How we celebrated Olga’s life on Feb. 20th

Dear Friends,

Today, the first anniversary of Olga’s passing, has been a bittersweet and heartfelt occasion here in Kathmandu.

In Nepal, the first anniversary following a loss of a loved one holds special significance, both religiously and culturally. As we approached this first anniversary, many of us felt drawn to celebrate Olga’s life in the ways we would honor the elders in our own families.

Our team put a great deal of thought and care into creating a day of remembrance especially for our beloved Olga didi. A day which commemorated Olga’s life and honored her unique place among us here in Nepal. A day which celebrated her role in bringing our diverse team together in this transformative shared mission.

Early this morning, the Olgapuri children, house parents, and Olgapuri staff members gathered at Olga’s statue for a private ceremony, offering flowers and sharing memories of their time with her.

Later, most of NYF’s Nepal staff, our Nepal-based board, and current Olgapuri Vocational School (OVS) trainees walked together from the OVS parking area to Olga’s statue (located at the donor dedication wall) for a larger flower ceremony and a moment of group reflection.

After lunch, several members of NYF leadership traveled to the Nepal Law Campus in Kathmandu, where many of our Educating Dalit Lawyers scholarship recipients are attending law school. Together, NYF and Nepal Law Campus have established a new award in Olga’s name: The Olga Murray Excellence Award for Law Students.

This award will be given to one young woman and one young man every year: those who have received the top scores on the nationwide law school entrance exam. Since Olga believed in the power of education, justice, and kindness, this award is given to students who we believe will uphold these values and translate them into their lives. Today marked the first award ceremony of many. Our first award recipients are Isha Paudel and Sarin Kadel.

Back at Olgapuri Children’s Village, after dinner, the children and house parents once again gathered at Olga’s statue, this time to light butter lamps in Olga’s honor. Butter lamps are a common sight in Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout the Himalayas.

108 butter lamps were also lit in Olga’s honor by Buddhist nuns at the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini District. This ancient temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is traditionally considered the birthplace of Gautama Buddha. The site held special significance to Olga, and this recognition of her life highlights the deeply felt impact she has had in Nepal.
 
Finally, following the lamp lighting, the Olgapuri children gathered again for a heartfelt evening of connection, the sharing of memories, and the celebration of Olga’s love for the children themselves. Olga never wanted attention on herself. She always preferred to focus on uplifting the children around her. To honor this, the Olgapuri House Parents distributed special awards to the children, celebrating traits like leadership, compassion and kindness, excellence in sports, academic achievement, and integrity and service.

It has been a long day, with many events. We have laughed and celebrated in Olga’s memory—and we have also shed tears as we reflected on this time without her. We hope you have enjoyed the photos from these beautiful moments.
 
Throughout this day, I have been reminded many times of the wonderful work Olga made possible during her lifetime. And I have been reminded of my gratitude to you all, our remarkable community of supporters, who have so lovingly continued Olga’s incredible work during the past year.
 
Thank you for committing to our shared promise to Nepal’s children.
 
With love and gratitude,
 
Som Paneru
NYF President