Stories of Impact in 2025

2025 was a year marked by both hardship and hope. Nepal faced tremendous social unrest, shifting political landscapes, and economic uncertainty. But because of continued and steadfast support from the NYF Community, NYF did not just withstand these challenges—we grew stronger together.

Thank you to all those who generously supported NYF’s work in 2025. We hope the impact stories below highlight how your support is more than just a donation, but a direct investment in brighter futures.

Harkaman
Scholarships for Students with Disabilities

Meet Harkaman, a determined young scholar from Baglung who is proving that resilience and ambition know no limits. After losing both of his arms in an electrical accident at a young age, Harkaman moved to Kathmandu to continue his education and pursue new possibilities.

Today, Harkaman is a Grade 12 student studying computer science. At the same time, he is a dedicated para swimmer, training under the National Para Swimming Association. In 2025, Harkaman made his international debut at the World Para Swimming Competition in Japan. He was proud to represent Nepal on a global stage. He is now training toward his next goal: competing in the 2026 Para Asian Game.

With support from NYF’s Scholarships for Students with Disabilities program, Harkaman is able to balance his studies, training, and daily life in Kathmandu. His journey reflects the power of opportunity paired with determination—and the belief that every young person deserves the chance to pursue their dreams.

Girls’ Education in the Balami Community
Kinship Care

In 2025, NYF’s enriched Kinship Care program supported 18 girls (and 3 boys) in grades 5 through 12 from the Balami community in Kagati Gaun, Nuwakot—where early marriage has historically limited girls’ access to education. The program has helped these students delay early marriage. It also contributed to stronger academic performance and improved school attendance.

Scholarship support covers essential needs such as uniforms, school supplies, shoes, snacks, and extra coaching classes in subjects like English, Math, and Science. With these resources, students were able to attend school regularly, prepare for exams, and build confidence in the classroom.

As one student shared, “If I had not received this scholarship, I would not have been able to continue my education. My sister was married at a very early age. I, too, would have been married off by now if I had not received this support.”

By keeping girls in school, the program is strengthening protection, opportunity, and long-term change across the Balami community.

Anita
NYF’s New Life Center

Three-year-old Anita is from a remote village in Kalikot, where access to specialized medical care is extremely limited. In 2025, her family traveled to Kathmandu for a health checkup. At this checkup, Anita was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. Unable to afford surgery at the time, her family returned home. They carried the weight of uncertainty with them.

Anita’s condition worsened, and her family made the difficult journey back to Kathmandu so she could receive the care she urgently needed. Anita successfully underwent heart surgery. She then stayed at the New Life Center with her mother for 20 days, where she received post-surgery care and support. After making a full recovery, Anita returned home—healthier, stronger, and surrounded by renewed hope for the future.

Sudina
Scholarship Program

Sudina is a dedicated young athlete from Itahari in eastern Nepal. She is receiving a scholarship through Nepal Youth Foundation’s sports scholarship program. The daughter of a tempo driver and a homemaker, she grew up in a hardworking family with two younger siblings. Her discipline and talent in taekwondo earned her a competitive selection as a trainee with the National Taekwondo Association. She lives in a modest hostel in Kathmandu as she trains and competes at the national level.

In November 2025, Sudina placed third in the National Taekwondo Association’s General Tournament. She continues rigorous training with the goal of competing in major national events, including the 10th National Games, the IGP Cup, and the Presidential Running Shield. She aspires to join the Nepal Army through its sports program.

Alongside her athletic pursuits, Sudina remains committed to her education and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Her story reflects how targeted support helps a talented young woman from a working-class family pursue excellence, independence, and a future filled with possibility.

Rakshya
Day School Scholarship & College Scholarship Program

Originally from Gorkha, Rakshya moved to Kathmandu at a young age with her mother and two sisters so she could continue her education. NYF began supporting her in 2007, when she was just in Grade 1, through a Day School Scholarship. From the start, Rakshya stood out as sincere, disciplined, and academically gifted. She consistently excelled in her studies and topped her class from Grades 5 through 10.

She went on to study science in Grades 11 and 12. Rakshya then successfully navigated Nepal’s highly competitive medical entrance exam on her first attempt. This earned her a government scholarship seat in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program at Lumbini Medical College under Kathmandu University. NYF continued to support Rakshya through our College Scholarship Program, covering living expenses so she could focus on her studies. By the end of 2024, she completed her final MBBS exams and began her year-long internship at her medical school’s hospital.

In 2025, Rakshya passed the Nepal Medical Council licensing exam and officially became Dr. Rakshya Tiwari. In December, she was awarded her MBBS degree with a Gold Medal at Kathmandu University’s 31st Convocation. Today, Dr. Rakshya is committed to serving her community. She remains closely connected to NYF—embodying the lasting impact of education, perseverance, and donor support across nearly two decades.

Roman
Vocational Education and Career Counseling (VECC)

Roman is a 20-year-old from Hetauda who grew up determined to build a future in Nepal. As a child, Roman watched his older brother leave the country in search of work, only to face instability, low wages, and mounting debt that prevented him from returning home. Witnessing these challenges firsthand shaped Roman’s resolve to pursue a different path—one rooted in dignity, skill, and opportunity at home.

