Letter from Som Paneru: Empowering the next generation

The following is a version of a letter from NYF President Som Paneru. The letter was featured in a mailing in September 2024, sent to select NYF friends in North America. If you’d like to receive stories like this in the mail, please let us know. We hope you enjoy reading about the NYF Community’s heartfelt efforts to empower the next generation of children in Nepal!

Dear NYF Community,

This year, as we all commit to keeping Olga’s promise—now our shared promise—I often find myself reflecting on Olga didi’s inspirational impact on generations of Nepal’s young people. I am so grateful to you for making this remarkable work possible.

Nepali culture is deeply rooted in relationships, and in exchanges between each generation. Our language is full of special family-oriented terms of respect. Additionally, multigenerational homes are very common here. And our most cherished festivals highlight blessings offered to children from their elders.

In the early years, as our beneficiaries began to reach adulthood, Olga was tremendously proud that many of the children we supported began joining our efforts to empower the next generation of children. Their support, combined with the enthusiasm of our loving community in the U.S. and beyond, allowed our work to expand far beyond our expectations.

This trend has continued throughout NYF’s 34-year history. More and more, graduates are using their success to “pay it forward” for the next generation of NYF students. Even the children of long-time NYF staff members have joined our work!

Recently, I received a heartfelt email (below) from Nishant Mahat, the son of long-time NYF team member Reeta Mahat. When Reeta joined the NYF team in 2001, Nishant was only nine years old. Reeta had never anticipated needing to financially support her family. But she found a job at NYF at exactly the right time—and she has been a crucial team member ever since.

Nishant’s Heartfelt Email

To: Som Paneru
From: Nishant Mahat
Subject: Contribution to NYF

Dear Som Uncle,

I have seen NYF grow over the years very closely and it gives me immense pleasure that NYF continues to carry on Olga didi’s dream of making lives better for the most vulnerable in our society.

Among many things, what distinguishes NYF from other NGOs is the integrity it shows in delivering aid to the ones who really need it. As you know, my mother is one of the earliest staffs in NYF and I have witnessed first-hand the passion, devotion and sincerity that she puts into her work. That kind of devotion would not be possible if her work was not making an impact on lives of others. Her dedication strengthens my trust in NYF.

While NYF’s work of helping Nepali children and youth deservedly gets credit, I think what is often overlooked is the impact it has on its staffs’ life and family.

Without my mother’s job at NYF our lives would have turned out very differently and not in a good way. Sushant, Sidhant and I always considered ourselves beneficiaries of NYF. So, it is time I think I give something back.

The idea of giving back has always driven us. Sushant has donated to NYF before and his company matches his donation. Sidhant, when he was here, also made contributions. Therefore, it would be an honor for me to contribute to NYF as well.

Sincerely,
Nishant Mahat

The Mahat Brothers: Supporting NYF

Today, Nishant is a successful software engineer in Kathmandu. His younger brother Sushant works in the U.S. at a leading-edge tech company.

Their youngest brother, Sidhant, unfortunately passed away while hiking in Colorado in 2022. He was pursuing his master’s degree in computer science and already supported NYF whenever he could. His family finds comfort in knowing that Sidhant’s spirit of generosity lives on in the kids he helped to empower.

I was very moved by Nishant’s email. His thoughtful compassion clearly shows that he is following in his mother’s (and brothers’) footsteps. And his desire to give back to NYF to support the next generation of Nepal’s children means much more than financial numbers.

Caste Equality Project Updates & Next Steps

Now, I want to take this moment to share this one-pager which provides an overview of our Caste Equality Project work from the past year. It also includes exciting next steps. Photos from Saptari District remind me of the early days of the Indentured Daughters program. In 2000 and 2001, we had no idea how much we would accomplish by empowering young Tharu women to reject oppressive systems and demand change. Thanks to support from people like you, in just 20 years, childhood indentured servitude changed from a day-to-day reality in their communities to an illegal, widely-rejected relic of the past.

Now, with support from you and young, inspired Nepali people like Nishant, Sushant, and Sidhant, we are building that same momentum in Dalit-majority villages in Saptari District.

We hope you’ll help us keep our transformative shared promise by making a generous gift today.

Onward!

Som Paneru
NYF President

Make-A-Will Month 2024

The Power of Planned Giving

August is National Make-A-Will Month—an annual reminder to review your future plans and ensure your wishes are recorded. Here at NYF, Make-A-Will Month 2024 is special. As we continue to honor Founder Olga Murray’s memory, 2024 has become a year focused on legacy.

This post includes new details on NYF’s Legacy Circle and the benefits of early estate planning. We also share more about our new partnership with FreeWill, a free, supportive estate planning resource.

The Nepal Youth Foundation prides itself on building transformational change with slow and steady strength. We make long-term promises to individual children and families, devoting focused attention to creating sustainable, generational triumphs. We devote tremendous effort to refining each program, improving upon our remarkable outcomes year after year. And in everything we do, we think ahead, considering the practical long-term needs of the Nepali children and young people in our care.

Olga’s Legacy

In a time of shortened attention spans and instant gratification, Olga built NYF on principles deeply rooted in wisdom she acquired over nearly a century of lived experience. She knew that truly sustainable social change requires hard work, patience, and committed supporters.

Olga was adamant that at NYF, “we finish what we start.” Launching NYF’s Legacy Circle was just one of the ways Olga committed to ensuring her life’s work continued beyond her lifetime. She became the Legacy Circle’s original member by including NYF as a beneficiary in her estate plans. And NYF’s team set to work raising awareness of the power of planned giving. 

Legacy gifts like Olga’s help ensure our proven, transformative programming can withstand unexpected disasters like pandemics and earthquakes. They allow us to maximize the care we offer to the children we serve. Most of all, these remembrances provide the stability we need to continue serving Nepali children long into the future.

