Nepali-Origin Australian Billionaires Pledge About $4 Million USD for Children Affected by Nepal Flood
Shesh Ghale and officials from Nepal’s National Child Rights Council pose after signing a memorandum of understanding to provide long-term assistance to children affected by the Bhotekoshi flood.
Nepali-origin Australian business leaders Shesh Ghale and Jamuna Gurung have committed up to approximately $4 million USD to provide long-term assistance to children affected by the Nepal flood. The funding comes under an agreement between their MIT Group Foundation and Nepal’s National Child Rights Council.
The assistance is intended for eligible children under 18 and could continue until they complete Grade 12, according to a statement by Ghale. Depending on each child’s circumstances, the support may cover education, food, accommodation, clothing, healthcare, and other essential needs.
The commitment of roughly $4 million USD is structured as a long-term recovery program rather than one-time disaster relief. The foundation has not yet disclosed the final number of beneficiaries, detailed eligibility criteria, an implementation timeline, or how individual support packages will be determined.
“For children affected by the Nepal flood, the impact does not end when the floodwaters recede,” Ghale said in a social media statement. “For some, life has changed in ways no child should have to experience.”
Ghale stated that he and Gurung were moved by the experiences of affected children and families, and wanted to help ensure that disrupted schooling, displacement, and loss do not dictate the children’s future opportunities.
“We feel fortunate to be able to support them, not only through this difficult time, but in the years ahead, so they can continue their education, have their essential needs met, and look to the future with hope,” he said.
Shesh Ghale and an official from Nepal’s National Child Rights Council signed a memorandum of understanding for a long-term assistance program for children affected by the Nepal flood.
The initiative comes as government agencies and humanitarian organizations report significant needs among children in flood-affected areas. Nepal’s National Child Rights Council reported that more than 1,200 children were living in temporary holding centers in affected districts, including some who were separated from parents or relatives. UNICEF estimated that about 17,000 children were directly affected by the floods in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts.
Ghale emphasized that the foundation’s commitment extends beyond financial assistance.
“For us, this is about more than funding,” he said. “It is about making a lasting commitment to support these children as they grow and helping ensure that the hardship they have experienced does not determine the opportunities they have in life.”
“Above all, we want them to know they have not been forgotten,” he added.
Ghale and Gurung are Melbourne-based entrepreneurs and philanthropists who have established businesses and educational institutions in both Australia and Nepal. Ghale is the co-founder and chief executive of the Melbourne Institute of Technology, which he established alongside Gurung. He is also a former president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association.
The couple appeared on Australia’s 2026 rich list, ranking 150th and 151st, respectively, according to media reports. This marks their 18th consecutive year on the ranking of wealthy Australians after first entering the top 250 in 2009. They have previously ranked as high as 80th.
Ghale was born in Lamjung, Nepal, and studied civil engineering in the former Soviet Union before returning to Nepal to work on highway projects for the government’s transport department. He later moved to Melbourne, where he earned a Master of Business Administration from Victoria University.