International Nepal Fellowship

INF was born in 1936 when its founding missionary Dr Lily O'Hanlon felt called to Nepal. Dr. O'Hanlon and Hilda Steele traveled to India where they worked with Indians and Nepali's on the border of Nepal until they were able to register as the 'Nepal Evangelistic Band' in Lucknow on the 22nd February 1943. By 1940 the Band was a team of ten expatriates and nineteen Nepali volunteers. Along with Dr. Ruth Watson, known as "Kanchhi Doctor", three nursing sisters and team of Nepali colleagues, they trekked to Pokhara in November 1952, establishing a general hospital, the Shining Hospital, in April 1953. In 1957 the mission opened Green Pastures Hospital for leprosy patients. In the 1960s the mission expanded its work into remoter areas opening village clinics in Baglung, Sikha and Beni. From the 1970s the government of Nepal's 5th 5-year plan included significant health proposals, and INF began developing working relationships and co-operative projects with the government, including the building, equipping and staffing of Gandaki Zonal Hospital, which later became the Western Regional Hospital, the main hospital in Pokhara. The mission also signed an agreement with the government for a major leprosy control project in West and Mid-West Nepal, and was working in the areas of Tuberculosis control and community health. In the 1990s the mission began working in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse and AIDS prevention. The INF has also been involved in Tibetan health service work.

International Nepal Fellowship, Worldwide is an international non-government organization, registered in Australia as a non-profit company limited by guarantee. INF Worldwide has its official registered head office in Australia, however its International Service Office is in Nepal's capital Kathmandu and it works in Nepal through five-yearly agreements with the Nepali government's Social Welfare Council. INF Worldwide finds, trains and supports expatriate volunteers to work with INF Nepal and other partner organisations, including Nepali government health and training institutions and community-based organisations. INF has six offices across the globe, two in Nepal, and one in New Zealand, Australia, North America and the UK.

The INF's district-based, integrated programmes include hospital and rehabilitation services for people with disabilities, health and development programmes with marginalized communities, medical camps, assistance for organizations working for people with disabilities, HIV / AIDS education, testing, counseling and care, work among displaced people, TB and leprosy clinics. INF sends personnel into government institutions and other organizations to provide health services training.

INF was born in 1936 when its founding missionary Dr Lily O'Hanlon felt called to Nepal. Dr. O'Hanlon and Hilda Steele traveled to India where they worked with Indians and Nepali's on the border of Nepal until they were able to register as the 'Nepal Evangelistic Band' in Lucknow on the 22nd February 1943. By 1940 the Band was a team of ten expatriates and nineteen Nepali volunteers. Along with Dr. Ruth Watson, known as “Kanchhi Doctor”, three nursing sisters and team of Nepali colleagues, they trekked to Pokhara in November 1952, establishing a general hospital, the Shining Hospital, in April 1953. In 1957 the mission opened Green Pastures Hospital for leprosy patients. In the 1960s the mission expanded its work into remoter areas opening village clinics in Baglung, Sikha and Beni. From the 1970s the government of Nepal’s 5th 5-year plan included significant health proposals, and INF began developing working relationships and co-operative projects with the government, including the building, equipping and staffing of Gandaki Zonal Hospital, which later became the Western Regional Hospital, the main hospital in Pokhara. The mission also signed an agreement with the government for a major leprosy control project in West and Mid-West Nepal, and was working in the areas of Tuberculosis control and community health. In the 1990s the mission began working in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse and AIDS prevention. The mission has also been involved in education and training programmes for staff employed by the government and NGOs, and for its own staff and their children.