The Legacy Circle

The Legacy Circle is NYF’s way of saying Dhanyabad, or Thank You, to those who remember us in their estate plans.

To join this special group of NYF supporters, all you need to do is let us know you’ve included us in your will or other plans. No minimum bequest is required.

There are many ways to make a legacy gift, including gifts of cash, stock, real estate, retirement funds, life insurance, and more. To learn more about these giving approaches (and ways they may lower tax burdens for your family), please explore our Planned Giving page!

If you have included NYF in your estate plans but are unsure whether NYF is aware of this, please share those details through this form provided by FreeWill.

NYF is currently developing ways to honor the deeply committed individuals who have chosen to join our Legacy Circle. Legacy Circle members receive: 

• An enamel lapel pin designed exclusively for NYF’s Legacy Circle.

• Annual Special Impact Report packets including stories, photos, and detailed updates from our programming.

• Small annual gifts (often Nepali tea) with an invitation to a personal meeting with U.S. Executive Director Ryan Walls.

• Early invitations to events like Founder’s Day.

Three Reasons to Make Your Will Now

Many people are surprised to learn that around two-thirds of American adults do not have an up-to-date will. 

Reasons for this include not knowing where to start, feeling overwhelmed by the process, and believing only extremely wealthy people benefit from these documents.

Fortunately, starting your estate planning is easier than ever with free tools like FreeWill. And there are many reasons to create or update your estate plan during Make-A-Will Month 2024. Here are just three:

1. A formal will is an important legal document for everyone to have.

All adults, whether you’re 18 or 80, and whether your estate is large or small, should have a will. Your will allows you to distribute your property and protect your loved ones after you pass away. 

When you consider your belongings, you may find that you have more property than you realize: your home, vehicles, furniture, clothing, books, sentimental items, and more. With so many assets stored digitally today, you may also possess financial accounts your loved ones are unaware of.

No matter what your age, stage of life, or socioeconomic status, maintaining an up-to-date record of your wishes for your property will ensure that those wishes are carried out, no matter what happens. Many people also find that keeping estate plans up-to-date encourages them to live more fully in the present and enjoy the people they have safeguarded for the future.

2. It provides peace of mind to you and your family.

Times of loss are highly stressful for families. Creating a will prevents family conflict that may arise when wishes for property are unclear. A will gives your family guidance and reassurance that they can fulfill your wishes during this difficult time.

Your will can also name a legal guardian for your minor children and identify who should care for your pets.

Depending on your state’s laws, the absence of a will may result in your estate being distributed by a court system that does not understand your values or your relationships. It may also increase the tax burden on your heirs.

Your up-to-date will is a loving gift to your heirs and beneficiaries, giving them peace of mind during a challenging time. Knowing you have prepared this gift for them gives you peace of mind, too.

3. It lets you create a legacy that lasts beyond your lifetime.

Olga lived to be 98 and a half—an incredible, full, inspirational lifetime she lived to the fullest.

None of us live forever. But Olga has shown us that your power to make a positive impact on the world can last long after you leave it.

Leaving a gift for a nonprofit in your will costs you nothing during your lifetime. But it makes a tremendous positive impact on causes close to your heart for years to come. And as the children who benefit from your gift grow up and invest in the next generation, their triumphs become part of your transformative legacy.

NYF and FreeWill: Make-A-Will Month 2024

This Make-A-Will Month, making a will is easier than ever through FreeWill. FreeWill is a free online tool that will walk you through the process step-by-step. At the end, FreeWill provides you with your completed document, plus clear instructions on how to make it legally binding in your state (for example, letting you know whether you need witnesses or a notary).

Those living outside of the United States or who have more complex estates may still benefit from using FreeWill’s tool as a starting point. Take the completed document with you when you visit your lawyer or financial advisor to use as an outline.

If you choose to leave a gift for a nonprofit like NYF in your will, FreeWill makes that process simple, too.

If you’ve already completed your formal will, this month is a great time to review it! Estate attorneys recommend doing so every three to five years, or whenever you experience a big change (getting married, moving states, or welcoming a new child or grandchild). Things often change faster than we realize, so regularly updating your preferences is important. 

You may also wish to make sure you’ve named beneficiaries for your life insurance policies or retirement accounts.

Through NYF’s new partnership with FreeWill, information on estate planning is available right on our website. Click here to start today!

Dhanyabad!

Thank you for everything you do to help support transformative change in the lives of Nepal’s children. 

NYF’s entire global team—and the children and families we serve—are so grateful for the tremendous progress your love has made possible since Olga founded this organization in 1990. From all of us: dhanyabad.

Founder’s Day 2024: Recap & Recording

Every year, NYF’s global team is reminded of the many reasons to be grateful for our remarkable community of supporters and friends. Thank you to everyone who joined us for Founder’s Day this year on May 30th, 2024.

It was a bittersweet night as the NYF Community reflected on Olga’s remarkable life, celebrated her transformative legacy in Nepal—and recommitted to our shared promise to Nepal’s rising generation. We hope the evening was as meaningful for you as it was for us.

If you were unable to attend Founder’s Day 2024 in person (or if you would like to share the evening with a friend or over social media), the event is now available through our YouTube channel. You can also view it below:

Tribute Room (Now available digitally as an online gallery!)

At Founder’s Day this year, an entire room was dedicated to honoring the life of NYF’s late founder, Olga Murray. In this tribute room, we collected meaningful moments and treasures from Olga’s life and placed them throughout the space. Friends, family, and NYF supporters gathered together—in tears and in laughter—to remember Olga’s amazing story.

Since this tribute room was a such a highlight at Founder’s Day, we decided to create an online version so that our friends around the world could also “gather” in celebration of Olga’s extraordinary life.

