“I was raised in a remote village of the Gorkha district in Nepal. My education and experience have enabled me to obtain a living standard which is considerably higher than most other people from my village. But I cannot forget my roots. My commitment towards social service stems from my childhood experience. My mother died when I was only seven years old. When I became older, I learned that my mother’s premature death could have been avoided if there had been any medical facilities in the village. This experience stimulated my interest to work in the field of medicine in order to help rural communities by providing medical services

 "And that was indeed the first direction I took in my career. Dedicated to helping poor villagers and sick people, I worked three years as an assistant medical officer. But I soon learned that the medical component was only one among several factors causing disease and premature death in the rural areas, and I started to look for more comprehensive alternatives."
 

"I thought that when my mother died it was some sort of punishment for her innocence, for her naivety in worldly matters. However, my father later provided me with three beautiful spiritual teachings that helped me to become more aware of the realities and the beauty of life. In his letters to me while I was in college he gave me the gift of the 600 verses in the Bhagavad-Gita that discuss the humanity of life. He also told me to relate only to the good people I met, and in that I would see their humanity. The third thing he gave me was the stimulation to study the religions of the world to realize that all the messages are the same: love one another.”
 

"After working for the American Peace Corps I studied business management. In 1984 I finally changed my professional track from health care to rural development. I joined an international non-governmental organization (NGO) involved in rural development. In my capacity as project coordinator, my task was to organize, plan and implement development programs together with the local people. This gave me a chance to work where my interest really laid and gave me a lot of motivation."
 

"Later, I was awarded a scholarship for further studies in Rural Social Leadership in the Philippines, which I completed in 1990. Nepal needs assistance and guidance from the international donor community but I have realized that our country can only be developed if projects are managed by the Nepalese people themselves, particularly in the rural areas. I feel that this is important because the villagers are more responsible and committed when working with people from their own cultural background."

"With this in mind, I founded a new organization, the “Center for Community Development and Research” (CCODER). CCODER is the outcome of the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita, especially the wonderful teaching of karma yoga: Selfless service for humanity, doing work without expecting anything in return. CCODER literally wages a war for human peace through karma yoga. CCODER was “born” in 1990 and has gradually developed and implemented an innovative approach to empower village communities through group action, to fight rural poverty and to help gain economic self-sufficiency. Started in some few villages of the Gorkha district, CCODER’s early activities have left a strong impression on the surrounding communities, and according to the people’s demand, we expanded our activities. The dream has come true."
 

"My personal background and experience have made me a committed, professional social worker. The success of CCODER to date is very encouraging and gives me the energy to go ahead. Social work will be my life-long journey. There is still a long way to go until poverty will be eliminated in Nepal. Your support and encouragement will act as a fertilizer for the growth of CCODER and that will help the people of Nepal to help themselves.“
 

“The CCODER model of development is not limited to Nepal. It is being developed into a worldwide model. Its simplicity of design and operation makes it useful in any country where there is the need to stimulate humanity; wherever there is poverty and the desire by the people to become self-reliant. It is CCODER’s concept of Total Human Development.”