Financial hardship forced Roman to stop his education after Grade 10, leaving him with few employment options in his village. Everything changed when he learned about Olgapuri Vocational School’s free training programs, which also provide food and accommodation. In August 2024, Roman traveled to Kathmandu and enrolled in the six-month welding training program. Through hands-on instruction, discipline, and mentorship, he developed practical skills that quickly translated into real-world opportunity.

After completing his training, Roman secured employment in Kathmandu with support from Olgapuri’s job placement services. Today, he works as a welder, earning a steady monthly income and moving confidently toward financial independence. Roman’s story reflects the power of vocational education—showing how access to skills and support can help young people build sustainable futures in Nepal, on their own terms.

Sita
Industrial Tailoring, Vocational Education and Career Counseling (VECC)

Sita is a 23-year-old from Kanchanpur District in Nepal’s far-western region. When she was in the 8th grade, she was forced to leave school to help support her family by working as a domestic laborer. She worked for nine years.

Sita then learned about training opportunities at Olgapuri Vocational School through a local cooperative. Determined for more independence and a better life, she applied for NYF’s Industrial Tailoring training program.

In June 2025, Sita completed the training. She was employed immediately and is now earning a good income. Most importantly, she is proud of her own journey.

This past fall, Sita was able to return to her hometown with gifts for her family during Dashain. She’s also looking forward to enrolling her younger sister in the same training.

“I can now get a job anywhere I want,” Sita shares proudly with the NYF team.

Jitendra
Vocational Training & Career Counseling, Caste Equality Project

Jitendra, from Tirhut Rural Municipality, became the sole provider for his 87-year-old mother, his wife, and his young son after his father passed away. With no formal skills and very little income, life was extremely difficult, and many people doubted his ability to succeed.

That changed in 2023, when Jitendra enrolled in NYF’s Building Electrician Training program in Tirhut Rural Municipality. After 390 hours of training, he graduated with a certificate and a brand-new toolbox—giving him the confidence to begin a new journey, not just for himself, but for his family.

Jitendra started by taking small electrical wiring and repair jobs in his village, working in homes and village temples. For the first time, his community had a trained electrician of its own. His dedication and skill quickly earned trust, and demand for his work grew into neighboring towns.

As his work expanded, so did its impact. Jitendra began hiring other trained youth, many of whom are graduates of NYF training programs. Today, he runs his own electrical contracting business with nine employees and has worked on nearly 90 sites, including government school buildings and offices, village temples, and private homes. I am especially proud that he recently completed the electrical wiring at NYF’s new Community Learning Centers built as part of the Caste Equality Project.

With a stable monthly income of NPR 35,000 to 40,000, Jitendra now provides a comfortable life for his family—including his son, who now attends a good private school. Just as importantly, he has earned dignity and respect in his community, and has become an example of what is possible when opportunity is shared.

“I am grateful to NYF for changing my life,” he says. “I encourage all young people to join skill-based training. It can truly transform your future.”

Jitendra’s journey reflects what is possible when young people are given practical skills, confidence, and the chance to build a future close to home. In a time when many young adults and families in Nepal face uncertainty and unemployment, his story offers hope rooted in action.

Maya
New Life Center

The New Life Center (NLC) is a temporary recovery home for rural families who must travel to Kathmandu for critical medical treatment and surgery—and who have nowhere else to turn while recovery begins.

Maya is one of the children the NLC exists to support. Diagnosed with eye cancer, she traveled to Kathmandu with her mother to undergo chemotherapy at a hospital. During her treatment, Maya and her mother stayed at the NLC. They had a safe place to sleep, nutritious meals, and attentive care during an exhausting and frightening time. With stability and support, Maya could focus on healing, and her mother could stay by her side.

Saugat
College Scholarship Program

In 2025, NYF College Scholarship support helped Saugat take a major step forward in his education and career. With an NYF scholarship, Saugat completed his Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development at Kathmandu University, graduating this year with the skills and confidence to pursue meaningful work serving his community.

Today, Saugat has begun a new role as a Monitoring & Evaluation Officer with the Rural Development Center. The Rural Development Center is a UN-funded organization working in Rautahat District in Madhesh Province. In this position, he supports programs focused on community development and long-term progress. He also ensures that resources are used effectively and that efforts reach the people who need them most.

Thank you for creating stories of resilience and hope. While we celebrate our accomplishments in 2025, we know our work is far from finished. Social and political challenges in Nepal will continue into the new year. In 2026, our team will remain laser-focused on our mission, securing safety, education, nutrition, and more for the children and families in our care. We look forward to sharing many more stories of transformations and accomplishments in this new year.

Nepal’s 2015 Earthquake: 10 Years Later

A Day That Changed Everything

As we mark the 10th anniversary of Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, we pause to reflect on a day that forever changed the country. Just before noon on April 25th, 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, centered in Gorkha District—the worst natural disaster to hit Nepal since 1934. Nearly 9,000 lives were lost and over 21,000 people were injured. An avalanche on Mount Everest claimed 22 more lives, making it the mountain’s deadliest day in history.

The destruction was staggering: ancient temples, monasteries, and entire villages near the epicenter were reduced to rubble. In mere moments, nearly 3.5 million people were left homeless. Powerful aftershocks continued for weeks, causing further devastation and uncertainty. Amid this ongoing crisis, the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF) mobilized quickly—delivering critical relief and support to the communities who needed it most.

While the statistics are staggering, it is the personal stories that reveal the true impact of this disaster. And the remarkable resilience of the Nepali people.

