people identify challenges in their communities and lead their own solutions. Through Aakar, leadership is put into action. Young people design and lead projects in their communities, working with mentors to turn ideas into action and address real challenges - from school attendance to child marriage and digital wellbeing.

Many return to their own schools as mentors, creating a cycle of leadership that continues beyond the programme.

Across Pestalozzi’s alumni network, over 70% go on to give back to their communities. This is how leadership multiplies - from one opportunity to many more.