NCEF Member and Wedding Donor

Tim Billo with students in Nepal.

I first went to Nepal in 2000. I had an interval of free time between the end of a job and the beginning of graduate school in biology. I was lured by the diversity of landscapes from warm, humid jungles to high peaks, and the equal diversity of cultures and ethnicities spanning that gradient.

Through an NGO in Kathmandu, I identified a community that was interested in having a volunteer live and work with them. That community was Sankhu, a Newari community in the Kathmandu Valley.

I volunteered my time at the Shree Bhagawati Secondary School, and lived with several families in the community while there. I experienced the culture from the inside, by living it and being a part of it. The openness and friendliness with which the town and school accepted me was overwhelmingly wonderful and amazing. It was one of the best decisions of my life.

Most of the children were from very poor families, and I began to understand some of the issues that children face in struggling to attain an education. Many students worked in the parents' fields, attended livestock around the house, and had to walk more than an hour to get to school. One of my students enthusiastically showed me his bedroom: except for his bed, the room was piled with potatoes the family was storing. The girls tended to have an especially hard time; there is a greater cultural expectation that girls should spend time doing chores around the house and farm, because they are not viewed as future money earners the way boys are. This was a disheartening realization, but nevertheless, I found all of the students to be some of the most hardworking, dedicated, polite, open-hearted, and appreciative children I've ever worked with.

On my last day at the school, I was greeted with a special ceremony. It was a royal send-off that I did not expect at all. My experience with the community and school couldn't have been better. I certainly feel that I learned and gained much more from them than they received from me. Seeing the courage, dedication, positivity, and lack of cynicism with which they approached their sometimes difficult lives, gave me incredible hope for Nepal and the future of children everywhere.

One of the reasons I wanted to work with a charity for my wedding was as a way to help give back to the greater community of Nepali students and teachers that gave so much to me, in ways I can barely begin to describe. Since my time in Nepal, I have gone on to work as a full-time teacher, and also as a field biologist, interacting with many communities in other parts of the world.

I got involved with NCEF because a good friend of mine, Tom Kornack, who also traveled in Nepal, recommended NCEF to me. He had set up a donation fund for his wedding some years ago. We both realized that NCEF is an organization that is run by Nepalis, for Nepalis, with extremely low overhead costs (entirely volunteer run), and a very transparent operating budget. Virtually all of the money donated was going directly where it needed to go. And not only that, a relatively small donation can go such a long way in Nepal towards completely changing a child's life and his or her opportunities for the future.

Many weddings set up gift registries, and we did too, as one option. But it seemed to my wife and I that weddings shouldn't be about accumulating goods or wealth. Weddings are one of the most idealistic societal institutions we have today: a wedding is about promoting an ideal of love. Inherent in love are other ideals, such as sharing and fairness. We wanted to give our guests the opportunity to share in and promote some of the ideals we believe in, and the greater ideal of love. Additionally, marriage is a milestone on which it is important to acknowledge who and what made you who you are today. NCEF was the organization that best promoted the communities that gave so much to me and influenced who I am today. NCEF is an organization that promotes the ideals of sharing and equal opportunity for all.

11th grader Sabina Sapkota and NCEF volunteer Sudeep Shrestha

NCEF strives to help the needy children of Nepal; those who otherwise would not get the chance to study because of their family's financial position. NCEF has witnessed many of its funded students achieve excellent academic records, which they would not have been able to if NCEF had not funded them. Happily, the trend is continuing with one of our students from the Patan area, Miss Sabina Sapkota. She has been funded by NCEF for six years.

Sabina's family consists of her mother and two sisters; her father passed away when she was young. Her mother works as a helper in a finance company and earns just NRs. 8000 per month (about $100). With this small salary, she has to manage all household expenses, which makes her unable to send daughter to school. Getting assistance from NCEF has relieved her stress and now she is able to send her daughter to school, fulfilling Sabina's dream to pursue education. Best of all, Sabina's excellent record has led to a full scholarship in one of Kathmandu's better private high schools, Barsha Higher Secondary School.

During a visit, she shared some of her interests with one of our volunteers, Sudeep Shrestha. Following are the excerpts of the conversation:

SS: Do you have any hobbies?
Yes, I do. I like to dance a lot. In addition to that, I also like to write poems. I have secured first, second, third, and fourth place in different dance competitions.

SS: Which subject do you like the most?
I love to study biology more than any other subject.

SS: What do you like to do over the weekend?
I give my weekend time to my hobbies and finish any leftover work. In addition to that, I wish to visit new places, especially historically valued sites, and learn about them.

SS: Do you like any sports?
Yes, I like to play badminton a lot.

SS: What do you want to do after you complete your studies?
After high school, I want to pursue MBBS [medical] studies. After that I want to be an excellent doctor and help those who are in need, and be a good role model.

SS: Any last words you would like to say?
I would like to thank NCEF for supporting me. Due to NCEF, I was able to continue my studies; otherwise it would be very hard for my mother to support me for my studies. Thanks a lot!

We always like to celebrate the achievements of our students and this year we've seen children overcome great odds to achieve success. Ghyasang in Dolakha lost both parents, but thanks to our donors he was able to continue his education and has gone on to be a top student. As he says, "If I had not received the help of NCEF… I probably would not have been able to take the SLC. Today, I am studying Science." If you would like to see his full letter, please go to the november newsletter. We wish Ghyasang and all of our students continued success in their studies.

We want to extend a very warm holiday greeting from the entire NCEF family. Safe travel and happy holidays!

Sincerely,
Steven Lustig
President, NCEF

You've heard from our volunteers, from our students, and now from our President. This holiday season, give a gift that has the power to change a life for the better. Without your help, students like Sabina and Ghyasang would be out of school, their options for the future severely limited.

These amazing opportunities for children are possible because of the generosity of donors like yourself. Thank you all. From the students and volunteers at NCEF, we want to wish you happy holidays and a wonderful new year!