Sanam’s Journey: A Story of Strength and Determination

Among the thousands of lives touched by the 2015 earthquake is that of Sanam*—a young girl whose determination and resilience continue to inspire all who meet her. Sanam was just 8 years old when the earthquake struck her village. As she and her neighbors rushed outside towards safety, two houses collapsed on top of her, crushing one of her legs. Her neighbors urgently freed her from the wreckage and carried her to the hospital as quickly as possible. They reached the hospital before Sanam’s father even made it home from the fields.

Unfortunately, Sanam’s leg could not be saved. “My leg had been totally damaged,” she remembers.

She later received a prosthetic leg from another organization, helping her regain mobility. Her family was already facing challenges, and after the earthquake, Sanam shared, “[We] did not have enough to eat. And I thought now I would never be able to study and do anything.”

Even after such a life-altering event, Sanam stayed focused on her future and her education.

Through NYF’s Scholarships for Students with Disabilities program, she was able to pursue her academic dreams. She recently shared with a member of our team, “Before NYF’s support, I was not getting the proper education that I deserved. But NYF’s scholarship proved me wrong. I feel like I have got everything now—my health and a good education, and I will be able to acquire wealth when I grow up. So NYF has given me happiness and a bright future.”

Sanam’s journey is about more than overcoming adversity; it’s about forging her own path forward. Both of her elder sisters were married by the age of 16, a common reality for many girls in her community, but as Sanam says, “I feel lucky that I am able to go to school and study without fear of marriage.”

This year, now age 18, she passed her Grade 10 board exams and recently sat for Nepal’s School Education Examination (SEE)—a major milestone in every Nepali student’s academic journey. As she waits for her results, Sanam is practicing guitar and dreaming of one day becoming a singer.

Sanam’s story is a testament to her resilience and ambition. With support, she is building the life she chooses—one filled with hope, learning, and music.

In the years following the disaster, NYF has supported thousands of children and families as they navigated the path from survival to renewal. Each story is unique, and together, they are a testament to what is possible when a community comes together to uplift its own.

NYF’s Swift & Sustained Response to the 2015 Earthquake

Sanam’s experience is just one window into the broader work of NYF in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Within days, NYF was providing emergency shelters and medical supplies. Soon, we established protective housing for displaced children and eventually began supporting communities to rebuild schools and homes. Our relief programming, which ran through 2017, reached the nine districts closest to the epicenter and inspired much of our later work, including our COVID-19 response.

With decades of experience and deep community roots throughout Nepal, our team was able to pivot swiftly to meet urgent needs where they were greatest. As ABC7 News shared at the time, NYF founder Olga Murray—then 89—rallied support from her home in Sausalito, California, while our staff in Nepal coordinated and delivered critical relief on the ground. Together, we reached thousands of families across the hardest-hit districts with compassion, efficiency, and care.

Our emergency and long-term recovery work included:

• Temporary housing and essential supplies for over 2,000 families
• Emergency psychological support for 4,600+ children and adults
• Distribution of over 30,000 units of essential medicine
• Safe drinking water systems and hygiene kits for displaced communities
• Construction of 51 earthquake-safe classrooms
• Over 10,000 backpacks and school supply kits to help children return to learning
• Nutrition support for children and mothers in crisis

A Legacy of Care and Readiness

As we mark this 10-year anniversary, we remember the lives lost, honor the communities forever changed, and reaffirm our commitment to standing with children and families—especially when they need us most.

At NYF, we believe in showing up—not just during emergencies, but for the long road that follows. Whether it’s an earthquake, a pandemic, or a personal crisis, our team responds with compassion, cultural knowledge, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every child.

This commitment was evident again during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing from the lessons we learned in 2015, we acted quickly, distributing food and hygiene supplies, offering remote mental health services, and converting our Nutrition Kitchens to prepare over 5,000 hot meals for hungry families. We provided emergency housing, education continuity, and support for frontline hospitals, all while ensuring the children in our care remained safe, healthy, and nurtured during an incredibly uncertain time. Our decades-long presence in Nepal has made us a trusted partner in both urgent relief and long-term recovery—and none of it would be possible without the generosity of our global community.

Thank You for Standing with Us

To everyone who stood with us in 2015—and every year since—thank you. You’ve helped rebuild homes, restore hope, and empower thousands of new beginnings. Dhanyabad!

Join us at Founder’s Day 2025

At Founder’s Day 2025, NYF will highlight Olga Murray’s legacy in action through inspiring alumni who are now shaping Nepal’s future. If Sanam’s story moved you, we invite you to join us on May 29th in San Francisco to hear even more firsthand accounts of resilience, hope, and transformation. We’ll be celebrating 35 incredible years of NYF’s impact over dinner and drinks—and would love to see you there!

NYF’s College Graduates: Where are they now?

At Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF), we’re committed to ensuring that every young person we support has the tools they need to thrive. But how do we measure success?

Every five years, NYF conducts an internal survey of recent college graduates to assess the long-term impact of our Scholarships for K-12 and College Students program. This year, we reached out to all 358 students who earned their bachelor’s degrees with NYF’s support between 2017 and 2022. Of the total 358 graduates, 52% were men and 48% were women. Despite the challenges of maintaining contact across five years and many regions, 326 graduates (91%) responded.

The results were deeply encouraging.

