Rajpur Project
The Rajpur Project, in partnership with local NGO, Karma Health, is working to improve access to healthcare in the remote village of Rajpur, Nepal, by leveraging the power of digital and local people.
Currently, there are the three pillars of our activities.
➀ Improving the quality of medical care by introducing management tools to simple medical institutions where medical information is not properly managed
② Establishing care within the community by having health committee members from local residents provide daily care through the use of questionnaires and support applications
③Creating a system for improvement by integrating and utilizing these data
Rajpur Project
Japan members
Head / Board：
Yoshifumi Nin
Began working on the theme of "access to healthcare" after traveling to Zambia during a leave of absence from his university. During the internship at WHO, analyzed the health system in Nepal, which sparked his interest in the country. By coincidence, a graduate school classmate, Sakkya, was from Nepal, and worked together to provide disaster relief after the 2015 earthquake, and felt the need to strengthen the health system. Since its establishment, has been the representative of ASHA, mainly in charge of project promotion and organizational management. After graduating from graduate school, has worked for a foreign consulting firm as a consultant specializing in healthcare, and was engaged in new business development and business reform.
Team Leader：
Ryoko Tazawa
Has a strong interest in international cooperation, having visited developing countries through the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) when attended university. After graduating from university, joined a consulting firm in 2019, where worked as a project manager in the finance and human resources/ organizational fields. Also a project manager at ASHA.
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Team Leader：
Ryo Nagai
Joined Peace Winds Japan, a non-profit organization. Led the company's growth from start-up to an organization of over 100 people as the president of its subsidiary in East Timor, a fair trade business. After obtaining an MBA in France, started a consulting company with a classmate and experienced launching new businesses utilizing IoT devices and big data in Africa, and developing marketing strategies for small medical insurance companies. After that, joined a medical consulting company to promote preventive medicine in emerging countries. In charge of project management at ASHA.
Team Leader：
Yu Minematsu
In 2018, graduated from the Department of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Japan, and completed his undergraduate studies at the same university. Experienced study abroad in the Department of Computer Science, National Tsing Hua University. In the same year, joined a foreign medical device company, where worked with an overseas team on research and development of medical AI and theoretical research of machine learning. In ASHA, in charge of technology strategy in the development team.
Member / Board：
Shakya Sandeep
Co-founder of ASHA. Born in Nepal, came to Japan at the age of 18. Graduated from Tokyo Medical and Dental University School of Medicine and received a Japanese medical license in 2008. Worked as a cardiologist at Asahi Central Hospital, a local core hospital. Through this experience, realized the importance of prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and public health approaches, and decided to enroll in the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Tokyo. While working at the hospital, attended graduate school and obtained a Master's degree in Public Health in 2015. Still continues to work at Asahi Central Hospital as the chief of cardiovascular medicine and clinical research supervisor for residents, while conducting ASHA activities. Area of interest is the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases.
Member / Board:
Yuichiro Tachibana
Started programming in junior high school, and has been actively developing software since college, especially in conjunction with his research on machine learning. Joined ASHA as a software engineer in its early days, and was involved in system development and local trials. When ASHA was incorporated, became the vice president. After the development work was transferred to Nepal, takes role as an advisor for all technology-related matters. Graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, in Tokyo University. Holds IPA unexplored super creator since 2015.
Project Officer:
Takuya Tsuruta
After graduating from university, worked for a venture company before joining a consulting firm. Mainly engaged in digital transformation support and M&A for manufacturing and distribution clients. In ASHA, being in charge of Tech strategy for the Rajpur project.
Project Officer :
Takako Morita
After working as a member of the International Emergency Relief Team in Tacloban, Philippines, which was affected by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, has been interested in international health and received Master's in Public Health. She is a member of the First Aid Team and Rajpur Project in ASHA. She is a pharmacist and MPH.
Project Officer :
Maki Tomizawa
Has been interested in international health since she was a student and obtained a nurse/midwife license. In addition to his clinical experience, she has been involved in community health and refugee support in countries in Asia and the Middle East since 2016. After giving birth and acquiring MPH, is now a faculty member at a nursing university. Decided to participate in ASHA from a strange place, but feeling destined for the activity philosophy and project contents.
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Project Officer:
Hitomi Kobayashi
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Project Officer :
Haruna Watanabe
She majored in nutrition at university and obtained a registered dietitian degree, and has been studying languages at a university in Nepal since April 2019. She is currently working as a coordinator for a Japanese language school in Nepal, and hopes that ASHA Connect will help change the health consciousness of Nepalese people.
Project Officer：
Yuka Ohashi
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Project Officer :
Eri Uchida
She has been interested in public health since she was a university student and keenly aware of the importance of improving access to healthcare. In addition to her work, she has been involved in activities that share her philosophy of contributing to improving access to healthcare in developing countries. She is currently engaged in drug development at a pharmaceutical company.
Project Officer：
Rumi Tominaga
Entered Akita International University in April 2020. She is currently enrolled in the university's basic education program. When she was in elementary school, she saw a boy with a swollen stomach and ribs in relief in a column in a textbook and became interested in life in developing countries. Since then, had a dream to improve the standard of living in developing countries, and working as a project manager at ASHA.
