Jyoti's Mission to Uplift Nepal’s Vulnerable

She is a Pestalozzi alumna from the class of 2004, and now working as a Senior Social Protection Specialist at the World Bank Nepal country office. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations from Connecticut College and a master’s in public policy from the Hertie School of Governance in Germany.

In her current role at the World Bank, Jyoti supports the implementation of Bank-funded projects and conducts policy analysis to assist the Government of Nepal in improving the lives of the country’s poor and vulnerable populations. Her work focuses on strengthening delivery systems for social assistance and employment services. These projects aim to establish efficient systems that can accurately identify individuals in need of government support, deliver timely and appropriate benefits or services, and provide robust support during times of disaster.

Beyond her work at the World Bank, Jyoti serves on the board of the Samaanta Foundation. Samaanta addresses inequality and disempowerment by offering comprehensive fellowships to meritorious but disadvantaged students, enabling them to access quality higher education. The fellowships cover two years of high school education for all recipients and extend to undergraduate degrees for a select number of students.

Samaanta Foundation was established in 2012 by a group of friends, including Jyoti, who wanted to pay forward the educational opportunities they had been afforded. The foundation was inspired by a shared commitment to increasing access to higher education in Nepal. Jyoti’s own educational journey, entirely funded by scholarships—including the pivotal two years supported by her Pestalozzi scholarship—laid the foundation for her impactful career and advocacy.

Now in its 13th year, Samaanta Foundation has supported 121 Fellows, with 59 active Fellows from fifteen districts across Nepal. The organization also helps fellows access further opportunities, with several securing scholarships to attend United World Colleges around the world and other funding for undergraduate studies in the United States and Bangladesh.