The Results

The data speaks volumes. Nearly 9 in 10 NYF college graduates are employed, and 100% of them are earning more than the national minimum for their field—a powerful indicator of both job quality and long-term stability. Meanwhile, 11% are pursuing advanced degrees in high-impact fields like medicine and agriculture, continuing their academic journeys with purpose.

More than two-thirds have already reached officer-level positions or higher, just a few years after graduation—a testament to their leadership potential and the value employers see in their NYF-supported education. And with 7% working in medicine and 11% earning competitive government placements, it’s clear that these young professionals are stepping into sectors critical to Nepal’s future.

These achievements are even more remarkable when viewed in context. This cohort of students faced extraordinary disruptions during their education—graduating into the uncertainty of a pandemic, navigating remote learning, exam delays, and a drastically shifting job market.

Behind the Data

The young people represented in this survey are part of NYF’s College Scholarship program, which supports students who have already overcome significant challenges to pursue higher education. Many began their journey with NYF as children in our K-12 Scholarship or Shelter programs, and with consistent support and mentorship, advanced to college—often gaining admission to some of Nepal’s most prestigious institutions.

Between July 2023 and June 2024 alone:

• 331 students (168 men and 163 women) received NYF College Scholarships.
• 64 students graduated from bachelor’s and master’s programs.
• Fields of study included medicine (11), nursing (2), business management (20), social science (13), law (2), and programs like agriculture, education, and science.

This diversity reflects NYF’s commitment to nurturing well-rounded, empowered leaders across every sector—and it signals a brighter, more resilient future for Nepal, as these graduates bring their skills and insights into every corner of society.

Rising Above Adversity

These scholars are not just high achievers—they are survivors and change-makers.

Some have faced caste-based discrimination in their classrooms, including the injustice of untouchability. Others have been underestimated due to their gender, with parents reluctant to invest in a daughter’s education. Still others are the pride of remote villages, supported by neighbors who pooled whatever they could to help a child succeed.

They’ve grown up during pivotal moments in Nepal’s history. They were toddlers—or not yet born—when the Civil War ended in 2006. They were in school when the 2015 earthquake shook the nation, and in their teens when the COVID-19 pandemic turned the education system upside down.

Through all of this, they’ve kept moving forward.

Supporting students through these challenges requires more than just funding—it takes a team that understands, listens, and walks alongside them at every step.

Meet the Team Powering NYF’s Scholarship Success

Behind every successful NYF graduate is a small but mighty team of passionate, devoted experts. NYF’s Academic Education team combines technical expertise with deep empathy—many having faced similar challenges as the students they support. Through meticulous record-keeping, regular field visits, and personal check-ins, they provide the personal touch that sets NYF apart. Their work isn’t just about education—it’s about building trust, opening doors, and creating lasting opportunity.

Investing in Nepal’s Future

Rojina completed her 4-year course in Public Health and is currently working as an intern at a Maternity & Reproductive Health Care Center in Kathmandu. She and her younger brother have been under the care of NYF since 2005.

Today, NYF college graduates are thriving—not just building careers, but contributing meaningfully to Nepal’s development. They’re leading in healthcare, business, education, agriculture, and beyond. And with every success, they’re paying it forward—strengthening their families, uplifting their communities, and helping to shape a brighter, more equitable future for Nepal.

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of them—and so grateful to you, our NYF community, for making these stories possible.

At Founder’s Day 2025, NYF will highlight Olga Murray’s legacy in action through alumni who have become today’s dynamic Nepali leaders. If you like what you’ve read, please join us at Founder’s Day on May 29th in San Francisco to hear more about NYF’s incredible alumni. We’ll also be celebrating 35 incredible years of impact over dinner and drinks! You can RSVP online for free here.

RSVP Here

Updates from NYF President Som Paneru

Dear NYF Community,

I hope you are all continuing to stay safe and healthy. Earlier this month, the Nepal government made an announcement to ease COVID-19 restrictions. Among other things, this included the physical re-opening of schools and public spaces. This decision has several impacts on our programs at NYF, and I am delighted to share these new updates with all of you.

COVID-19 Updates & Response Programs

NYF’s COVID Isolation Center at our flagship Nutrition Rehabilitation Home (NRH) ran until September 16, 2021. Since its opening, we’ve admitted and treated more than 240 COVID-positive patients at our facilities. Following this recent government decision to re-open public spaces, NYF suspended isolation center services on September 17th to fully resume our regular NRH programming. We are continuing to produce Lito, our homemade “super” flour, at the NRH and are still distributing them to communities in need via the Lito for Life program. For more updates and information about our COVID-19 response, visit NYF’s COVID Timeline.

Education

Until now, schools and colleges nationwide have been closed. Out of the 643 scholarship students NYF currently supports, 70% have been attending online classes run by their schools and colleges. After this most recent decision, most NYF children will likely be able to return to in-person classes later this fall. Additionally, after a massive COVID-related delay, the long-awaited examinations for grade 12 students finally took place on September 15, 2021. About 40 NYF students took the exam.

Vocational Education & Career Counseling

As you may recall, most of our vocational training programs were put on hold earlier this year.  We are happy to announce that NYF has safely resumed some training programs in the electrical, welding, carpentry and plumbing trades. Effective last week, we have 4 vocational training satellite courses currently running. NYF is also preparing to complete 2 more Sustainable Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Trainings (SAAET) by the end of the year.

