ABOUT US
Nepathya Foundation | नेपथ्य aims to enable individuals from informal worker households to achieve upward social mobility. We define this through improved household income, financial security, better working conditions or education continuity among participating households.
OUR VALUES
Self-Growth
Maslow's hierarchy of needs identifies esteem and self actualization as human needs. We aim to help more and more workers fulfill these primary needs and become independent by providing them with opportunities to further their personal growth and professional growth.
Collective Upliftment
We believe that breaking intergenerational and societal barriers requires strong support systems and collective effort. Creating safe, supportive spaces where individuals feel empowered to learn, grow, and access opportunities is a value we strongly believe in.
Equity and Dignity
We recognize that caste and structural disadvantages shape people’s access to opportunities, and how they experience and respond to circumstances. We approach our work with empathy and an understanding of these differences, ensuring that they inform the design and implementation of our programmes.
Persistent Long Term Impact
We believe that meaningful change takes time and sustained effort. Small, consistent interventions can set larger changes in motion, creating ripple effects that strengthen individuals, families, and communities across generations.
OUR VISION
At Nepathya | नेपथ्य, we aim to bring those blue-collar employees to the forefront who have been working in the shadows, without due recognition. We help them get opportunities in both their professional and personal spheres of life - earlier denied to them because of differences in class structure and the nature of their work. Our work focuses on two interconnected pathways: helping young people from informal worker households continue their education and transition into meaningful employment, and equipping informal and daily-wage workers with skills and resources to diversify their livelihoods and build more secure incomes.
OUR MANAGEMENT
Vanshika Shah is an international relations and diplomacy professional whose work lies at the intersection of climate diplomacy and negotiations. She is an independent consultant and has previously worked at Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Nepal- Institute of Foreign Affairs, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Clingendael Institute. She also is an active member across informal networks including the World Youth for Climate Justice- Nepal, United States Embassy Youth Council (2024-25), Rotary Club of Kathmandu Mid-Town, etc.
Vanshika holds an MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy from Leiden University, the Netherlands, and a BA in Economics with a minor in International Relations from Ashoka University, India.
Vanshika Mittal is currently working with WRI India in their Climate, Economics and Finance Program working on subnational energy transition and energy-economy modeling. She has experience working in international development with Adam Smith International. Her research interests include informal economy and sustainable development as she has co-authored several studies published in peer reviewed journals including Asian Ethnicity and Cities and independent platforms such as The Wire and Scroll.
She has a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University and a Bachelors in Economics from Ashoka University.
