Saru is a Nepalese American researcher and development worker, passionate about maintaining a lens on the most marginalised and often left behind communities. She is 24 years old and a Senior Associate for Policy & MEL with BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative, where she works to scale sustainable livelihoods programs for extreme poor women with governments across the Global South.
She is a Fulbright scholar, having worked to empower young girls in their education and skills-development with rural and peri-urban women’s self help groups and government schools around Kathmandu, Nepal. Her collaborations with youth-led biotech firms and women’s groups led to increased implementation of the National Dignified Menstruation Policy and its climate adaptive components, ensuring youth can fully harness opportunities and maximise their potential.
Saru previously worked on climate adaptation for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Her research into child risk factors with UNICEF in Yangon, Myanmar, and later with Mercy Corps, explored the intersection of manmade and natural disasters and their impact on young people. She is also a dedicated community volunteer, receiving the US President’s Volunteer Service Award for her work managing a free food pantry for low-income students at her university.
Twitter – @SaruDuckworth
Linkedin – Saru Duckworth
