KATHMANDU, JULY 28
The Prabhakar SJB Rana Endowment Fund of NPR 1 crore was handed over to Ms Pushpa Basnet, CNN Hero 2012 and CNN Super Hero 2016, for running Butterfly Home, a safe haven for children forced to live with their imprisoned parent in Nepal's jails or children who are in jail for their own crimes.
Basnet is the founder of Early Childhood Development Centre. "The amount will be used for giving good nutrition, health and education to the children. These children grow up better with love and care as they would be the face of the country tomorrow if they are given a good environment with all those facilities and care," said a press release issued by Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Fund was established by Prabhakar SJB Rana's daughter Maya Rana Tufo in memory of her father who was a man of uncommon integrity, consummate businessman and acknowledged founder of modern hospitality, tourism, hydropower and automobile industries in Nepal.
Late Rana had served the nation in various capacities as policy adviser to government and as visionary businessman.
He had contributed to the country by bringing foreign investment to enable the country's industrial and economic development with ITC, Bhotekoshi, TATA Motors and Soaltee.
These are some examples that have contributed to thenational economy as high tax payers in the country.
Late Rana established the Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a Bi-national Chamber of Commerce to look into bilateral economic relations between Nepal and India in 1993. NICCI is working on the bilateral economic relations between Nepal and India and is known as one of the pro-active binational chambers of commerce of the country.
At the programme, President of Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry Shreejana Rana welcomed the guests and dignitaries. She highlighted the qualities Prabhakar SJB Rana had as an individual and the role he had played in the economic and social development of the country. "Prabhakar Rana is no stranger to all of us," she shared. She further said, "He was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth: the great grandson of the then 10th Rana Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, the first Ambassador of Nepal to the United Kingdom, and son of General Sir Nara Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, honoured by the Government of Nepal as the Father of Nepali Sports. On the other side, we also know Prabhakar SJB Rana as a realist, who dreamt of the day when Nepal and her people could live as one. We know that he devoted his life to help Nepal and her people."
In recognition of his lifetime's work, he had served in economic as well as the social front. The government conferred the Prasiddha Prabal Janasewa Shree posthumously last year.
Pushpa Basnet, the CNN Hero 2012 and CNN Super Hero 2016, said the endowment fund of NPR 1 crore givento her initiative for providing shelter, nutrition, good health and education to those living in her Butterfly Home was really a big help for those children living there. Basnet shared her journey as a social worker, which especially focused on those children who are forced to live behind bars with their imprisoned parent or obliged to live in the street with no crime. "I have been blessed by doing this work for the children.
I assure that the fund will be used for the betterment of those children living there as they are the face of tomorrow and they are also part of our own society. It is our duty to provide those facilities and care to them," she said. She thanked the organiser and the family of late Prabhakar SJB Rana for believing in her and providing such a huge contribution to her initiative.
Prabhakar SJB Rana went to India for his higher study and started his career as a private entrepreneur. Dr Thapa recalled the moment when they used to meet and talk about the country's economic development and relations among neighbouring countries and the strategies to use those relations for economic development of the country. "That vision had led Rana to enter the business sector where he proved to be the best."
The cheque of NPR 1 crore and plaque of 'The Prabhakar SJB Rana Endowment Fund' was handed over by Bobby Malla on behalf of Maya Rana Tufo to Pushpa Basnet for her Butterfly Home.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 29, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
