NCEF held its annual board meeting on June 30, 2009 to elect the new board for 2008/2009. Hesky Fisher, Omprakash Gnawali, Steven Lustig, Amrit Pant, John Perry, Atul Pokharel, Aadit Sitaula, Inku Subedi and Kripa Upadhyay were elected to the board with their term expiring June 30, 2010. The new board elected Omprakash Gnawali as its Chairman, Hesky Fisher as its Treasurer and Steven Lustig as its Secretary.

“I still remember the time I first applied for the NCEF scholarship and received the great news of being accepted. I never would have imagined myself completing my high school study without the generous support from this organization.”

Sarita - "NCEF funded students like me inherit a feeling of giving and receiving, which cascades down from person to person, and generation to generation. At large, our efforts multiply with the successful graduation of each funded student. "

Currently, Mrs. Gopali is an employee of a newly opened finance company in Teku, Kathmandu. Her education and qualifications have positioned her to be competitive for desirable jobs like her current one despite the escalating competition for decent jobs in Nepal. NCEF is very proud of Mrs. Gopali.  Outside of work, she enjoys married life.

In the past, this reality seemed out of her reach.  At one point, given her financial circumstances, Mrs. Gopali did not know whether she would be able to complete her education. Thanks to the NCEF Scholarship Program, she was able to materialize her dream of completing high school - a dream cherished by many disadvantaged children in Nepal. After completing her studies, a feeling of gratitude motivated her to volunteer for NCEF, and she has been a devoted volunteer for the past four years.

 (Note: The interview was taken via telephone in Nepali and later translated into English)

EXCERPTS:

1) You have been a NCEF funded student in the past. How does it feel to give back to the organization?
I still remember the time I first applied for the NCEF scholarship and received the great news of being accepted. I never would have imagined myself completing my high school study without the generous support from this organization. Because of the scholarship, I was able to complete my ninth and tenth grade from Janaprabha School in Kalimati and my eleventh and twelfth from Padmakanya Campus in Baghbazar. And when I finally graduated, I felt very proud and honored.  And through my own life experiences, I understand the value of serving disadvantaged children. I feel a moral obligation to help other children.

2) What has been your role as a volunteer and how has the experience working with the NCEF been?
I assist NCEF with its student admissions process and help the organization with various administrative tasks, like delivering school supplies to students. I also help monitor requirements set for funded students, and provide students with necessary stationery items and daily amenities.

Generally, my experiences as a volunteer have been very positive; things seem to be running very smoothly. This year we have already managed to enroll many students. Compared to the past, however, fewer programs related with our campaign are currently being organized. And to me, this is cause for great concern. Since most of the previous administrators and teachers have already left, we are running out of dedicated volunteers. But despite all this, we are still determined to move ahead with renewed zeal and determination.

3) What has been your most interesting moment with NCEF?
Well, the most memorable moment would have to be the time I passed my SLC examinations (national examinations).
I was totally spellbound when I first heard about my results. I still remember that day vividly.  It was a day of great celebration. Anita Ma’am and Raja Ram Sir, the area coordinators of NCEF at the time, congratulated me on my success and invited me to a lunch in my honor. We also went for an excursion outside Kathmandu valley for a few days. All of these memories are very close to heart and I will continue to cherish them. 

4) How do you manage between your busy work-schedule and your involvement in NCEF activities?
It is really hard to set apart time for my volunteer activities. I work from ten in the morning until five in the evening throughout the week except for Saturdays (national holidays). Additionally, I have responsibilities as a wife after work. Hence, the weekend is the only time I can allocate for my volunteer involvement.

However, I understand my responsibilities and duties very well. There are times when I have to sacrifice other responsibilities for volunteer work and school-visits. Whenever important ceremonies and events related with the organization occur, I request time off from work. Despite the sacrifices, I enjoy all of my NCEF meetings and the time I spend with the kids, and I welcome satisfaction that comes along with it.

5) Have you faced any difficulties while communicating with other volunteers or the parents of the funded children?

