Meet the Team – Bhartiman Rai
Our staff of over 500 in Nepal work hard to provide medical, financial, and development aid to Gurkha veterans, their families, and communities. Our medical teams are based in Area Welfare Centres stationed throughout the country, with some staff working in the office and others venturing out in the field to visit Gurkha veterans and widows in their home.
Meet Bhartiman Rai
Bhartiman Rai has been working as a Welfare Assistant at The Trust since 1993. Based at our Area Welfare Centre in Khandbari, eastern Nepal, he has called the centre his home for three decades. To his colleagues, he is the very heart of this regional office.
“Listening to his stories felt like stepping into a different era, when reaching pensioners meant trekking for 15 days to a month through hills and forests, bathing in rivers, cooking by the roadside, and sleeping under the stars in a tent. No phones, no shortcuts, just pure commitment. Today, things have changed – better roads, new tech, quicker access. But his spirit? Still just as strong.” Dristi Katwal, Clinical Trainer
What inspired you to join GWT?
“My father is an ex-serviceman and was working as a Welfare Assistant at AWC Khandbari. Due to health issues, he had to leave the organisation, and I was selected for the job. It’s been 32 years, 3 months, and 9 days that I have been working at GWT.”
How has GWT changed over the years?
“In 1995, we had to travel to our pensioners’ homes on foot, walking for a whole week to cover an area. Nowadays, since 2014, there is a vehicle service. Previously we had to provide our own meals during the field visits, but now we are provided with meals and overnight accommodation.
During previous field visits, we needed to carry a doko (bamboo basket), firewood for cooking, documents, and medicines with the help of a porter to bring them to the Area Welfare Centre from our Head Office in Pokhara. In recent years medical services for beneficiaries have also been improved immensely.”
What advice would you give to your younger self?
My advice for my younger self is to always be trustworthy, determined, proactive, a good listener, an initiator, and empathetic.
Bhartiman’s story reminds us that while tools and technologies may evolve, it’s the unwavering dedication and commitment of our staff that truly makes an impact on the lives of those we support.