A Thanksgiving Reflection from Olga’s Grandson

As we approach Thanksgiving, we are reminded of the importance of gratitude and community. This year, Sean Murray, Olga Murray’s grandson and the newest member of NYF’s Board of Directors, has penned a heartfelt letter reflecting on his grandmother’s incredible legacy and the inspiring work NYF continues to accomplish in Nepal.

A Thanksgiving Reflection: Honoring Olga’s Legacy

By Sean Murray

Dear NYF Community,

This Thanksgiving, as I reflect on the year gone by, I remain heartbroken by the loss of my grandmother and NYF’s founder, Olga Murray.  For many of us, she was a guiding star—the person who inspired us to be better versions of ourselves.  Losing someone like that leaves a hole in the world.

And yet when I look around at Olga’s legacy and at the work NYF has done since she passed, I see so many reasons to be grateful. 

This October, I and other members of the NYF family traveled to Nepal to attend a celebration of Olga’s life at Olgapuri Village.  The event was joyous and touching, with hundreds of guests and dignitaries toasting Olga’s legacy.  But I was most impressed by all the ways that Olgapuri has grown and improved since I was last there, with additions like a furniture-making shop in the vocational school featuring state-of-the-art machines generously donated from Germany, a counselling and therapy center for children who experienced trauma before coming to Olgapuri, and a dedicated theater room where the children can put on performances and watch movies. 

Olga always hated being the guest of honor at an event, but she would have been overjoyed to see how much thought and care has gone into realizing her dream of a first-class children’s home and education center.

I was also grateful for the opportunity to travel to Saptari District and see the Caste Equality Project, which embodies Olga’s vision of a long-term, on-the-ground, transformative education program.  In these majority-Dalit villages, I saw the same thing Olga saw when she first came to Nepal in the 1980s: acutely challenging circumstances and poverty combined with a deep desire for access to the educational tools that can improve children’s lives.

And in the NYF staff who are running the project, I saw the same qualities that made the Indentured Daughters program a success and that will sustain this new project for years to come: dedication, vision, and quiet competence. I am thankful that NYF remains in such strong and steady hands.

Leaving Nepal, I expected to feel a fresh sense of loss. Instead, I now feel that special spark that always touches me when I engage with my grandmother’s work—the burst of inspiration and energy that strikes when you see people improving the world in front of you, and when you know that you can help.  For me, and for NYF at large, the sorrow of this past year is giving way to a renewed sense of purpose.  And that is one more reason to be thankful.

NYF has graciously invited me to join its Board of Directors, and I look forward to continuing this vital work with all of you. There will be many opportunities for us to channel the inspiration that Olga gave us. If you want to take action during this holiday season, please consider beginning with our GivingTuesday campaign, which aims to provide nutritious school lunches for Dalit students in Saptari District. It is just the sort of practical, direct, and holistic program that my grandmother envisioned and that NYF will continue to pursue.

With gratitude,

Sean Murray

Meals That Matter: Continuing Olga’s Vision

As Sean shared, our Meals That Matter campaign embodies the practical, direct, and holistic impact that Olga envisioned. This GivingTuesday, we are rallying together to provide nutritious school lunches for Dalit students in Saptari District—nourishing both their bodies and their potential.

From now until GivingTuesday on December 3rd, you can make a tangible difference. For just $0.27, you can provide a nutritious meal for a student in Nepal. A donation of $27 funds 100 healthy school lunches, ensuring that children have the nourishment they need to focus on their education and dream big.

Join us in honoring Olga’s legacy and continuing her vision of empowering children in Nepal. Together, we can fuel hope, one meal at a time.