Shesh Ghale and Jamuna Gurung Commit Up to NPR 578.5 Million for Children Affected by Bhotekoshi Floods
TheTONnews || Special Report
Kathmandu, Nepal — Former President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Dr. Shesh Ghale and his wife, Jamuna Gurung, have announced a long-term commitment of up to NPR 578.5 million (Rs 57.85 crore) to support children affected by the devastating Bhotekoshi floods.
The commitment has been made through the MIT Group Foundation, founded and led by the Ghale-Gurung couple, in partnership with Nepal’s National Child Rights Council. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to establish a long-term framework for protecting and supporting children whose lives have been severely affected by the disaster.
Under the programme, children below the age of 18 affected by the floods will receive assistance aimed at ensuring continuity of education and access to essential services. The support is expected to cover areas including education, food, accommodation, clothing, healthcare, nutrition and psychosocial wellbeing, with care through relatives prioritised wherever possible and institutional care considered only as a last resort.
The MIT Group Foundation states that the current planning basis is for approximately 110 children, with assistance potentially continuing for around a decade. The estimated programme envelope is NPR 525.9 million, together with a contingency of NPR 52.6 million, bringing the potential total commitment to NPR 578.5 million. The final amount will depend on the verified number of beneficiaries, their educational levels and approved programme costs.
For Dr. Shesh Ghale, the initiative represents a commitment that extends beyond immediate disaster relief. The objective is to ensure that children who have already suffered the consequences of a devastating flood do not lose their educational opportunities or prospects for a dignified future because of circumstances beyond their control.
A Two-Term Leader of the Global Nepali Diaspora
Dr. Shesh Ghale is a prominent Nepali-Australian entrepreneur, philanthropist and one of the notable figures associated with the development of the global Nepali diaspora movement.
He served as President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) for two consecutive terms, from 2013 to 2017, leading the organisation at a period when the NRNA was expanding its global institutional reach and advocacy for Nepalis living abroad. The Melbourne Institute of Technology records that during his first term he led an organisation representing millions of Nepalis across the world.
He has also served the NRNA in other leadership and institutional capacities, including roles connected with major NRNA initiatives and funds. NRNA records identify him as a Past President and list him as chair of initiatives including the Foreign Employment Relief Fund and NRNA Building Fund.
From Australia to Nepal: Business, Education and Philanthropy
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Ghale built his professional career in Australia after pursuing higher education in the former Soviet Union and later completing an MBA at Victoria University in Australia. He is the founder, CEO and director of the Melbourne Institute of Technology (MIT) and has held senior leadership positions within MIT Group Holdings in Australia and Nepal.
Together with Jamuna Gurung, he has developed a substantial philanthropic programme through the MIT Group Foundation, focusing particularly on education, healthcare, disaster response and community development in Nepal.
The foundation previously announced a NPR 1 billion philanthropic initiative focused on education and healthcare in underserved parts of Nepal. The Ghale-Gurung partnership has also supported disaster relief and reconstruction initiatives, including assistance following the 2015 earthquake.
Following the earthquake, the foundation worked with the NRNA on reconstruction in Laprak, where hundreds of homes were completed and handed over to the Government of Nepal. The foundation has also supported Nepal’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, including the provision of oxygen concentrators.
A Broader Vision for Nepal’s Economic Future
Ghale’s engagement with Nepal has increasingly extended beyond conventional philanthropy. His public initiatives have emphasised the importance of education, human capital, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, technology and economic self-reliance as foundations for Nepal’s long-term prosperity.
In an interview , Ghale described how the experience of humanitarian work led him and his colleagues to think more deeply about strengthening Nepal’s capacity for sustainable economic and industrial development.
His work therefore represents a combination of business investment, diaspora leadership and philanthropy—with a continuing focus on creating opportunities in Nepal rather than limiting support to short-term relief.
From Immediate Relief to Long-Term Responsibility
The Bhotekoshi initiative carries particular significance because children are among the groups most vulnerable to the long-term consequences of disasters. Roads can be rebuilt and physical infrastructure can eventually be restored, but interrupted education, loss of family support and prolonged insecurity can shape a child’s future for years.
The Ghale-Gurung commitment seeks to address precisely that longer horizon.
Rather than limiting assistance to the immediate aftermath of the flood, the programme is designed to accompany affected children through their educational years, helping provide stability, protection and essential services as they grow.
For Nepal’s diaspora, the initiative also highlights a broader principle: remittances and financial success abroad can be transformed into long-term investment in Nepal’s human development when combined with institutional responsibility and sustained commitment.
Dr. Shesh Ghale’s journey—from a Nepali student who pursued higher education abroad to a Melbourne-based entrepreneur, two-term NRNA President and major philanthropist—has made him a prominent example of the role the Nepali diaspora can play in the country’s development.
The NPR 578.5 million Bhotekoshi commitment now places the welfare of some of Nepal’s most vulnerable citizens at the centre of that continuing mission.
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