Project Officer:
Yuka Hirayama
Currently majoring in Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Senshu University. While studying medical psychology and psychological support for people with physical illnesses at university, she became interested in public health and the perspective of providing health to as many people as possible regardless of their social background. Having interned at an international health NGO, she is interested in working on projects that respect the health of local people with the principles of primary healthcare and joined the project management team at ASHA.
Nepal members
Head :
Sanam Shakya
Has a Master's degree in Electrical System Design from a university in India. After completing bachelor's degree, worked in India as a project engineer for JSW Steel, and after completing master's degree, worked as a research engineer and led many workshops for faculty and students at technical universities. After returning to Nepal, he has been active in both technology and education, educating engineers in Nepal and developing open-source software. Currently, is the technical director of ASHA and a university lecturer, and also runs Future Lab, which provides programming education to children.
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Project Officer：
Nawaraj
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Field Coordinator：
Bishal Chaudhary
Born in an area around Rajpur where the project is being implemented. Has a degree in Management from a university and has worked as a project officer and project manager for an international NGO, BSE. After that, worked as a marketing manager for a foreign automobile company and for an NGO in Nepal. In September 2019, was appointed as Project Manager of the Rajpur Project and is in charge of all local management and operations. Having a strong background in electromechanical systems and is responsible for coordinating the antennas in the Rajpur office, which relies on parabolic antennas for internet access, as well as providing a communications environment for the project.
Advisors
Advisor： Ramesh Dhakwa
A doctor and has been working since the post-earthquake health camps that led to the launch of ASHA. Also, one of the few pathologists in the area, and provides a wide range of support in negotiations with partners and other external activities in the area.
Advisor： Prakash
After obtaining medical license in Nepal, worked for two years at a national hospital in a remote area before coming to Japan in 2012. Enrolled in the Department of International Health at the University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, and received a doctorate in 2017. Currently, a postdoctoral fellow at Kyorin University and a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo. Being interested in health issues of immigrants and systematic reviews in the field of health. Currently involved in research on TB and HIV among foreigners living in Japan and has been an advisor to the ASHA Nepal Project since its inception.
Advisor： Dipendra
After obtaining a medical license in Nepal, worked in rural health care at a local national hospital. Came to Japan in 2016 and enrolled in a master's program in International Health at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, where conducted research on mental health among immigrants and engaged in various activities related to immigrant health issues. Having interests in social security, especially mental health and medical insurance. Has been working as an advisor for ASHA Nepal Project since its inception.
First Aid
The goal is to create a society where residents can protect the lives and health of themselves and their families, even in areas with limited access to medical care, by acquiring self-care skills such as knowledge and skills of first aid and family medicine. We will conduct training sessions on first aid for junior high school students. By teaching this to junior high school students, it is expected to have a ripple effect on their families and communities. In cooperation with local teachers, we are discussing how to create an environment where education can continue in schools.
Project Manager:
Shinnosuke Kitano
Working as an intern for ASHA since 2017 and is currently focusing on the First Aid Project. As a graduate student, currently enrolled in the Emergency and Disaster Medicine Course, Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, Nippon Sport Science University. A paramedic, and is also engaged in medical care as a paramedic at the Emergency Medical Center while attending graduate school. Studied the pre-hospital emergency system in Seattle, USA, which has the highest lifesaving rate in the world, and felt the gap between developed countries and developing countries, and is interested in the issue of "access to healthcare."
Project Officer:
Tomoyuki Nakano
A paramedic. While working in the field for more than 20 years as a firefighter and paramedic, developed an interest in and studied perinatal and pediatric emergency medicine. Currently working as a freelance, and joined ASHA in 2019.
Project Officer:
Haruka Takahashi
Majored in emergency medicine at university and became interested in medical care in developing countries after volunteering at a hospital in Cambodia. Currently, a graduate student majoring in emergency and disaster medicine after getting the license of a paramedic. When she heard that ASHA's First Aid project was starting, she decided to join it.
Project Officer:
Takako Morita
After working as a member of the International Emergency Relief Team in Tacloban, Philippines, which was affected by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, she has been interested in international health and received her Master's in Public Health.She is a member of the First Aid Team and Rajpur Project in ASHA. She is a pharmacist and MPH.
Project Officer:
Maki Tomizawa
She has been interested in international health since she was a student and obtained nursing and midwifery licenses. In addition to her clinical experience, she has been involved in community health and refugee support in countries in Asia and the Middle East since 2016. After having a baby and obtaining her MPH, she is now a faculty member at a nursing university and joined ASHA by chance. She feels that she is destined to join ASHA because of its philosophy and projects.
Project Officer:
Kotomi Takahashi
Entered Akita International University in 2020 and now enrolled in the Global Studies program. Having interested in the educational disparities that arise due to economic conditions and gender differences since learning about developing countries in elementary school. Being attracted to the philosophy of ASHA and the activities of First Aid, and doing an internship with the team since August 2021.