Click here to visit the digital tribute gallery!

Fundraising Goal & Update

This year’s Founder’s Day event was both a celebration of life for Olga Murray, as well as a fundraiser to honor her dearest wish: for her work in Nepal to continue. With that in mind, we set an extremely ambitious fundraising goal of $340,000—by far our most ambitious goal to date—in honor of Olga’s 34 years of impact in Nepal.

We are thrilled to share that so far, including donations and pledges, we have surpassed the previously unimaginable figure of $350,000!

Our global team is so grateful for the incredible love of the NYF Community. The funds raised at this event will go so far in ensuring Olga’s legacy continues—providing Education, Health, Shelter, and Freedom for the children of Nepal. They will also allow us to build our momentum in Saptari District, offering transformative Caste Equality Project programming from a position of strength and stability, achieving sustainable results right away. If you would like to make a gift in honor of Olga and Founder’s Day, please click here.

(The thermometer above only reflects gifts we’ve received and does not yet include pledges. We expect the total to increase as pledges are fulfilled!)

Endowment Campaign

At the end of Founder’s Day 2024, we also announced our forthcoming endowment campaign. This is a major step for our organization, inspired by Olga’s generous legacy gift.

Olga chose to dedicate the value of her beautiful Sausalito home to supporting NYF in perpetuity. Her most fervent wish was to ensure that NYF’s programs, especially Olgapuri Children’s Village, could continue as long as they are needed by the children of Nepal. Olga’s remarkable bequest will lay the foundation for the endowment campaign. We will share more about this ambitious campaign in the coming months.

Olga was the original, founding member of NYF’s Legacy Circle. NYF is currently refining and deepening our Legacy Circle process through a partnership with FreeWill—an organization providing free access to will-making services as well as user-friendly support for those wishing to make donations to nonprofits using assets like stocks, retirement accounts, Donor Advised Funds, and cryptocurrency. Keep an eye out for updates in the coming weeks on this new partnership!

Thank you all again for your commitment to our shared promise.

Thank you to everyone who registered, attended, participated, and donated. Thanks, too, to anyone who invited a friend or spread the word. A very special thank you goes to filmmakers Roy Cox and Robin Mortarotti; to the volunteers, board members, advisory board members, and staff working behind the scenes; to our Nepali team members Raju Dhamala, Anjita Parajuli, and Lalit Gahatraj for traveling to join us, and of course, to Sean Murray, Som Paneru, Gina Parker, and Angela Pal for their heartfelt remarks.

Our team is overwhelmed with gratitude for your belief in Olga’s promise—now, our shared promise. Stay tuned for updates on the Caste Equality Project as we continue to scale our work in Saptari District!

Thank you, and Dhanyabad!

If you would like to see more photos from Founder’s Day 2024, please click here. Please email us for the password as the gallery is password-protected.

Spring Updates from Saptari District

NYF’s long-term Caste Equality Project (CEP) is our most ambitious and daring undertaking yet. Our goal is to empower Dalit communities in Nepal to access the opportunities and resources they need to build towards the futures they envision for themselves and their children.

In order to meet these goals, NYF launched two phases of the Caste Equality Project. Phase I was the Educating Dalit Lawyers (EDL) initiative, which we launched in the summer of 2022. (You can read more about EDL here). Phase II of the Caste Equality Project takes place in Saptari District. The project is led by NYF’s very own Lalit Gahatraj, and it officially launched in the summer of 2023. We’re anticipating the work in this phase to be a decades-long project in order for us to truly build a transformative and sustainable movement.

Almost a year into the launch of the project in Saptari District, we’re thrilled to share some exciting updates!

Education Advocacy

At the end of April, NYF officially launched the School Enrollment Campaign for students in Saptari District in Tirhut Rural Municipality. In collaboration with the local government, NYF set into motion a vibrant initiative aimed at boosting school enrollment in the region. Our dedicated team, alongside enthusiastic students and teachers, began spreading the word across communities with energizing rallies and personalized home visits to promote the value of education.

On May 3rd, NYF kicked off the campaign by taking to the streets. Community members and students made posters and marched through their communities while chanting inspirational slogans like, “Send all children to school/leave no one behind!” & “Quality education is our right!”

Our team also made door-to-door visits to encourage parents to enroll their children in school. At the same time, they addressed concerns and answered any questions parents may have.

Then, in mid-May, NYF distributed hundreds of school uniforms and bags to children in the region. These uniforms were handmade by our industrial tailoring students enrolled at Olgapuri Vocational School. You can read more about this unique, cross-program detail in a recent blog post, here.

The School Enrollment Campaign ran until May 10th. Lalit Gahatraj, CEP Coordinator, shared that the early signs are very promising, with an uptick in school attendance already noted! This surge is partly attributed to the community buzz around NYF’s scholarships and nutritious mid-day meal programs, which are drawing more and more families to enroll their children into school.

Peer Counseling Program

In mid-April, thirty girls (aged 13 to 19) from the rural municipality of Tirhut in Saptari District, traveled with our staff to Olgapuri Village to participate in a five-day Peer Counseling training at our very own Ankur Counseling Center. The training began April 23rd.

For many of these girls, it was their first time leaving their village, a journey that brought both excitement and apprehension. Our staff dedicated a lot of time to earn and maintain their trust while supporting them every step of the way.

Building peer counseling skills within individuals will help empower young leaders to make an impact in their own communities. This is a prime example of NYF’s approach to addressing the “felt needs” of communities over “observed needs,” which includes recognizing community members as experts of their own experiences, successes, and challenges. This community-centered approach is a cornerstone of NYF’s strategy to ensure sustainable, far-reaching social change!

We’re excited to see the impact this peer counseling program will have on the wider Dalit community.

