The people building The Dehat.
A founding team bound by a shared belief that rural life deserves a permanent home, and that the stories of the dehat deserve to be told with care.
Rooted in story, research and people.
Directors
Shivam Kumar Sah
Director, Strategy and CommunicationsA strategic communication professional with several years in public relations, journalism and stakeholder engagement in Nepal. He leads The Dehat's vision, partnerships and institutional development. Based in Berlin, he is a doctoral student in Communication Sciences at Université Côte d'Azur (SIC.Lab Méditerranée, ED SHAL), where his research focuses on soft power, narrative and cultural diplomacy.
Leads- Vision and institutional strategy
- Communications, brand and editorial voice
- European partnerships and cultural diplomacy
Suraj Khanal
Director of ResearchA journalist by background, Suraj leads The Dehat's research agenda, bringing a reporter's instinct for the ground and a commitment to evidence that makes the story true.
Leads- Research agenda and fieldwork
- Newsroom standards and fact-checking
- Language documentation programme
Parivarthan Patel
Director, Policy and International RelationsParivarthan holds a master's degree in Political Science from the United States, where he is based. He brings a policy lens to The Dehat's work, connecting rural realities in Nepal to the institutions, universities and diaspora communities of North America.
Leads- Rural policy research and policy briefs
- North American university and foundation partnerships
- Diaspora engagement in the Americas
Adv. Rocky Prasad Sah
Management and Legal HeadAn advocate practising law in Nepal, Rocky guides The Dehat's legal foundations, from registration and governance to contracts, rights and the protection of the communities and archives we work with.
Leads- Legal registration and regulatory compliance
- Governance, contracts and agreements
- Rights, consent and archive protection
Mansi Nepali Shah
Management, People and CultureAn aspiring law student, Mansi leads management, people and culture at The Dehat, shaping how the institution grows, how its team works together and the values it carries.
Leads- Operations and team management
- Fellows, volunteers and the Student Network
- Institutional culture and values
Ranjeet Pandey
Creative Management, Bhojpuri Language DeskRanjeet leads creative work for The Dehat's Bhojpuri desk, giving one of the great languages of Madhesh and the Terai the stories, music and platform it deserves, and bringing Bhojpuri voices from the villages of Madhesh and Lumbini to audiences everywhere.
Leads- Bhojpuri creative and editorial content
- Bhojpuri music, oral history and literary platform
- Community and artist relations across the Bhojpuri belt
The dehat needs many hands.
We are looking for researchers, linguists, musicians, writers, student correspondents and advisors who share our mission.
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