Foreign Affairs

A day after briefly playing basketball with school children in Bhaktapur, USAID chief took some time off her busy schedule for a quick trail run along the ridge of Jagdol hill.

She joined Nepal’s famous trail runner Mira Rai – known as Nepal’s sky runner - and her friends for the run. Later in the day, she called on President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and discussed bilateral issues.

Between her official meetings, she visited a USAID-supported school in Bhaktapur, Adarsha Secondary School which was rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake, and joined the girls’ basketball team for a game. She also discussed educational experience with the children.

Power arrived in Kathmandu on February 7 for a two-day visit, during which she held a series of meetings with top Nepali officials. Her visit underscored the United States’ enduring commitment to the government and people of Nepal, as well as reaffirming US support for Nepal’s democracy and long-term inclusive prosperity, a USAID statement said.

She also met with farmers and representatives of agribusinesses, and toured a local seed company that produces and markets new heat and drought resistance seed varieties that allow farmers to improve yields and increase their incomes, according to USAID.

She discussed the important role the private sector is playing in expanding economic opportunity in Nepal, including through increased investment in agriculture to transform the sector, it said.

Administrator Power announced up to $58.5 million in USAID assistance to partner with the government and people of Nepal to advance democratic progress and economic opportunity, which includes increased support for Nepali institutions and organizations to better ensure that progress is sustainable and locally led, according to USAID.

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