SHADES FOR SIGHT: Suraj Shrestha’s unique project aims to fund cataract operations by assembling and selling sunglasses in Nepal.
Like everyone else, Suraj Shrestha was aware of the massive outmigration of young people from Nepal and was worried about this haemorrhage of talent.

After graduating from university in the United States and returning to Nepal, he also noticed that those who hadn’t left were forever complaining about the state of the country. He got fed up listening to them, and decided to do something about it.

“We were only talking about what the government should do, I thought there were many problems we could solve ourselves,” says the 27-year-old CEO of Anthropose (from Greek, ‘Anthropos’ meaning “human being”).

Thinking about possible ways of impacting positively on the community, Suraj found out that he had two choices: the private sector or the development model. In a country where ‘profit’ is almost a bad word, most have come to rely on aid from donor organisations to fund development.

Anthropose joins both worlds and tries to short circuit the development process by setting up a for-profit company. Its first venture is to provide free cataract surgery in rural Nepal by selling sunglasses.

“We decided to help people see because there are many in rural areas suffering from cataract,” explains Suraj. While there are other charities doing cataracts, Suraj will fund the operations by selling sunglasses to better off Nepalis. Selling ten shades funds one cataract surgery, which literally makes the blind see.

“By giving these people back the ability to see properly, they also regain the ability to work and become independent,” says Suraj.

Suraj says his model for cataract care is based on entrepreneurship, not aid. Funding healthcare through handouts is not sustainable, and he says the profit motive can be directed to help finance social work.

“Nepalis tend to be too donor-focused,” says Suraj, “we have to be less dependent on them.”

Suraj Shrestha is among a new breed of young Nepalis with creative ideas who wants a clean break with the past, and introduce new approaches. International exposure gives people like him a fresh new outlook, but he is a bit disappointed by the lack of self-esteem among his generation.

“I hear a lot of brilliant ideas, but many young Nepalis are demoralised and want to leave the country,” he says. In a society known for the inability of people to work together and a chronic lack of coordination, Suraj wants to work with existing institutions on his cataract project.

So, the surgeries are done at Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology and although Anthropose’s sunglasses are made in China, the company will assemble its own glasses in future which will generate employment as well.

Suraj has given himself two years to get the cataract project off and running. After that, he wants to tackle another social issue which will probably have to do with education.

“We are already working on it, but it’s too early to talk about it now,” he says coyly.