Lincoln graduate Sunil Tamang is willing to go the extra mile to help his country, Nepal. Thousands of them, in fact.
He travelled to New Zealand to learn the skills to help manage natural disaster risk and had then planned on undertaking a 12,000 kilometre electric bike trip from the Netherlands to Nepal to help others in his homeland pursue their own higher education goals. However, Covid-19 has put the latter adventure on hold for the meantime.
Sunil received a Master of Applied Science with First Class Honours in Disaster Risk Management last year, studying under a Mingma Norbu Sherpa Memorial Scholarship.
Having returned home, he is now applying his skills to his new role as Research Associate for the Sajag-Nepal Project, 'Planning and preparedness for the mountain hazard and risk chain in Nepal', which is funded by UK Research and Innovation's Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).
"I am very excited to be part of this interdisciplinary research project for its potential to integrate local, practitioner and scientific knowledge to inform policy and decision-making," he said. "I look forward to applying the theoretical knowledge and learning gained from my degree at Lincoln University."
Sunil will be conducting ethnographic research at the community and local government levels to explore the everyday lives of rural residents, including their vulnerabilities and resilience to geohazard risk (particularly earthquakes and landslides); the impact of federalisation, development, and geopolitics on disaster risk creation; and how disaster is governed.
His planned 12,000 kilometre electric bike trip was aimed at fundraising for children from his home region of Langtang-Gosainkunda (located in the central north of Kathmandu) to pursue higher education or vocational training.
"On 9 May 2020, my Dutch friend and I were supposed to start our electric bicycle expedition from the Netherlands to Nepal," he said.
"In addition to the thrill and excitement of embarking on this adventurous journey, traversing more than 12,000 kilometres across 16 countries for at least four months, another major motivation was to raise funds through the 2 for 1 Initiative.
"This would involve trying to fundraise at least one euro each for one kilometre we cycle.
“The 2 for 1 Initiative is one way I planned to give back to my society and people for all the generous support I have received in my life. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions have made this expedition not possible for now, but hope someday in the near future, we will be able to start this purposeful adventure."
