Mahabir Pun : A true Changemaker

A  Nepali scientist, social entrepreneur and activist “ Mahabir Pun” is  well known for his extensive work in bringing wireless internet to remote areas of Nepal. Born and raised in a remote village-  Nangi, in Myagdi, Nepal,  Pun’s childhood education was in  a village school without paper, pencils, textbooks or qualified teachers.  After Pun’s father, a retired Gurkha moved his family to the southern plains of Nepal , Pun’s education level changed . After high school, Pun worked as a teacher for about 12 years at different  schools

In 1989, Pun  succeeded in gaining a partial scholarship to the University of Nebraska from which he finished his a bachelor’s degree in Science Education in 1992. He also did his Master’s degree in Educational Administration from  University of Nebraska in 2001.

After his return to Nepal, Pun campaigned for the donation of used computers and after allocating a good number of computers he began teaching computer classes to students and fellow teachers.

When Pun learnt that it was next to impossible to establish a telephone connection to the nearest city, Pokhara, and practically there was  no Internet, he started looking for ideas and in this quest Pun e-mailed the BBC for helping him to overcome this situation. The BBC supported him and   publicized his problem, and soon he found volunteers from Europe and the USA. Finally he along with donors and volunteers succeeded to rig a wireless connection using small handmade device mounted in trees. As small grants and assistance were on the way, he succeeded to construct improvised mountain top relay stations and a link to Pokhara. And by 2003, his village was wireless internet powered. Later, Pun began work to develop a wireless distance-learning project supported by income-generating ventures.

Pun’s work on distance learning and online educational services was the first of its’ kind in Nepal.

In 2012, Pun has also registered and has been successfully operating a nonprofit organization named “Rashtriya Abiskar Kendra”(National Innovation Center) with the objective to establish to foster research and developments and with this he aims for economic development of Nepal. The government tried for funding from the government, but he failed. Now, Mahabir runs a crowd funding campaign to fund the center and many Nepalese living abroad, Nepalese living in Nepal as well as foreigners fund his center.

Youths with ideas and passion are free to live and work in his center and all the necessary items for the willing youths are provided by the center.

Pun was elected Ashoka Fellow by the Ashoka Foundation in 2002 for his  contribution to overcoming the geographical isolation of many of the communities. In 2004, Pun received the Overall Social Innovations Award from the Global Ideas Bank.In 2007, Pun was awarded the prestigious  Magsaysay Award (the Nobel Prize of Asia), in recognition of “his innovative application of wireless computer technology in Nepal, bringing progress to remote mountain areas by connecting his village to the global village.

Pun is the only Nepali citizen to receive the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.

The University of Nebraska Later in 2007, awarded Pun a honorary degree as Doctor of Humane Letters for his outstanding work for his country.

He was inducted in Internet Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2014 Pun was awarded the Jonathan B. Postel Service Award by the Internet Society.