“Reading about [students’] difficulties was tough, but at the same time, the knowledge that NCEF is making a positive difference in their lives made me very happy.” An inside look at NCEF, CFO/Treasurer Abhishek Sharma sits down with Gyan to tell us how he became involved and what his experiences have been with our organization.

Tell us about yourself. What is your connection to Nepal?

I am a researcher at NEC Labs America. I have a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. I grew up in India and went to the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi for my undergraduate studies.

My connection to Nepal comes from two different paths. First, I grew up in Bihar, a state in India that borders Nepal. My father and several of my relatives worked in areas near the border during their careers with the Central Bank of India. Whenever I would visit these places we would end up going to Nepal to visit temples (e.g. Janakpuri), go shopping, etc. My more recent connection is through Dr. Omprakash Gnawali, one of NCEF’s founders. Om and I had the same adviser at USC and I found out about their work through him and decided to get involved.

What is your role at NCEF? Walk us through some of your responsibilities.

I am the Treasurer at NCEF. My responsibilities include managing NCEF’s bank accounts, keeping track of our expenses and funding, preparing financial statements, and transferring funds to Nepal. This is my first year working as NCEF’s treasurer. I would like to acknowledge the tremendous help that I have received from Mr. Basu Gnawali in performing my duties. I am also a part of NCEF’s Board of Directors. This position requires attending meetings where various issues of strategic importance are discussed and voted upon.

Were you involved with NCEF in any different capacity before becoming CFO/Treasurer?

I served as NCEF’s Student Selection Officer (SSO) for five years. NCEF’s student selection involves several steps. First, the SSO recruits 4-5 volunteers to form the Student Selection Committee (SSC). The SSC, with help from NCEF’s area coordinators and volunteers in Nepal, executes the following tasks: (1) organizes the collection of applications for NCEF funding from students in Nepal; (2) processes these applications to select students for funding during the next year; (3) and collects and archives information on students (e.g. the number of students in each area, the academic performance of students, etc. A part of this information is displayed on NCEF’s website and is also used by NCEF’s fundraising team.

What sets NCEF apart from other NGOs? Why should someone consider NCEF over the thousands of other non-profits they could support?

NCEF provides several avenues to contribute: donate money, volunteer for various administrative tasks, participate in community building and fundraising activities like Walk for Nepal, and so on. Such a range of opportunities provide a unique experience of feeling connected to the students in Nepal and have a sense that one is making a real impact. These are the unique qualities of NCEF that set it apart from other NGOs.

What do you see happening in 2014 for NCEF?

NCEF has already selected students to support during the 2014-15 year. We are looking forward to the Walk for Nepal events organized in various cities across the US. I hope this year even more people will volunteer their time and get involved.

What has been the most challenging or rewarding part of being involved with NCEF?

Since most of my experience has been with student selection, I will focus on challenges and rewards related to that. The most challenging aspect was trying to coordinate the collection of forms for more than 100 students every year in a timely manner. Over the years, we faced delays in this due to various reasons, be it frequent power cuts, strikes, unstable political situations, and so on.

A majority of the students supported by NCEF come from very poor families. A lot of them have only one parent. Reading about their difficulties was tough, but at the same time, the knowledge that NCEF is making a positive difference in their lives made me very happy. I believe our volunteers in Nepal do an excellent job of complementing the Nepalese school system. In addition to providing funds to cover tuition, NCEF volunteers regularly visit the students and send reports to our executive officers in the US. I remember receiving handwritten letters from our students thanking NCEF for its support and describing the progress that they made in their studies. Reading these letters brought us great joy and a sense of achievement.