Engage with this update on Facebook or Instagram.

Street Drama Campaigns

In February 2024, over 100 people gathered to watch ten girls from Tirhut Rural Municipality, Saptari District, perform their first street drama. Their play tackles various scenarios related to child marriage. This included dowry negotiations by the groom’s family and self-serving middlemen, the squandering of dowry funds on alcohol, a daughter’s stand against her forced marriage, and harmful consequences for girls experiencing early marriage.

The audience, including men, women, children, and elders, responded positively. During a guided discussion following the play, one man observed, “We often engage in certain practices without fully comprehending the consequences. This play was an effective eye-opener.”

New Community Centers in Saptari District

Construction begins with a groundbreaking ceremony

In early April, NYF hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of two new community centers in Saptari District. The ceremony was completed in collaboration with village members, and a respected elder named Chebli Sada performed a “jag puja,” or foundation blessing, to purify the land. The blessing was an important start to the construction of the ceremony because it allowed a connection to the spirits of the land and the ancestral deities of the people we’re serving. She also led a prayer to ensure a smooth progression of construction, free from hindrances and misfortune. Offerings of sweets, betel nuts, betel leaves, and incense were buried beneath the foundation, symbolizing a blessed new beginning.

Since the ceremony, construction on the two community centers have been underway, with a tentative completion date for June.

Community Centers will serve as vital hubs for Caste Equality Project programs

These two community centers in Saptari District will house most of our programs in the Caste Equality Project, holding spaces for education, childcare, and other important initiatives like:

• Adult literacy classes (reading, home finance, legal literacy)
• Town meetings where teachers, parents, and local leaders build community-wide, unified strategies
• Nutrition-focused home cooking classes for mothers, applying NRH principles
• Disaster preparedness programs
• Peer counseling
• Women’s empowerment and co-op groups
• Teacher training

The plan is to hire staff for the centers from within the communities served, to build sustainable local capacity. Each center (and we hope to build more!) aids NYF’s sustainability in Saptari District, expands and enhances regional impact, and resources NYF to pursue its vision for meaningful change for the communities served. The more centers we fund, the more strongly we can scale while maintaining existing momentum.

The enthusiasm from the community in response has been heartwarming. We’ve seen widespread eagerness to engage, a testament to the importance of community involvement in bringing sustainable changes. Our late founder Olga Murray’s vision is alive and well, manifesting visibly in the strides we are making in Saptari District.

These initial campaigns have been made possible by several generous friends in the NYF Community. But we still need wider support to continue our work within (and beyond) the Caste Equality Project. Please click here to make a donation if you’re able to!

In Loving Memory of Olga Murray (1925-2024)

Olga Murray, beloved founder of the Nepal Youth Foundation, left us peacefully on February 20th at her home in Sausalito, California. She was surrounded by love, in the form of many individuals whose lives she enriched through her generous spirit and passionate work.

While our hearts are very heavy, we take great strength from her enduring love, legacy, and undying commitment to the children of Nepal.

Since her passing, the outpouring of love and support from our incredible community has been both humbling and uplifting. As we come together to honor her legacy, we are reminded of the impact she made not only in Nepal but around the world. We want to express our deepest gratitude to every one of you for your reflections, kind memories, and unwavering support during this time. Your words have brought comfort to us as we navigate this loss together.

Visit Olga’s memorial page

To honor Olga Murray’s life and legacy, our team has created a memorial page where community members can gather virtually. We invite you to visit this page often, and hope you will find comfort in the presence of others who loved and supported Olga throughout her life.

The memorial page includes links to published obituaries, a beautiful photo gallery, details on how to make a tribute gift, and a public tribute wall, where you can share your favorite photos and stories of time with Olga, as well as any messages you may wish to share with her loved ones and friends.

You can also read Olga’s obituary published digitally in the San Francisco Chronicle here, and in the Marin Independent Journal here.

Ceremonies & Celebrations of Life

Our Nepal team has already hosted a beautiful memorial ceremony at Olgapuri, where staff members and beneficiaries gathered to celebrate Olga’s life and reflect on her remarkable contributions. This provided the Olgapuri children, for whom Olga was a stable, loving, warm, encouraging elder and family member, the opportunity to share the impact of this loss as a community.

We look forward to honoring and celebrating Olga’s extraordinary life, legacy and the ongoing work of NYF with the broader community during our Founder’s Day event this summer.

Propelling Olga’s Promise

In the days ahead, we are inspired to fulfill Olga’s promise – her dream of helping countless individuals in Nepal. She has always been grateful to the NYF Community for sharing in this promise to empower Nepal’s children, and we know that Olga took great comfort (and pride!) in the knowledge that, thanks to friends like you, this remarkable work would continue well beyond her own extraordinary lifetime.

This shared promise is one we will all carry forward in her honor. Together, we will continue Olga’s mission, making a difference in the lives of those she cared for so deeply.

2023 Impact Stories: Thank you!

(Above, Caste Equality Project in April 2023) – NYF nurse Radhika Sapkota dispenses multivitamins for children who have completed their check-ups at the Nutrition Outreach Camp. No one in 7-year-old Esha’s* household can read, so Radhika explains the dosage in a bit more detail to Esha’s mother. As she does so, she makes some simplified marks on the vitamin box to help her remember the instructions.

