Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who is Mitrata-Nepal Foundation?
Mitrata-Nepal Foundation for Children, Inc is a non-profit 501C3 organization based in the USA that supports the programs of the Mitrata-Nepal Foundation, a registered Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Nepal. Both organizations have a Board of Directors and are legally recognized in their respective countries. Mitrata means friendship in Nepali, emphasizing the partnership between these organizations in two countries dedicated to serving underprivileged children in Nepal. Mitrata-Nepal Foundation provides food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care for needy children in Nepal.

How does child sponsorship work?
We have two kinds of sponsorship, child home sponsorship and child school sponsorship. The child home sponsorship provides for all of the needs of a child in our group home in Kathmandu. This includes education, food, clothing, shelter and medical needs. The child school sponsorship, supports a child who lives with a parent, but cannot afford school and medical expenses. Usually, this is a single woman, who has lost a husband due to death, illness or divorce. Women in Nepal are destitute when this happens, as they have little education and cannot get jobs to support their children.
Child Sponsorship starts when you commit to supporting a child and send the appropriate amount of money to sponsor for a year. You will then receive a packet of information about the child, the organization and a receipt for tax purposes.

How many children do you support?
We currently support 71 children, although the number is likely to be higher by the time you read this. Conditions are such in Nepal that the need for Mitrata’s support continues to grow.

How is a child chosen for help?
Our home was established in 2002 and has a good reputation in Kathmandu. Word of a good home for children travels fast. At any given time, we have a wait list of children who need our help. They come to us from community organization leaders who know of village children in need and from friends and neighbors of the Mitrata children’s home. Nanda Kulu, our program director in Nepal, a business woman for many years, is well known in the community. With good reports on the quality of our programs, children are sometimes brought directly to us by a relative who is unable to provide support for the child.
Children are interviewed to determine if their needs qualify them. If so, legal documents are established and the children become the responsibility of the Mitrata-Nepal Foundation until they reach maturity.

Does Mitrata-Nepal help all children in Nepal?
Mitrata-Nepal has not turned away any children who qualify for our home. Nevertheless, our children’s home has limited space and is not set up to care for handicapped children with severe physical disabilities or children who require highly individualized care. We do have children with sight or hearing impairments or non-contagious illnesses in the home.

How much does child sponsorship cost?
We have two levels of sponsorship, one for school and medical care only and the other for total care in our children’s home in Kathmandu, Nepal. The school sponsorship for 2007 is $300 and the home sponsorship is $800. Due to the high rate of inflation in Nepal, sponsorship rates may need to be raised in the future. Payment installments can be arranged.

How long will child sponsorship last?
Each child needs support from Mitrata at least until the equivalent of high school graduation. When you assume sponsorship for a child, we hope that you intend to develop a relationship with your sponsored child that will last and help them on their way to successful adulthood. Having said that, there is no minimum or maximum time period for child sponsorship. If your personal circumstances change at any time, please advise us as soon as possible so we can make other arrangements for your child’s support.

What do I receive after I send in my sponsorship donation?
After you send in your donation, you will receive a packet of information about your child, including a photograph, as well as more information about Mitrata-Nepal, and a tax deductible receipt. From that time on, you and your child will be linked from half way around the world. Periodically you will receive letters from your child and you are encouraged to write (or visit!) your child.

What happens if I cannot continue as a sponsor?
If your circumstances change and you can no longer sponsor a child, we will need to find another sponsor for the child as soon as we can. We are always especially grateful if you have a friend or relative who will take over your sponsorship.
Mitrata-Nepal has assured the future of all the children and in any interim period where a child does not have a sponsor, Mitrata-Nepal provides the money from our general reserve fund until such time as another sponsor is found.

Can we choose the child we sponsor?
From time to time, we post the children’s pictures on our website that we have in our home who need sponsors. When this happens, people sometimes select one of these children. However, if a child is on the waiting list, we may not as yet have the picture and information in detail. In that case, you can tell us your preferences and we will try our best to match you with a child.

Can I decide on the gender and age of my child?
You can always let us know of your preferences and we will do our best to accommodate them. However, as we are a small organization, we cannot always meet a specific request and we greatly appreciate your flexibility.

What religion will my sponsored child be?
Most of the people in Nepal are Hindu with a minority identifying themselves as Buddhist, or other religions. Our children’s home respects all religions and raises the children in whatever religion they choose. There are traditional Hindu and Buddhist holidays in Nepal that are observed by all people and our children’s home celebrates them with all Nepalese families. Children are never subject to any kind of effort to alter their religion. Nepalese culture is very open and many religious traditions are honored.

Can I send my child a letter?
The power of the written word is of particular strength in the relationship that develops between the sponsored child and their Mitrata-Nepal sponsor. These children receive so little in life that a letter is truly cherished and can help form a lasting relationship. Short and simple letters are best, as they are easier for the children to translate and for the child to appreciate. Tell your child about family, pets, hobbies, favorite sports, work, our country and our culture. Also include photos and pictures if you like. Then ask the child some questions, so you can learn about his/her family and culture. Please don't be worried if it takes some time for a reply to come, letters have a lengthy journey to travel before they get read and then answered. But it is worth the wait, because it means so much to your child.