6) Any suggestions for these prior-mentioned problems?
I wish that we could intensify the speed with which we handle and transfer documents between the volunteers stationed inside and outside the country. I do understand that this would require the introduction of more technical tools and state-of-the-art resources. But, once we manage to achieve this, we can ratchet up our admission process very quickly.
Also, the books and stationery items for the students arrive here only after the study session begins. It would be more convenient for the volunteers to dispatch these items to the students if they are sent before commencement of students’ study session in April-May period.

7) Why do you think that the existence of an organization like the NCEF is vital for the sustenance of child education in Nepal, especially outside the capital city of Kathmandu?
Firstly, the present political scenario of Nepal is in doldrums. No one expects the government to take the lead in this sector unless the situation improves. Apart from this, nearly 60% of the Nepalese population lives close to the poverty line and relies on hand-to-mouth businesses. Lack of infrastructure facilities, transport mediums and communication facilities adds up to existing under-development. Most of the poor families compel their children to abandon their primary education and work on fields and pastures, only to eke out a meager living for themselves and their family. For them, even affording the education of one kid becomes a difficult endeavor.

I believe that education underpins the foundation of development in any country. Spreading literacy is one of the primary tools to intensify this campaign for a revolutionary change. This is where NCEF projects come into play. Although the activities of NCEF may appear minuscule, one must keep in mind that in a very large illiterate population, even one student obtaining proper education widens the prospects for others to do same. NCEF funded students like me inherit a feeling of giving and receiving, which cascades down from person to person, and generation to generation. At large, our efforts multiply with the successful graduation of each funded student.

Besides this, the selection process of the NCEF students is absolutely impartial and unbiased. This ensures that girls coming from patriarchal societies receive equal opportunities for education on par with men. The funds are utilized here in a fairly transparent manner, and most of the tasks are executed cautiously. No doubt, NCEF is one of the pioneer organizations serving the important cause of educating impoverished children in Nepal.

The Association for Nepalis in Americas (ANA) organizes a convention every year in the US. This year it was hosted in San Francisco/Oakland Bay area. It was a four-day event consisting of various events like sports competition, cultural events, concerts etc. Each year thousand of Nepalese and friends of Nepal visit the convention. The ANA aims to promote preservation of Nepali identity and culture in the Americas, to foster cordial relations among Nepalese and Americans, and to demonstrate and effectiveness of the participation of Nepali-Americans in the communities they live in.

During the ANA convention this year, Nepal ko Yuwa (NKY),a youth movement that comprises of Nepali youths interested in fostering initiatives to give back to communities in Nepal, facilitated a “social cause” platform for organizations working on various social issues in Nepal. The aim of this panel was to present and discuss the organizations’ vision, activities, and areas of need before a large audience. Nepal Ko Yuwa brought together a diverse audience, comprised of Nepali and non-Nepali educated and professional youth, interested in social causes. Nepalese Children Educational Fund (NCEF) was chosen as one the organizations to presents at the forum. I have been involved with NCEF for last five years in various roles, including that of former selection     committee member and selection committee head. I felt honored to represent NCEF at this forum.

Apart from NCEF there were four other organizations that were presenting at the forum and they include: Tewa, NYOF, Himalayan Health Care (HHC) and  Sahayeta.

Each of these organizations presented their mission, their current projects, and challenges and opportunities encountered in their work. This forum drew the largest audience among all the forums organized at ANA this year. There were more than hundred people attending this forum.

I was glad to have had the opportunity to inform this big audience about NCEF’s inception as an experimental project started to provide education to Nepalese children through true volunteerism. People were amazed to know that in last 7 years since our inception, we were able to sponsor 220+ kids and raise more than $90,000 US dollars without having any paid staff.

I explained some of the challenges that we face and wonderful opportunities we have going ahead. Without wonderful volunteers, donors, and supporters from all around the world, novel endeavor like NCEF would have never happened.

This was also an opportunity for NCEF to learn from similar organizations working in Nepal. I think NCEF could make itself visible using more promotional material such as the video that I saw about the AMA foundation. The video was about 5 - 6 minutes but was vey effective. This should be an inspiration for NCEF to invest resources and energy in creating a promotional video. It would be useful to know if we have any volunteers with such skill among our members.