Many Nepalis are doing well for themselves in the field of Information Technology. Some work for Nokia in Finland, others are up-and-coming names in Silicon Valley. But few ever uproot themselves and come back to their homeland to make a difference. One such Nepali is Suresh Ojha (pic, right). A wireless systems design engineer on the fast track at Hewlett Packard, Suresh lives and works in the San Fransisco Bay area. At the age of eight he moved to the US with his parents, and in all the years that followed he never quite forgot his childhood memories of growing up in a Newar neighbourhood in the Valley. "I decided I couldn't face myself if I didn't do anything for Nepal," he says.

After a visit to Nepal, Suresh was convinced that Nepal had great potential in the IT field to bridge the digital divide. He set up the Nepal Information Technology Task Force of Silicon Valley with the help of a few other Nepali engineers and American friends. The purpose was to usher in the wireless revolution, and let Nepal's IT industry leapfrog technology. "Given Nepal's terrain and financial restrictions, wireless technology can be hugely beneficial," says Suresh.

This conviction led his group to bring in $500,000 worth of radio frequency and microwave-testing equipment for the Institute of Engineering (IoE) at Tribhuban University. The IoE will now have a wireless lab that is more sophisticated than most labs at US universities. Suresh is currently taking time off till December to teach wireless engineering here. "Very soon wireless technology will replace cable-based technology all over the world. The beauty of it is that though it is more sophisticated than cable based technology, it is less expensive and most suited to Nepal," he says.

He is convinced Nepal is on the edge of something wonderful: "I believe in the calibre of Nepalis to succeed, but it requires effort. This is a test case, there are people willing to help us. In the end, it is the Nepalis alone who can make it work."

(Alok Tumbahangphey)
nepal_rf@yahoo.com