Nutrition Rehabilitation Homes (NRH) & Nutrition Camps

There are currently 8 children being treated at the NRH for malnourishment. We are expecting an increase in the number of admissions as we resume our regular services and programming. Our NYF nutrition staff is also busy strategizing how to safely conduct our regular nutrition camps this year.

New Life Center (NLC)

Due to travel restrictions brought about by COVID-19, patients had a difficult time traveling to the New Life Center in Kathmandu Valley to receive treatment. In order to increase access to supportive care for children living with HIV/AIDS in rural communities, NYF has redesigned the NLC program.

The aim of this redesign is to bring New Life Center resources to a larger population of children. To do so, we’ve moved beyond the “residential-treatment only” approach to an expanded “outreach and community-based” approach. According to the new plan, the NLC will cater residential services to approximately 20 children, while all the other services will be completed in rural communities via community outreach. These community outreach programs include awareness and advocacy, food and essentials delivery, financial support for caretakers, and tele-counseling services.

While this program will still be run from the NLC office in Kathmandu, we are excited to partner with a number of grassroots organizations — all doing incredible work in the communities we plan to serve.

Olgapuri Children’s Village

First and foremost, all 71 children (and house parents!) at Olgapuri remain safe and healthy. This year, nine students will soon be moving out after graduating high school. We are so proud of each graduate, and look forward to seeing them go on to do incredible things!

Thank you for your support.

Friends, we are deeply grateful for your continued love and support for the children, young adults, and families in our care. Thank you, also, to our staff on the ground in Nepal and for their incredible work. As always, if you have any questions about these updates or would like more information about our programs in general, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@nepalyouthfoundation.org.

With gratitude,

Som Paneru
NYF President

Olga Inspires on CBS Evening News: Still Sharing Her Life’s Mission

Olga inspires just about everyone she meets, so the NYF team was delighted when CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell asked to feature her recently.

Viewers who tuned in for the spot’s original airing on the night of July 5^th, 2021 learned a bit about Olga’s mission: extending educational opportunities to Nepal’s children, as well as providing health, freedom, and shelter.

We are so grateful to CBS News correspondent Jamie Yuccas for helping Olga inspire new audiences with her story of personal impact in a world that often downplays “women of a certain age”. With support and solidarity from friends around the world, Olga and NYF are helping Nepali children chase their dreams and build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

“I don’t think about stopping,” Olga says. And neither does the global NYF team. Thank you all for being part of this incredible continuing journey!

You can watch the full segment on YouTube or Facebook. CBS Evening News also tweeted about this special segment, which can be viewed here.

Frontline Warrior: NYF’s Lila Tharu Celebrates Freedom Day by Saving Lives

Frontline warrior healthcare workers across the world have spent nearly 18 months battling COVID-19 to defend their communities. These heroes have saved countless lives during the pandemic.

For one of these warriors, Lila Tharu, age 26 (below), her status as a nurse and midwife is a source of particular satisfaction. NYF is proud to count Lila among our many accomplished alumni now to heal their communities during this crisis.

Kamlari Freedom Day

June 27^th, 2021 marks the 8^th anniversary of the legal abolition of the kamlari practice in Nepal—otherwise known as Kamlari Freedom Day.

Kamlari was a form of indentured servitude which exploited the daughters of the Tharu ethnic minority group in Western Nepal’s Terai region. After generations of predatory lending by more powerful “land-owning” groups, the practice emerged as the only way for families to pay back exorbitant generational debts.

At every Tharu New Year, parents sold their daughters—some as young as six years old—to work long hours in the homes of strangers. In return, families would receive an average of only $30 for an entire year of their child’s labor. Thousands of Tharu girls spent their entire childhoods in kitchen slavery. Some never returned home.

To people in the Western Terai, the kamlari practice had come to seem inevitable. It was a baked-in cultural truth that very few people dared to question.

Lila Tharu – Kamlari Life, Rescue & Education

Lila was born in Thakurbaba Municipality in Bardiya District. When she was 12, Lila was sent away to work as a kamlari in 2005. Her two older sisters had also worked as kamlaris.

After two years working in her master’s house and being denied an education, Lila was identified and rescued by Nepal Youth Foundation in 2007. Through the Indentured Daughters program, her family was provided with economic support to offset Lila’s lost “wage.” It also included the materials needed to allow Lila to return to school: a kerosene lamp to study by, a school uniform, notebooks, and more.

Lila was a determined student who dreamed of becoming a midwife. Soon after her rescue, she enrolled in grade 7 at a local school. She completed high school (10^th grade at the time in Nepal) in 2012, passing her country’s notorious SLC “Iron Gate” exam. Lila earned a place in the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife program at Sushma Koirala Memorial Institute in Nepalgunj. NYF provided her with a college scholarship throughout her studies.

NYF continued to provide career support as Lila began her nursing career in a private hospital in Banke District. And in November 2016, she finally landed her dream job as an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife at Bheri Hospital in Nepalgunj, the largest government hospital in the region. She has remained there ever since, continuing her education by taking Nursing Care and Skilled Birth Attendant trainings to further enhance her skills.

The salary she brings home each month is far beyond what members of the Tharu community thought possible for one of their daughters only 10 to 20 years ago. Not only is Lila serving a critical role in her community’s health system—she is proving the incredible potential within a Tharu girl.

