Founder of Manaram Foundation 2005 Nepal, Ram Bahadur Shrestha was born to father Late Mr. Surya Bahadur Shrestha and mother Mrs. Chhanda Kumari Shrestha as their second son on the 8th of Magh, 2005 Bikram Sambat in Dhungedhara, Khadbari of Sankhuwasabha District. He displayed a talent for leadership and an interest in social work from his younger years. Even to this day, folks of Khadbari like to talk about how he took charge of bringing in teachers from India from a tender age of 16 under his father’s instructions.
He believed that politics should create a pathway for the society. Hence, he acted as the Centeral Joint Secretary for Farmers’ Association in the Panchayat Era and was associated with the National Democratic Party in 2047 during the uprising of the multi-party system. However, he was successful in keeping an amicable relationship with representatives of all parties. He proved efficient in taking initiative in a central manner to voice the people’s wishes for Sankhuwasabha to remain an undivided district.
Shrestha, who believed philanthropy to be his morality became associated with the renowned Lions Club International in 1992/93 and was elected as the Director of Lions Club of Khadbari in the same year. In 1995/96, he founded Lions Club of Kathmandu Mount Makalu and became the Charter President of the same club. He became the Chairperson and First Vice District Governor after that, followed by his succession in 2013/14 as the District Governor for Lions Club International District 325 A1. Apart from these prestigious roles, he was also a Melvin Jones Fellow. He proceeded to carry out numerous philanthropic endeavors with Lions.
However, his desire for philanthropy and social work was not satiated yet. With his own initiative, he founded a non-government organization named Lions Manaram Foundation 2005 in 2068 B.S registered in Kathmandu and became the Founder Chairperson. His wife, Mrs. Man Maya Shrestha acts as the patron of said foundation. Mr. Ram Bahadur Shrestha, who believed that all children’s birthright to education should be transformed into reality, engaged himself in the process of establishing Manaram Libraries and laid the foundation for a network of 100 libraries in 75 districts. He also settled the groundwork for establishment of libraries in all secondary and higher secondary schools of Sankhuwasabha, infrastructural development of e-libraries and active participation in the Literacy Campaign backed by the Government of Nepal.
Three years ago, he was diagnosed with kidney disease and was compelled to undergo dialysis therapy thrice a week. Even in such ailing state, he carried on with his mission and went on to rural locations to establish libraries and also helped the hospital he was being treated at, become transport-friendly. While he was active in building a road to progress and growth without a regard to his failing health, he breathed his last at the age of 66 at Norvic Hospital, Thapathali, Kathmandu on Tuesday, 19th of Ashwin, 2072.
The Foundation family is saddened by his demise. However, we remained determined to mold our grief into strength and make his dream “no child be deprived from the light of education” come true.