Meet the Good Return Team: Getting to Know Olin Thakur

A common thread throughout the Good Return team is a commitment to social justice. This could not be truer in the case of Olin Thakur, Good Return’s Programme Manager for the CAFE (Consumer Awareness and Financial Empowerment) Initiative. With over sixteen years of experience in humanitarian and development coordination working in Bulgaria, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Tunisia, Olin brings to the Manager role a commitment to women’s economic empowerment in low-income countries and a desire to achieve financial inclusion for all. In his spare time, he manages to enjoy haiku poetry, badminton and salsa dancing!

Can you please tell us a bit about where you are from/your cultural background?

I am from (south) eastern Nepal also known as Madhesh. I have two sisters and one younger brother. Dad is a retired professor and mum is a self-taught agronomist /chef /storyteller. 

What is something that you are most proud about from your culture or something from your culture that other people might not know?

The madhesh (aka terai ) due to its climate and topography is considered suitable for agriculture and agribusinesses. The Madhesh people have a very diverse culture. People have different surnames and castes and mostly speak the nepali, maithili, hindi, urdu, bengali, bhojpuri, madwari languages. These languages are similar to one another but with slightly different pronunciations .

I feel particularly proud of my family because of their contribution and service in the education sector and gender equality.  We have always advocated against ‘casteism’ and the dowry system in Nepal. This passion for social justice was instilled in me from a young age.

What is your role at Good Return?

In 2022 I relocated to Cambodia to work in Good Return’s Regional Office in Phnom Penh. I work as Good Return’s Programme Manager for the CAFE Initiative. Day to day my role includes advising and supporting the CAFE Asia-Pacific team and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. An inspiring thing about the CAFE Team is that everyone is both passionate about financial literacy and making sure that everyone has access to the money management skills they need to build sustainable livelihoods.

Can you tell us a bit about your previous roles or employment?

I have over sixteen years of experience in humanitarian and development coordination, results-based management, and partnerships. I have advised organisations on operations optimization, improving project efficiency and effectiveness, expansion, increasing value for stakeholders, and capacity building. I am skilled in program design and management, monitoring and evaluation, DEIB, and partnerships. I have worked for the Asia-Pacific and MENA region through six duty stations: Bulgaria, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Tunisia.

In your spare time (if any!) what do you like to do? 

In my spare time, I love reading books and exploring and researching about human rights and sustainable finance, x-risks governance, future of philanthropy, and the future of work at the human-technology frontier. I also love to read fiction, and poetry including haiku. Physically, I enjoy hiking, playing badminton, karate, and salsa/tango dancing. I also practice my Spanish language skills when I have the chance!