Lila Tharu – Frontline Warrior

At the beginning of 2020, Lila was living at home with her mother while continuing her career. Lila’s father had passed away years before, and her two sisters were now married.

Things changed in Lila’s work life when the pandemic hit. She was added to a special COVID treatment team early on and assigned temporarily to nearby Sushil Koirala Cancer Hospital in Khajura. This hospital had been set aside especially for COVID patients. Lila worked there for several weeks during the pandemic’s first wave. She also served COVID patients in mandated isolation in a Kalpatri hotel during this time.

Now, during Nepal’s intense second COVID wave, Lila’s hospital in Nepalgunj is at the epicenter of the crisis. Many young people from Western Nepal cross the border into India to find work. When the virus surged in India earlier this year, they fled back north to escape the pandemic—not realizing they were bringing the virus home with them.

Bheri Hospital now has four dedicated COVID wards. Lila (below, in white at far right), who has valuable COVID Care experience from 2020, is a frontline warrior in one of them.

She is hard at work monitoring her patients’ vital signs, measuring oxygen levels, and providing intravenous therapy and medicine, as well as other critical care. COVID death rates for hospitalized patients are frighteningly high everywhere, and Lila’s ward is no different. During this second surge, they have lost an average of 3-4 patients per day. But Lila tries to remember the lives she has helped to save as well. Many of her surviving patients would not be able to return home if not for her.

In spite of rigorous safety protocols, Lila herself caught COVID in the spring, like many other frontline warriors across the world. Fortunately, her symptoms were mild. After a short isolation, she returned courageously to the COVID ward to continue her lifesaving work.

She will continue this work until her expertise is no longer required in the COVID ward. She (below, preparing medicines for a patient) is proud to be doing this important work in her community—and grateful to the NYF Community for making her journey possible.

Just One Story of Thousands

Lila says she was afraid when the virus first arrived in Nepal. But now, she is extremely dedicated to the community she serves. Her courage is nothing new to NYF.

Like the other Freed Kamlari women, Lila had already experienced intense hardship and taken many daring steps before COVID arrived. Together, while most of them were still children, these girls dared to challenge their communities, abandon their masters, question their culture, and declare their own worth. Many of them returned home to families who resented them for taking such bold steps. Others were injured while marching for kamlari freedom, as police objected to the girls’ protests against the government.

Lila is one of thousands of Freed Kamlari who refused to stop simply at being rescued from an exploitative practice.

She and so many others have claimed their personal power by seizing educational opportunities and chasing their dreams – and working to lift their sisters and daughters in the process. Some are becoming lawyers, determined to defend human rights. Others have become small business owners or specialized farmers, gradually building personal and generational wealth in ways their parents could not.

And some, like Lila Tharu, dreamed of helping others in the healthcare field. They’ve grown up to be frontline warriors in a global crisis they never imagined.

Happy Kamlari Freedom Day, Lila!

Happy Freedom Day to ALL of the Freed Kamlaris
and to the young girls and women who will never be bonded away!

And Happy Freedom Day to the NYF Community—to everyone who helped support this incredible program. Lila’s story, and so many others like it, are proof of the amazing way your #LoveWorks.

Celebrate with NYF today.

To help celebrate this joyous occasion and support the education of brave young women like Lila, please make a thoughtful gift for NYF Scholarships or our Vocational Education program on our donation page. Additionally, join the NYF Community by signing up to receive emails here.

Keeping our Promises – An Overview of NYF Programming During a COVID Surge

Keeping our promises to the children already in our care is of the utmost importance to NYF in ordinary times. But in these extraordinary times, we’re proving our commitment in ways that build trust, enhance lives, and ensure that the NYF community’s #LoveWorks.

As a follow up to Som’s interviews with the BBC on May 6th and May 24th, our US Team spoke to Som, NYF’s president, on Monday evening (May 24th, 2021), to get a broad update on our programs during Nepal’s unprecedented second COVID wave.

Here’s what we learned:

Regular Programs

When the pandemic first hit in March 2020, NYF pivoted quickly – but those first few months in lockdown weren’t easy! (Click here for our COVID timeline.) Like people throughout the world, our staff members and the children we serve had to think creatively to find necessary equipment, develop safety systems, and share information.

Fortunately, after a year of COVID safety measures, this new lockdown in Nepal is easier for our regular programs to navigate. Som says it was very simple for staff members to “switch gears” back into lockdown-mode.

Olgapuri Children’s Village – After a brief safe window of returning to school outside of Olgapuri campus, the village is now in strict lockdown again. Olgapuri (below) continues to be one of the safest places in Nepal during the pandemic. You may read more about Olgapuri in lockdown by clicking here.

Ankur Counseling Center – Our counselors at Ankur are continuing to work hard from their home offices, providing regular mental health care to the children in our care, staff members, and others within the community. They have been providing extra support during the second wave to individuals in our COVID Isolation Center as well. (Click here for more Ankur stories!)

Olgapuri Vocational School – Most of the courses planned for this time period have had to be postponed for the safety of staff and students, but one vocational course is actually ongoing!

This group of 20 Freed Kamlaris at Olgapuri Vocational School was nearly through their mandatory quarantine period when the government shutdown began. Since Olgapuri is a completely locked down campus, the young women and NYF staff all agreed that they were safer here than they would be if they travelled home to the Western Terai. Their vocational training program is proceeding almost as normal.

