A belated Happy Holidays to all of our volunteers, donors and supporters.

We have just finished another successful year at NCEF.

We are proceeding well in our multi-year effort to update our branding and publicity materials. We have a new logo, designed by our member Kevin and voted on by the membership. Kevin also created a new business card for NCEF. Work is underway on an updated pamphlet and website, the latter being a large project. It is important that we present to the public an organization that keeps up-to-date.

Thanks to our fundraising team for working hard to bring in $16,304 in donations in 2012. Also thanks to all of those who participated in Walk for Nepal and especially those who organized NCEF's role in those events. After participating in one Walk for Nepal event in Boston in 2011, we expanded to include New York and Dallas in 2012. This year we also partnered with Manjayashree Bhatta, a Nepali singer and a performer, to publicize NCEF during her performances throughout North America.

After a lot of work, our Nepal volunteers completed non-profit organization registration renewal with the Nepali government this spring. This is key to being able to operate officially in Nepal and to continue supporting the nearly 80 students we currently help.

Thanks to all of our volunteers for all of the amazing work they have done: filing our legal documents in the US, updating our website, visiting students in their schools in Nepal, organizing our reports, reviewing student applications, translating documents, communicating with our donors, and the many other tasks essential to NCEF's success.

We still have lots of work to do to further our organization and increase the number of students we support, so if you are interested in volunteering or know someone who is, please let us know at [email protected].
 

Warmly,
Steven Lustig
President, NCEF
 

                          Renuka, Binita, and Sarala in school, 2012
 

Renuka, 15 years
Grade 7, Shri Chaturmukhi Higher Secondary School
Chitwan, Nepal

Renuka’s commitment to study is very strong. She walks over 3 hours to get to school and repeats the long walk to return home. The oldest of 6 children, her family's agriculture and goat farming does not provide enough income for school, and she is very grateful for the support from NCEF. With the help of NCEF she was able to achieve her goal of attending grade 7. Volunteers who spoke with her recently report that she was glad to have received good marks on her science exam.

Binita, 12 years
Grade 6, Shri Chaturmukhi Higher Secondary School
Chitwan, Nepal

Binita lives only a 10-minute walk from school, but without the support of NCEF it would be out of reach. The financial situation for her family is very strenuous, as they depend on daily wages for much of the year. This year she has improved her academic performance and was delighted to score highest marks in English.

Sarala, 16 years
Grade 6, Shri Chaturmukhi Higher Secondary School
Chitwan, Nepal

Sarala has a very difficult situation at home. Her mother left after her father died so she now lives with her aunt. Her studies have struggled because of this, and she did not pass the last year’s final examination. She has made a new commitment to do better in school, and with support from NCEF she was able to prove to herself and her family that she can excel in her studies. This year she especially enjoyed a Children’s Day program at school.