2023 Reflections & Highlights

As we begin the new year, our global team is deeply grateful for everything we accomplished with your support last year:

• In February 2023, NYF celebrated the 25th anniversary of the opening of our flagship Nutritional Rehabilitation Home.
• Our first 16 Educating Dalit Lawyers scholarship recipients officially entered law school. They are impressing their professors with their passion and dedication to the law.
• Over the summer, our nutrition team helped launch the Caste Equality Project in Saptari District. They provided nutritional outreach and care to over 5,000 children and their caregivers.
• In July, Ankur Counseling Center launched a Community Mental Health program to nurture mental wellness and empower individuals to recover from mental health crises.
• Our Kinship Care program is now providing enriched care to keep girls in school, lowering the risk of child marriage.
• We expanded the mission of our New Life Center to offer services to children visiting Kathmandu for critical medical services.
• And thanks to careful observations and learnings from our work during the COVID-19 pandemic, we re-envisioned our Olgapuri Vocational School “satellite” trainings. They are now more impactful than ever in upgrading the standard of living in rural villages.

The above are just a handful of highlights from our work in 2023. And while we’re proud of these accomplishments, we know that the real impact NYF makes are shown in the individuals we work with. So on that note… we wanted to compile and share some of our favorite stories from 2023!

We hope these stories showcase NYF’s love, care, and commitment for the youth and families we work with. We also hope you feel proud of the impact we are making together every day.

Kriti*

Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

Seven-year-old Kriti* loves puzzles, picture books, and making new friends. But because schools equipped for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities are rare in Nepal, Kriti (who has Down syndrome) has spent most of her life at home, unable to attend classes like the other children she likes to play with.

NYF has offered Scholarships for Students with Disabilities for over 30 years, but until now, these scholarships were limited to students with physical disabilities, like deafness or mobility challenges. This was due to the limited number of safe schools for students like Kriti.

NYF is so pleased that this has changed in recent years. Our team of social workers have assessed several Kathmandu Valley schools for students with special intellectual or developmental needs. Three of these schools have inspired our team’s confidence enough that we have opened the Scholarships for Students with Disabilities
scholarship program to include students living with intellectual disabilities. In 2023, we welcomed 23 such children into this scholarship category!

Our social workers have made valuable connections within these schools, allowing for open dialogue about each student’s needs. NYF is also engaged with the parents of these children, who are tremendously relieved to know that resources are available to help families like theirs provide safe, loving, encouraging educational care for their children.

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“NYF … has a philosophy of ‘working themselves out of a job’. Truly unique among NGOs, NYF will choose a mission, will create solutions and then hand off the new model to local people to run. This is not only a very respectful and sustainable model, but it also frees up the organization so they can tackle the next challenge.”

— Sheila, Supporter

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Chandra*

Kinship Care

Grandpa, or Hajurba Kumar, is raising Chandra, 14, whose father died in an accident many years ago. Chandra’s mother remarried soon thereafter. Her new husband’s family refused to accept her son into their family, since he was not part of their paternal line.

Chandra’s grandparents stepped in to provide the little boy with a stable home. This allowed their daughter, Chandra’s mother, the opportunity to build a more stable life for herself as well, in a social context that is often extremely challenging for single mothers without the education to support a good-paying career.

Today, Hajurba Kumar, now widowed, is raising Chandra. Chandra is Hajurba Kumar’s pride and joy. The loving, supportive connection between them is warm and strong. This has provided Chandra with a wonderful foundation as he enters his teenage years.

An NYF Kinship Care stipend has kept this family together as Hajurba Kumar ages. Your support is allowing them to prioritize Chandra’s education without worrying about the money required to keep this growing young man properly fed as he enters his voracious teenage years!

Chandra is currently thriving in the 8th grade. He routinely scores in the top five students of his class. He has a great future ahead of him, and we are so grateful to you for making it possible.

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“Taking on herculean tasks, NYF has tackled Nepal’s biggest obstacles and continues to drive change. So many lives have been impacted as a result of this work.”

— Andrew, Supporter

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Bhagwati*

New Life Center

Bhagwati*, 34, lost her husband several years ago. His death revealed a secret that would drastically impact her life, and the lives of her two young children. He had been living with HIV, and, fearing the devastating social stigma of this diagnosis, had not disclosed his status to anyone, not even Bhagwati.

Soon after his death, Bhagwati began experiencing frightening symptoms of her own. “Weight loss, persistent cough, and difficulty breathing became a part of my daily struggle,” she says. “I visited the hospital, and when the doctors saw the seriousness of my condition, I was referred to a special hospital in Kathmandu.”

In early 2023, Bhagwati was diagnosed with HIV. To her dismay, her youngest son was also found to be living with the virus. She felt as though her entire life was crashing down around her.

When Bhagwati’s health had stabilized enough for a transfer, the hospital referred her and her son to the New Life Center. There, she would learn techniques for managing her son’s health, as well as her own.

“Our stay at the NLC proved transformative,” Bhagwati says. “Our care was all-encompassing—nutritional meals, essential medications, crucial lab tests, and, most importantly, counselling services to address our emotional well-being. We were discharged after a three-month stay, armed with medicine and a newfound resource when we need it the most.

“Since then, we have been taking our antiretroviral treatment regimen. The journey hasn’t been without its challenges, but we’re not alone. The project staff that had become our pillars of support during our time at the NLC continue to stand by us. Whenever hurdles arise, they’re there, offering guidance and a helping hand.”

(To protect Bhagwati’s privacy, this illustration was created by AI based on photos from the NLC.)

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“As a donor, I have been involved with Nepal Youth Foundation for over 15 years and have supported a young girl’s education from high school all the way through medical school. She has become a successful surgeon and is making a contribution to the Nepalese society.”

— Yat-Ping, Donor & Volunteer

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Nisha*

College Scholarship Program

Nisha* was raised in NYF’s care, so our team was deeply proud to witness her receiving her diploma from one of Nepal’s top universities this year!

A bright student with a sparkling presence, Nisha has dreamed of a career in the media for a long time. Her new degree in Media Studies from the School of Arts at Kathmandu University (and her stellar GPA) have already landed her a job in the media department at a travel company, where she’ll gain excellent on-the-job experience.