A second program was recently completed in a very remote, isolated village in northwest Kathmandu Valley. The program was well underway when this second surge began, and because the trainer was already in the village with all of the necessary equipment, and because the village is so remote that locking it down was simple, students and NYF staff agreed that this, too, was a safe option for continuing as usual. The new program graduates will be able to put their vocational skills to work once the economy reopens.

As the situation evolves in Nepal, programs like these will be decided on a case-by-case basis, with special care taken to protect staff members and students alike.

Scholarships & Kinship Care – NYF’s team has stayed in regular touch with scholarship recipients and families receiving Kinship Care stipends to ensure they are safe, well-fed, and continuing their education as best they can.

Schools around Kathmandu Valley are now able to provide online learning. The main disruption being experienced by our students is exam scheduling, which has been out of sync for over a year. Final exams across the country will be postponed until it is safe for groups to gather again. This may extend the length of some students’ studies.

Nutrition – NYF’s regular Nutrition staff – those who run the Nutritional Rehabilitation Home in Kathmandu – are currently working completely on COVID response, including Lito for Life and the COVID Isolation Center.

At NYF, we are so grateful for the hard work and dedication that allows these critical programs to continue. Thank you for helping us keep our promises to the children already in our care!

Emergency Programs

Lito for Life – Lito for Life is ongoing. (Click here to learn about this program.) Due to the current surge, no “super flour” is currently being produced, but our stock of already-prepared and packaged Lito is still being distributed, along with other staples like rice and potatoes. To ensure safety, our team members are not making deliveries door-to-door, but we are providing packages to orphanages, children’s hospitals, long-term care facilities, food banks, and other locations where individuals can access this critical resource.

COVID Isolation Center – Our Kathmandu Valley Nutritional Rehabilitation Home and the adjacent New Life Center are being used as a COVID Isolation Center for individuals who have tested positive for the virus and are asymptomatic or experiencing mild to moderate symptoms. The resource is designed to allow individuals to isolate away from their families, to slow the spread. Our patients are coming mainly from orphanages, college dormitories and hostels, boarding schools, and housing shared by multiple generations and families within a tight space.

Most of our patients are children and youth, but we serve adults as well. Our youngest patient so far was an 8-year-old girl from a local orphanage, who was isolating with us to protect her 50 friends at home. Our oldest patient so far was a 73-year-old man. He has recovered and returned home to his family.

Many individuals who are isolating at home do not recognize when their symptoms have become too dangerous – and by the time they reach the hospital, it is too late to save them. At our COVID Isolation Center, patients are under the observation of trained medical professionals who know when an individual needs care in a hospital setting. The ambulance ride to the hospital is provided free of charge.

This week, our staff members received special training from a local doctor and his team to ensure that these patients stand the best chance possible as they wait for an available hospital bed to be located. Four beds at the COVID Isolation Center are being set aside for a “High-Dependency Unit” or HDU (above). Patients in need of hospital intervention will be moved to this area and held here, under stabilizing, high-level care and using special equipment, until NYF is certain a hospital ICU bed has been found for them.

We are looking forward to sharing more about this work soon!

What Comes Next?

The situation in Nepal is evolving quickly, and NYF is working to develop solutions as part of the broader Nepalese community. Som is working with government health officials in Kathmandu Valley on ways to support families who are isolating at home. We hope to share more about this soon!

Here is some good news: Som tells us that, thanks to awareness of the oxygen shortage in India, hospitals in Nepal have received a generous outpouring of oxygen resources from around the world. More vaccines are on the way. And aid is arriving from multiple governments, as well as from the UN.

Experts are warning that a third COVID wave may be coming for Nepal in October and November – just in time for the beloved family-centered festivals of Dashain and Tihar. With younger people being impacted by this second wave (most COVID deaths in Nepal are between ages 20 and 50), the concern is that children may be next. NYF’s global team is preparing for this, continuing to develop plans and expertise to meet this moment (and the next) with strength and agility. We are so proud of our team members who are continuing to learn new skills as this crisis continues to unfold.

And we are also proud of our team members in Nepal – house parents, nurses, tutors, instructors, cooks, drivers, counselors, administrators, and more – who are working so hard to continue keeping our promises to the children in our care.

Donations

We at NYF are so grateful for every single thoughtful gift we receive, whether for a specific program, a sponsored student, a piece of equipment, or “our greatest need.” Dhanyabad to everyone who has given! Your generosity is a true inspiration.

In times like these, even if COVID has provided the inspiration for your gift, the most effective way to give is to provide unrestricted funding. Unrestricted funding allows us to aim each dollar with the maximum flexibility, allowing the needs on the ground to drive our responses as the situation evolves. Unrestricted funding also allows us to continue keeping our promises to the children in our care by ensuring that each of our programs is fully funded and can continue as best as possible throughout the pandemic – and beyond.

To make your generous gift, please click here. Thank you so much for ensuring your #LoveWorks for the children of Nepal!

Purposeful Living & Olga Murray: A Celebration and an Invitation

Purposeful living is the focus of a new Washington Post article about our very own founder, Olga Murray (click the link to open the article in a new tab – it is a beautiful tribute by Pulitzer-Prize winner Katherine Ellison!). Our beloved Olga, on the cusp of her 96th birthday, has been an inspiration during the past year of lockdowns and uncertainty.

