Lumanti celebrated 32th Anniversary Day

On July 31, 2025, Lumanti Support Group for Shelter marked its 32nd Annual Day with heartfelt reflections and celebrations. The event began with a warm welcome from Ms. Sarala KC, Vice Chairperson of Lumanti followed by a minute of silence in remembrance of Late Dr. Ramesh Manandhar, the visionary behind Lumanti, and Late Ram Devi Maharjan, former staff.
The annual progress update was shared by Mr. Anil Sthapit, General Secretary of Lumanti. This year’s Dr. Ramesh Manandhar Fellowship 2025 was awarded to Mr. Bhupendra Jung Kesari Chand for his research on “A Rental Housing Policy Framework for Urban Poor in Nepal: Integrating Disaster Resilience and Community Empowerment”. Mr. Laddu Khadka received the Prafulla Man Singh Memorial Award 2025 for his dedicated contributions to the community. 
Laddu Khadka began his activism on land rights, secure housing and settlement management campaign in 2056 B.S. with the Nepal Basobas Basti Conservation Society, serving as Kathmandu District’s Joint Secretary and later as President for nearly three decades. He has played a key leadership role in advocating for the land rights of Dalit, landless, and squatter communities. Under his leadership, 1,079 households in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu have recently received Nissa (land tenure document), marking a major achievement in secure housing and settlement rights.
On the occasion, Mr. Uddhav Raj Bhattarai, WASH Manager from Lumanti has completed 10 years of his service in Lumanti was also awarded the certificate of appreciation. 
During the same event, the handover of the agreement document between Lumanti, Kohalpur Municipality and NMB Bank was done. The agreement was aimed to support the construction of 100 houses in a year in Kohalpur 
Also, two videos were shown during the program. The first video was about the preparation of a Community Action Plan (CAP) involving community members, an initiative led by Yuwa Sanjal of Dharan. The second video, titled "Mud Brick Dome," showcased the construction of a mudbrick hut with a domed roof in Maryborough, Australia. The hut was constructed during a weeklong workshop with Melbourne architecture students and local sustainability enthusiasts including Bill Mollison. The project was featured in 'The Owner Builder" issue 5 and was overseen by Nepalese architect, Ramesh Manandhar.
The event concluded on an inspiring note with a karaoke performance of “Yo Karma Bhumiko Aagan Ma” by Mr. Waiwa Singha, Field Coordinator from Kalika, followed by closing remarks from Ms. Guheshwori Shrestha, Chairperson of Lumanti.