Message from Country Director

Growing up in a rural village of Nepal, Avinash Jha completed his secondary education at a government school and experienced firsthand the struggles of accessing quality education. A scholarship enabled him to pursue an engineering degree in India, but his early career in the engineering sector left him questioning whether he was truly contributing to his country. His turning point came in 2016, when he visited a remote community and asked children about their dreams. Most said they wanted to become drivers or migrate abroad for work, a stark reminder of how limited opportunities are without education.

Since joining United World Schools (UWS) in 2017, Avinash has dedicated his career to transforming education in Nepal’s most underserved communities. Today, as Country Director, he continues to drive the Zero Education Poverty (ZEP) vision, ensuring that every child, no matter how remote their village, has access to inclusive and sustainable education.

Avinash’s leadership and commitment have earned him national and international recognition. He is an alumnus of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and has been honored with awards including the Ncell App Camp, the Rec@nnect Challenge, and ICT for Mountain Development by ICIMOD for his tech-based initiatives. He is also an alumnus of the Global Shapers Kathmandu Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. He graduated at the top of his class from the Master of Public Policy and Management (MPPM) program at Kathmandu University.

For Avinash, education is not just about classrooms; it is about dignity, opportunity, and creating pathways for children to dream bigger.