Someday, Nisha hopes to team up with other young media professionals to make a big difference for communities across Nepal. Thank you for helping Nisha, and many other young people like her, access the education that opens these remarkable opportunities!

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We are thrilled to be supporting NYF for such outstanding work they are doing to improve the quality of lives of children in Nepal through education.

— Sunita, Supporter

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Pooja*

Vocational Training & Career Counseling (SAAET Project)

Pooja*, 33, lives with her husband, mother-in-law, and three children. She can’t remember ever having attended school, though she can read Nepali if given enough time to focus. Her family doesn’t have much, relying primarily on daily income her husband earns from taking on daily labor jobs. Pooja had to ask him for money for every basic expense. This caused a great deal of friction in the relationship.

For this reason, Pooja aspired to have an income of her own, to support her children and family and to fulfill her own needs as well. She learned about the SAAET Project from her local women’s co-op group and took part in the October 2022 session.

She constructed her first greenhouse quickly after completing the training session. By late January 2023, she had already sold an entire crop of cauliflower. Encouraged by this success, she added a second greenhouse, where she planted peas and green beans. By spring, Pooja was handling basic household expenses on her own—which transformed her previously-tense relationships with her husband and mother-in-law.

Pooja’s husband realized if he helped with the greenhouses, he could bring in more money for the family than his daily labor did. In strong partnership, he has joined Pooja’s endeavor, and they are now investing some of the year’s profits in a third greenhouse.

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“The DH Ross Foundation has made a number of grants to NYF over the last 20 years. We have been consistently impressed by their work providing a range of educational and health and nutrition services to children and youth, and are glad to support their vocational training and health outreach work.”

— Ken, Partnering Organization

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Mina* and Rupa*

Olgapuri Children’s Village

In February 2023, a temporary shelter home referred sisters Mina*, 4, and Rupa*, 3, to Olgapuri Children’s Village.

Mina and Rupa are very close, and very bright. They’re now both attending kindergarten and doing quite well. When they were found by the original shelter, they were determinedly caring for each other the best way they knew how, having been failed by all of the adults in their lives. Our team is thrilled that their days of fending for themselves are over. These sisters deserve a normal, healthy, nurturing childhood—and that’s exactly what they’ll receive at Olgapuri Children’s Village.

Mina and Rupa’s parents married against the wishes of their mother’s family. Their father belonged to a Dalit caste (formerly known as “untouchable”). As a result, their maternal grandparents rejected the entire family.

Family life proved too much of a struggle for the girls’ father, who abandoned the family during the COVID-19 pandemic. Soon thereafter, their mother (who was still rejected by her parents) remarried and started a new life in India with her new husband, leaving her children behind. Even then, Mina and Rupa’s maternal grandparents refused to take them in or even acknowledge them, due to their caste status.

Mina was born with a hearing challenge, and when she arrived at Olgapuri, she was unable to hear or speak. She also hadn’t been exposed to Nepali Sign Language, though she and her younger sister Rupa made good use of a “home sign” language that they developed together organically.

We are amazed at the progress the girls have made. Mina, who is skilled at lipreading, eagerly devoted herself to learning to write in her special-needs kindergarten class. She was awarded first place in her class for handwriting, bringing home a prize of several notebooks, new pencils, pencil sharpeners, and good-quality erasers! The children and house parents at Olgapuri quickly learned how to communicate with her, and they have surrounded her with warmth, kindness, attention, love, support, and safety.

Thanks to a special medical grant from a committed donor, Mina received a cochlear implant over the summer, which is allowing her to hear for the first time. She’s picking up new skills very rapidly and now attends school in the main classroom.

Meanwhile, Rupa—who at age 3 is already her sister’s fiercest advocate—no longer needs to help her sister navigate the world safely. Rupa is enjoying her classes, as well as opportunities to play with other children. She is making connections and relaxing into the stable rhythm of Olgapuri life. She’s experiencing holistic security for the very first time. The girls now have a large, loving family of healthy, attentive adults to meet their needs. And older siblings with ample time and attention to share!

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We support NYF because the programs are community-based/grassroots, carried out by Nepali staff (who understand local needs) and are focused on education and health, especially for the benefit of children and young adults.

— Ann, Supporter

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Rajendra*

Educating Dalit Lawyers

Rajendra* is from Doti District, a hilly region in far western Nepal. He grew up in a home shared with his parents, two brothers, one sister, and his grandmother.

Overt casteist violence and discrimination were a common occurrence in his hometown. But he also witnessed his neighbors pushing back. Once, he recalls, local police refused to act against a group of casteist young adults who were making a campaign of harassing and abusing Dalit people in the area. Local Dalit families bypassed the local authorities and lodged a case with the district level police. The perpetrators were held accountable and charged a penalty!

Watching this case unfold in real time provided great insight to Rajendra about legal terms and procedures, the importance of law and justice—and ways the law could transform conditions for families and communities like his.

Rajendra was honored to earn an EDL scholarship. He was even more excited when he learned he’d won a seat at National Law College in Kathmandu, one of the best schools in Nepal.

A year into the program, Rajendra is thoroughly enjoying the learning environment at the college. He’s impressed with the quality of the teachers here, and with their teaching methods. When he identifies areas of weakness in his own skill levels, he immediately begins strategizing ways to improve.

Rajendra is tremendously grateful for the Educating Dalit Lawyers scholarship opportunity. He’s looking forward to defending the rights of his community as a fully-fledged lawyer!

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“NYF is addressing important big-picture issues in Nepal without losing touch with the individuals they are serving. “

— Anonymous, Donor

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Shanta*

Caste Equality Project, Nutrition Outreach Camps, Vocational Training and Career Counseling

Shanta*, 23, attended one of NYF’s April Nutrition Outreach Camps in Saptari District with her 2-year-old son, Amar. She was very grateful for the opportunity to have her precious son seen by a pediatrician. And she was relieved that NYF was working with local health workers she knew and trusted. Shanta and her family are from the Madhesi Dalit subcaste, so opportunities like these are very rare.

