NYOF Kids Giving Back: The Ultimate "Sustainability"

Many foundations and individuals are rightly concerned about the potential "sustainability" of the programs they support. Will the results endure after the infusion of money is gone?

It is for this reason that NYOF focuses on education. Education creates opportunity for the rest of a child's life, enhancing the society in which they live, and thus improving the world we all share.

Additionally, we imbue the children we serve with a strong sense of social responsibility. Here are just a few examples of how our kids are using their knowledge and skills for the betterment of the world around them:

Helping the elderly: The K House girls visited an ashram of impoverished elderly men and women. They brought treats, washed their clothes, cut their nails, cleaned their rooms, and washed their hair. They left to a chorus of "I wish I had a daughter like you."

Disaster relief: The children at the houses regularly donate some of their spending money to funds for disasters like the tsunami and the earthquake in Pakistan, plant trees, and help clean up the riverbeds on Saturday, their one day off from school. They also raise money for these causes by selling their art work and cooking and serving meals to visitors – for a price. Even the smallest kids are asked to contribute a few cents, though their resources are pretty negligible – about 75 cents a year they receive as a holiday gift. What is inspiring is their enthusiasm and joy in sharing the little they have with others less fortunate.

Social service: Though many of our children are still completing their schooling, we are seeing some of our older "graduates" choose careers in social service. Others are giving back to NYOF financially, or helping put their younger siblings through school. The list is long, but here are a few stories of the contributions made by NYOF graduates:

Santosh Basnet, who lived at J House

"Had NYOF not been there for my rescue, God knows where I would be. I don't even want to think about it.

"Therefore, one of my main goals is to contribute to the foundation, to do what I can so that somebody else will get the same opportunity that I was given."

Santosh Basnet,
who lived at J House

Read Santosh's heartwarming life story

Bhupendra recently graduated as a dental surgeon and has founded his own NGO which conducts health camps in rural areas providing free medical checkups and free medicine to isolated villagers who have little access to medical care.
Sangita, a young doctor, regularly volunteers her services at the NRH, providing free checkups to the mothers and children.
Choodamani is one of the first graduates of J House. His left foot had been amputated at calf level at the small children's orthopedic hospital in Kathmandu. His one aim in life is to help the disabled, with whom he has an extraordinary empathy. He is working as a physical therapist at the same hospital where his foot was amputated and has started his own NGO to provide vocational training to disabled youngsters. He is on the Board of the FNC, NYOF's counterpart.
Shyam is the CEO of the excellent school the J and K House attend. He assists NYOF and the J and K House children in many ways – he is a an experienced party planner and arranges our celebrations with great expertise.
Sita and Madhu, both K House alumni, are now enjoying successful careers as nurses – one in a rural area, and the other at Nepal’s first heart hospital.
Nirmala, a former K House girl who is blind, was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to attend Colorado State University. She has returned to Nepal, where she works for the U.N. assisting refugees from Bhutan. Read Nirmala's amazing story and watch a video about her!
Ana Dawadi, a doctor who was supported by NYOF through medical school, has worked part time at NYOF's Nutritional Rehabilitation Home, and provided medical services to the J and K House children for many years.
Dhum Lal, a severely disabled graduate, founded a non-profit group which advocates for human rights of the disabled.