NYF Update: The Power of Community

September 25, 2025

Thank you again to the global NYF Community for keeping Nepal and NYF in your thoughts. While the recent unrest has been deeply challenging, we are comforted by your support and solidarity.

Our U.S. team is maintaining close communication with our colleagues in Nepal. Children are beginning to return to school, some are continuing classes online, and families across Nepal are preparing for Dashain (Sept. 22 to Oct. 7), the country’s most cherished festival. This 15-day celebration honors the triumph of good over evil with special devotion to Durga, the powerful mother goddess. It is a time of blessings, family gatherings, and shared traditions.

This year, the importance of community feels especially profound. During Dashain, many of us share blessings and wishes with loved ones near and far. If you would like to join in, NYF’s new Dashain eCards are a meaningful way to send warm greetings while also supporting children and families in Nepal.

As life in Nepal gradually stabilizes, NYF’s work to provide safety, care, and opportunity continues without interruption. At Olgapuri Children’s Village, that commitment was on full display today as children, staff, and caregivers gathered to celebrate the 9th anniversary of this special home.

Olgapuri Day

Since 2016, September 25th has been celebrated as Olgapuri Day, and today the Olgapuri family gathered for a small but meaningful celebration to honor this milestone. Children, staff, and caregivers spent the day together sharing reflections on what Olgapuri means to them, expressing gratitude for the care and stability it provides, and finding comfort in one another after difficult weeks.

The celebration was a reminder that Olgapuri is more than a place to live. It is a community rooted in care, growth, and possibility — a place where children build resilience, young people prepare for their futures, and families find hope even in uncertain times. As one student reflected, “Olgapuri is deeply connected to my life experiences. It is not only accommodation for me, but also my home. Whether it was the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2015 earthquake, or the unrest, in all uncertain times, Olgapuri has put the well-being of children first.”

Carrying Hope into the Days Ahead

Reflecting on the path ahead, NYF President Som Paneru shared, “Keeping Olgapuri alive means creating beautiful futures for our children. Youth will come to Olgapuri and leave with skills in their hands. This momentum must continue into the future, even in the face of challenges like the earthquake, the pandemic, or recent unrest.”

Olgapuri continues to stand as a symbol of resilience in uncertain times. It is a place where children thrive, young people gain skills, and families find hope. As we look to the future, the Olgapuri community remains deeply committed to nurturing the next generation and creating pathways for them to flourish. As one young student shared, Olgapuri is “the place where I have truly felt the meaning of love and family.”

We will continue to update our NYF Community when we can. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at info@nepalyouthfoundation.org.

Summer updates from the Caste Equality Project

Building Equity from the Ground Up

This summer, NYF’s Caste Equality Project (CEP) is continuing to drive generational change across Dalit communities in Saptari District. Thanks to your continued support, we’re expanding access to education, improving infrastructure, and empowering families to break free from systemic exclusion. We hope you enjoy reading our summer updates below!

A Surge of Hope: Classrooms Filling Up Again

Following a successful school enrollment campaign in 2024 that brought more than 820 Dalit students back to the classroom, NYF immediately began expanding school infrastructure to meet the growing demand:

New furniture & ceiling fans installed to improve learning conditions

New classrooms (and one small kitchen) built at a school

Free lunches served daily to support health & boost attendance

In 2025, NYF launched a second School Enrollment Campaign to build on that momentum. So far, over 90 students who had dropped out previously have officially re-enrolled. One school has already requested additional classrooms due to the influx!

NYF is also working closely with the local government to help another 150 children without birth certificates enroll into school. This is part of a larger challenge that Dalit communities currently face in Nepal. In addition to being denied admission into school, not having a birth certificate affects a child’s ability to acquire a citizenship certificate at age 16. It ultimately denies them fundamental rights as citizens, including the ability to open a bank account, register a phone SIM card, own property, access government services, and more. While our team in Saptari District works with the local government to resolve this challenge at a local level for these 150 children hoping to attend school, budding law students in NYF’s Educating Dalit Lawyers program will tackle issues like this on a larger scale from a legal and public policy standpoint.

Toilets constructed at four schools!

Until recently, many girls left school mid-day to use the restroom at home—disrupting learning and sometimes preventing them from returning.

This year, NYF constructed safe, sanitary toilets at four schools across the region. Each facility includes flush systems and running water, creating a more supportive environment for all students, especially girls.

Lighting the Way: Community Learning Centers (CLCs) in Action

Since their inauguration in Fall 2024, two Community Learning Centers have become vibrant hubs of activity, with three more on the way. These centers are creating real academic and social opportunities every day through after-school tutoring and bridging courses, exam prep classes for students hoping to pass the national Secondary Education Exam, and early childhood care programs to support toddlers and ensure older siblings can stay in school.

In addition to student-focused activities, Community Learning Centers also host tons of programming for community members, including workshops and trainings for teachers, counselors, and more. In fact, this year, counselors from NYF’s very own Ankur Counseling Center facilitated a Psychological Support Skills Training for 24 educators, equipping them with trauma-informed approaches and tools to better support student mental health.

70 women have also completed NYF’s six-month Adult Literacy Program, meeting for two hours a day, six days a week. The course covers legal, financial, and Nepali language literacy. This enables women to participate more in the workforce, engage more fully with local government, strengthen their knowledge of their legal rights, and ultimately join the fight against caste discrimination. When girls and women reclaim education, they uplift entire communities—sparking change that echoes across generations.

33 girls who had dropped out of school are now back in the classroom, thanks to NYF’s bridging courses!

NYF staff, parents, and local leaders regularly meet at our CLCs to plan, review, and strengthen community-wide efforts.

120 students from preschool to Grade 12 received after-school tutoring at our CLCs.

With enrollment rising, classrooms expanding, and community programs thriving, NYF is helping build a more just and inclusive future in Saptari. These milestones are only possible because of supporters like you. Thank you for helping us create lasting change. Dhanyabad!

Between July 2025 & June 2026, it will cost NYF $135,000 to run all of our Community Learning Center programs in Saptari District. We hope you’ll consider making a gift to ensure more children can build a future filled with dignity and opportunity.