The pediatrician diagnosed Amar with mild malnutrition, but Amar was in otherwise good health. There was no need to refer him to an NRH. Instead, Shanta and Amar sat down with NYF’s nutritionists to discuss practical, affordable strategies to improve the boy’s nutrition at home. During this discussion, Shanta shared details about her background. She had only attended school long enough to write her name and cannot read or write.

She married at age 19. Her husband spends most of the year performing backbreaking migrant labor in Saudi Arabia. Shanta is raising Amar on her own, and she is also responsible for caring for her aging in-laws.

Sending Shanta’s husband and his brother for work in Saudi Arabia was very expensive, and the family incurred a great deal of debt to do so, all in the hopes that the effort would result in better financial stability moving forward. Unfortunately, the investment hasn’t paid off, and Shanta misses her husband terribly.

Shanta has tried to grow wheat and other crops on the tiny plot of land she shares with her in-laws, but the meager earnings from this have never been enough to sustain the family. She frequently goes without meals to ensure her son and her in-laws can eat.

NYF’s Nutrition team made thorough notes during this discussion, and during nutritional counseling sessions with other families. When they returned to Kathmandu Valley, they had a list of early suggestions for Lalit Gahatraj, the CEP Coordinator. Shanta’s story was similar to those shared by many other families. The team suggested that running one of our “Tea & Snacks Shop” trainings in the area would be an impactful start for some of the families we had met.

When NYF announced that they would run an experimental session to assess the effectiveness of these businesses in the region, Shanta signed up eagerly. She completed the training in June 2023. She received her food cart, cooking tools, and other start-up support, and launched her new street food business.

During the first few days, she was already making a profit of 500 rupees per day. This is roughly on par with Nepal’s minimum wage. On big farmer’s market days, she brought in double the money. Amar comes along with his mother and enjoys “quality testing” each batch of snacks. He’s also enjoying a greater variety of fresh vegetables, which Shanta purchases in the markets she works in.

Shanta has quickly developed a sense of her clientele’s preferences, and she is bringing in more income with each month. Her success has been transformative. Soon, she hopes to call her husband back home to Nepal so they can expand this new business and live together as a family. She is confident that together, they can bring in just as much income—if not more—than the wages he is earning in Saudi Arabia.

Support from friends like you make these transformations possible. As we move through 2024, we’re looking forward to the possibilities of the life-affirming transformations in store for the children we serve. Thank you, and dhanyabad!

2023 Giving Guide: Joyful Ways to Support NYF

There are so many ways to support NYF’s mission this holiday season—so we put together a brief giving guide to make the most out of your generosity!

1. Give a gift of impact! Send a Holiday eCard.

‘Tis the season to give a gift of impact! Our holiday eCards allow you to share the joy of giving with your loved ones this holiday season by making a donation to NYF in their name.

You can choose between four festive NYF-themed eCard designs and include a personal note. Your loved one will receive this special holiday eCard notifying them of this remarkable gift. Each card corresponds to a different program, so you can choose the cause most meaningful to your loved one. 

2. Increase your impact through your workplace!

Make your donation go even further. Many companies provide matching gifts to organizations like NYF when their employees make a gift.

Here are just a few examples of companies NYF is currently receiving matching gifts from:

• Google
• Microsoft
• Apple
• AT&T
• S&P Global
• Goldman Sachs

Check out Double The Donation’s list of Top 20 corporations matching their employee’s gifts. Is your employer on this list?

3. Engage with NYF’s social media. Follow us, and like and/or share our posts!

We love sharing quick updates about the impact of your generosity on our social media pages. If you’re looking for an easy but incredibly impactful way to support NYF’s work, engaging with our content online is the way to go!

Follows, likes, shares, and comments can boost our work, put our posts in front of new audiences, and build social proof. Our small but mighty fundraising team sees and appreciates each “like” we receive!

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

4. Federal employees can give through the Combined Federal Campaign.

If you are a federal employee looking for an easy way to support NYF, consider giving through the Combined Federal Campaign!

NYF is a CFC approved charity (#84267), and pledges come directly out of your payroll. Sign up to support NYF through the CFC campaign by January 15, 2024!

5. Introduce NYF to a friend (or two)!

The most effective way to keep building our NYF Community is through you. By having devoted supporters like yourself talk about our work to friends, family, and colleagues, NYF can easily build social proof: An essential way to grow our supporter base. This holiday season, you can make a tremendous impact just by talking about NYF’s work and sharing why you support us!

(If you know someone who would be interested in supporting communities in Nepal and/or exploring corporate partnerships with NYF, let us know! We’re always looking to partner with people and businesses who share our values and mission.)

6. Have appreciated assets? Save on capital gains tax by donating them rather than cash.

7. Join NYF’s newly-formed Annual Giving Circle!

Designed to ensure our shared promise lives on, the Annual Giving Circle is NYF’s way of recognizing those who support our work with an annual gift of $1,000 or more.

Members of the Annual Giving Circle don’t need to change the way they contribute to NYF. All we ask is that you let us know NYF can count on you to contribute at the same time each year so that we can plan and budget with greater confidence from year to year.

In return, we’re cooking up ways to show you how much your generosity is appreciated. And most importantly, to ensure you continue to see the transformative impact your support is creating.

Meet the Saptari District Moms helping to launch the Caste Equality Project

In April 2023, Radhika* (29) joined thousands of families who brought children to a Nutrition Outreach Camp in Saptari District. Her children, Kamala* (13), Dinesh* (10), and Sharmila* (7) had never seen a doctor.