‘ “I’m not a doctor,” ‘ the article quotes Olga during a recent interview, ‘ “but I do know that when I get out of bed every morning and think that I might help a little kid in Nepal, I’m not focused on my body… My main focus is on the kids.”

In her interview, Olga is characteristically modest. So much of Olga’s work is driven by her belief in others. She believes in those she partners with at NYF, like President Som Paneru. She believes in her friends, her connections – all those generous donors who make her work possible. Most of all, she believes in the children of Nepal, and in the incredible things they can accomplish if given the proper opportunities. (Bishnu Chaudhary, the young woman freed from domestic slavery who recently passed the Nepalese bar exam, is just one example!)

Even with purposeful living fueling her longevity, “I’m not going to be around forever,” Olga says pragmatically. “And the thing I want most in the world is for this program to go on.”

The NYF community is determined to make that wish come true.

If you’d like to learn more (and to see Olga Murray live over Zoom!), click here to register for our upcoming virtual Founder’s Day celebration! Join NYF’s email list here.

To support NYF’s mission during this challenging time – bringing Education, Health, Shelter, and Freedom to Nepali children – please donate here. For more powerful impact, consider making yours a monthly donation!

Female Lawyers – A New Milestone for the Freed Kamlari Community

Female lawyers hold a special place in my heart—especially those embarking on this challenging career in a time and place in which women are not always welcome.

For those who do not know me, welcome! I am Olga Murray, the founder of Nepal Youth Foundation. Since the mid-1980s, I have dedicated my life to helping the children of Nepal to achieve their dreams. The work is an incomparable joy! Many of these kids’ successes have absolutely astonished me.

I have recently learned from Som that Bishnu Chaudhary has passed the bar exam in Nepal. This makes her the first Freed Kamlari to become a lawyer.

Kitchen Slavery

Bishnu’s father sold her into kamlari bondage when she was ten years old. Initially, he needed her wages to pay off a debt of under $40 (at the current rate of exchange), and later to assure that he could continue to work as a farmer for her employer. If she had stopped working, her family would have been left with no land to farm—and no way to feed themselves.

As a kamlari servant, Bishnu was denied an education and was instead forced to spend her childhood working long hours doing laundry, dishes, housework, and other tasks assigned by her family’s landlord. It was hard, demeaning work in an unforgiving environment. This was no place for a child.

(You can learn more about the kamlari practice, and NYF’s response, here.)

Rescue & Education

NYF rescued Bishnu from kamlari bondage in 2004, as our Indentured Daughters program (later the Empowering Freed Kamlari program) began to take root in the impacted Tharu communities.

She wanted desperately to go to school, and though her father at first refused, the teachers at the local school convinced him to allow her to enroll. Bishnu proved to be an outstanding student throughout her school years, taking as many opportunities for growth and development as she could. NYF has proudly supported her education from the beginning. Bishnu was admitted to law school in Kathmandu and graduated last year (pictured above).

Social Activism

During her student years, Bishnu was an outspoken and passionate leader in opposing the practice of kamlari, leading rescue operations of indentured children and convincing parents not to send their daughters away. She even risked being expelled from school because she insisted on liberating kamlari who were working for her own headmaster and teachers. Now that’s courage!

At Maghe Sankranti 2020, before the pandemic, Bishnu’s local government presented her with an award for the work she has done for her community (pictured left). I am gratified to see the ways these women, once mistreated and made to feel worthless, are being recognized and honored for their remarkable achievements.

Bishnu has continued in her activism, providing counseling and advice for former kamlari. Her aim is to advocate for girls and women in all aspects of the law – a tall order in Nepal, where paternalism reigns supreme.

A New Milestone

Female lawyers are a new phenomenon for Bishnu’s ethnic minority community, the Tharu. But Bishnu is just the first in the pipeline.

Up next is Urmila (left), the leader and heroine of the anti-kamlari movement, who was indentured at the age of six and did not begin school until she was 18, against the advice of almost everybody. Urmila is in her second year of law school and intends to work in the area of human rights, particularly women’s rights, after graduation.

How exciting to know Tharu women will have powerful female lawyers representing them in Nepal, and showing young girls what women can accomplish!

International Women’s Day 2021

I identify with these young women because, although I have never been sold into indentured servitude, I know the difficulty of embarking on a career in which women were not always welcome. I graduated from law school 66 years ago (gulp!), becoming a female lawyer at a time when there were few women in the profession, and the prospect of looking for a job was terrifying.

I was honored to spend my career in the company of those working to advance the rights of minorities in the United States. Below, I stand with my colleagues as a research attorney for California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk.

International Women’s Day, now held on March 8^th, has been celebrated since 1911, when it was organized in Europe. Women then were campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, hold public office, and end discrimination. Other early causes involved labor legislation about safety standards and child labor, combatting violence against women, and agitation for peace.

Now, this day is an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about women’s equality, and lobby for change.

The International Women’s Day theme in 2021 is “Choose to Challenge”—something the NYF Family has been doing for over 30 years, and something the Freed Kamlaris have done with gusto.

The work isn’t finished—but change is coming, one milestone at a time.

Today, for the Freed Kamlari communities, Bishnu, Urmila, and other daring women are choosing to challenge the status quo in their countries. I have full confidence that both Bishnu and Urmila will succeed in their goal to improve the status of women in Nepal because of their determination, their smarts, and the lessons they learned in their struggles to overcome injustice.