Radhika was anxious at first. Members of Dalit castes, historically labeled as “untouchable” across South Asia, still face tremendous systemic discrimination, exploitation, and societal exclusion. Would they be turned away, or ignored, or even threatened or beaten?

She was relieved when the NYF team told her their organization wanted to help as many Dalit families as possible.

Clockwise from top left: Radhika, Kamala, Dinesh, and Sharmila welcome the NRH fieldwork team into their home for a follow-up visit in Sept. 2023.

While the NRH visit significantly improved their nutritional status, systemic challenges related to caste identity have made that progress difficult to maintain back home.

NYF is helping them and other moms in Saptari District overcome these challenges and achieve lasting health. Meanwhile, their feedback is helping us ensure that the Caste Equality Project is as successful as possible.

Then the pediatrician told Radhika that all three kids were malnourished—Dinesh and Sharmila severely so. She felt a jolt of helplessness, and even shame. But NYF’s team immediately invited the whole family to the Kathmandu Nutritional Rehabilitation Home (NRH) for treatment. Radhika was stunned that the three-week stay would be free-of-charge.

At the NRH, Radhika’s kids quickly gained weight and became healthier. And Radhika mastered the nutrition lessons, even encouraging her kids to participate. At discharge, the family was cautiously optimistic about applying everything they’d learned and continuing their progress.

But when the NRH fieldwork team followed up in September 2023, Radhika had run into significant challenges. Dinesh and Sharmila had started growth spurts. Even though they hadn’t lost weight, they were both technically malnourished again. Once more, Radhika felt guilt and overwhelm. But the NYF team reassured her. Her story highlights unique problems facing the Dalit community. Understanding her challenges is helping NYF create solutions.

Six months after Sharmila left the NRH, NYF’s Field Supervisor, Ramesh Pant, weighs her to check progress. The family & field team worked together to create a dry, level surface to do so.

Caste discrimination prevents many Dalit families from building sturdy, permanent homes. As our Educating Dalit Lawyers scholars gain experience, they will help families navigate the legal hurdles standing between them & safe, dignified living spaces.

In the meantime, our team is honored to be invited inside these homes. This simple respect helps strengthen the message that no one is untouchable.

Photo credit: Naresh Tuladhar

Bina* is one of the best-educated people in her village: she completed grade 10 with excellent scores. She brought her sweet one-year-old daughter Padma* to the same camp Radhika’s family attended. Padma was severely malnourished and needed urgent care at the Kathmandu Valley NRH.

While at the NRH, Bina was surprised to learn how cooking methods impact the nutritional value of food. She felt dismayed that in all her efforts in school, no one had ever taught her any of the nutritional information that would have helped her nourish her baby. Now she knew her usual cooking methods often wasted crucial nutrients. She had even been cutting away and discarding the most nutritious bits!

At follow-up in Sept. 2023 (at left), Bina shared that she is applying her updated knowledge every day. Padma’s health is better than ever. Bina’s health is better, too. Vegetables are hard to access in Bina’s village—she has to walk an hour to get to the market. But Padma’s health is worth the trip. Bina has wrapped this errand into her regular routine, and she’s sharing tips with her neighbors, too!

The Caste Equality Project is NYF’s most ambitious initiative yet. We’re vowing to empower Nepal’s Dalit communities
—starting right here in Saptari District.

Saptari District Moms like Radhika are helping shape this project!

A message of gratitude from Olga Murray and Som Paneru!

This time of year, we’re giving thanks to our NYF Community.

Just last month, Olga was honored to host NYF President, Som Paneru and his family in her home in California to carry on their tradition of celebrating Dashain together. Dashain is a vibrant, beautiful 10-day festival in Nepal that incorporates rituals and gatherings for expressing gratitude for abundance and prosperity throughout the year. This year, Som and Olga gathered to reflect on all the work in 2023 made possible by your generosity.

Families in Saptari District who have already received transformative support in our nutrition program give thanks for the health of their children. The region’s Dalit community looks to the coming year with hope as we launch the Caste Equality Project. Our most recent Olgapuri Vocational School graduates celebrated this year’s Dashain with certifications in hand. Many of them are already employed in their new fields. And the list of reasons to be grateful goes on!

As the season of giving thanks continues, Som and Olga take a moment to share this message of gratitude to our extended NYF family. We celebrate the remarkable impact that, together, we have generated among thousands of Nepali children and young people. And thanks to you, that impact is only growing.

We look forward to your continued support and commitment to our mission of creating brighter and healthier futures for the rising generation in Nepal.

On behalf of the entire team, Som and Olga wish you all joy, good health, and prosperity as you come together to celebrate this season of giving thanks. Dhanyabad!

Thank you again to our NYF Community! Here are some ways you can support our work this end-of-year season:

Make A
Year-End Gift

Ensure your #LoveWorks this end-of-year season by making a donation.

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For nonprofits like NYF, the “Giving Season” between now and December 31st provides a crucial benchmark for planning transformative programming in the new year.

Your generous support powers this moment of growth. Click below to make an impactful donation now.

Donate Now

Double Your Donation

Our matching gift campaign starts on 11/28/23.

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All NYF donations made between GivingTuesday, November 28th and Tuesday, December 5th are eligible for a 1:1, dollar-for-dollar match—up to $20,000 total match.

We hope you’ll join the #GivingTuesday momentum this year by donating during this special matching opportunity.

Learn More

Holiday
Gift Cards

Make a holiday gift and select an eCard for your honoree.

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This holiday season, give loved ones the gift of impact. Make a donation in honor of somebody special (or two!) and send them an NYF-themed card to notify them.

Each card corresponds to a different NYF program, so you can choose the cause most meaningful to your loved one.

Send A Card