Will I hear back from my sponsored child?
Yes, you will receive a response from your child. Remember that all children are learning English and we encourage writing letters, however, younger children often need a great deal of help in writing a letter or one of the caregivers in our home who knows English has to write it for them.

How often will I receive letters from my child?
Twice a year you will receive a picture of your child and a letter or drawing from your child, regardless of whether you choose to write him or her.

Can I give gifts to the child I sponsor?
Yes you can! We recommend that gifts are no bigger than something that can be mailed in a small box or large envelope. All gifts go to the Mitrata-Nepal children’s home in Nepal. Suitable gifts are educational materials, such as pencils, booklets, simple toys, clothing accessories, such as hats or gloves, costume jewelry, stuffed animals, small dolls, miniature cars, durable building blocks, etc. The caregivers will be sure that your child receives the items and you will hear back when they are received. Please be patient, as this can take many weeks.

Is there anything that I cannot send to my child?
Please do not send any expensive items or electronic devices, food, jewelry, large items of clothing, or computer related items. Also, do not send cash, checks or fragile items. If you ever have a question about an item, you can email us and ask before you send it. Postal service is not always reliable and is expensive, therefore it is not useful to send anything of great value or weight. Many items can be purchased for children in Nepal more cheaply than here.

May we visit the children we sponsor?
We have always encouraged our sponsors and donors to visit the Mitrata –Nepal children’s home in Kathmandu. Once a year, we provide an opportunity for sponsors or donors to take a cultural trip to visit Nepal, including making a visit to the children’s home. We publish information about these trips in our newsletters and on our website. If you have such an interest, please contact us for more information.

Will the cost of sponsorship rise as the child grows up?
If the cost of sponsorship rises we tell donors. However, existing donors may carry on paying their existing rate unless the difference becomes too great. Many things affect the need for an increase, such as the falling dollar rate or economic price increases in Nepal. Since 2002, we have had 2 price increases.

Where does the money go? Ninety-five percent of our donations go to support our programs in Nepal.

How much do you spend on administration costs and how are these funded?
Our administrative costs are no more that 5% of our expenses. These are funded by individual donations that Mitrata receives, and are not taken out of sponsorship fees.

Does child sponsorship really help?
Absolutely! The money for sponsorship saves a child from a life of no education, poor nutrition, illness and poverty. There are no government welfare services in Nepal to help children who are poor. The conditions for children are particularly harsh, and over half of Nepal’s population are children. Half of them are malnourished and only 25% live with adequate sanitation. Less than 1/3 of girls attend high school, and child labor is pervasive.

How can we be sure that our donation isn't going to end up in the ‘wrong' hands’?
This is always a concern when working in other countries, where mismanagement of funds is not uncommon. We have several safeguards in place and a close relationship with our partner that assures of the right use of our funds. Since Mitrata-Nepal is a registered NGO, by law they have to account for their funds received and distributed in Nepal. We have a system of transparency of record keeping and exchange of accounting records that is managed by our Treasurer in the USA who is a CPA. In addition, we have another USA non profit organization, OUEST, which assists NGO’s in Nepal, and audits our records. Annual visits by the Director, Dr. Christine Schutz, also allow for a close connection between our two organizations.

What is your marketing strategy?
Mitrata-Nepal has grown by word of mouth connections between friends. We do not spend money on direct mail, ad campaigns or marketing personnel. Our strategy is to provide money directly to our children in Nepal and bypass the administrative costs of most other organizations. We do this by having a Board of Directors who are volunteers in the USA. These people donate their personal time and money for administrative costs. We also keep our costs very low, so you are likely to see our brochures on very minimal paper and we will try to communicate by email when we can.
Once a year we have a fundraiser dinner in late November and from time to time we will have other events or set up a booth at a festival.

Can I help with fundraising for Mitrata-Nepal?
Yes. You can help in several ways. First, we have been very successful with setting up Friend-Raisers, which is an invitation to people to your home for snacks or dessert to learn about Mitrata-Nepal. Christine Schutz will attend and talk about the children, show the new 15 minute video on Mitrata-Nepal, and answer any questions. One of our supporters holds an annual Valentines Day party as a benefit. A Friendraiser held in June raised over $600 toward hepatitis shots for the kids and increased awareness in the St. Louis community! A Friendraiser can be of any size or for any occasion, it's totally up to you. If you are interested in doing this, please call Sue Kaiser, Fundraising Committee Chairperson at (314) 725-5881 or email us.
Second, from time to time we put on a dinner event or attend a festival with a booth. We always need volunteers to help us.
Third, if you want to get more involved and can offer professional or administrative services to us, we may be able to utilize your skills. Email us and tell us what your skills are and how you might like to help.

Can I make specific donations or donate to a general fund?
You can make a general donation at any time by mailing in a check or using the Paypal option on our website www.mitrata.org. From time to time, we also have specific needs for our children’s home, such as a solar hot water heater, or computers. We will let you know on our website or in our newsletters. You may wish to specify how your general donation will be used.

Can I make a donation of stock to Mitrata-Nepal?
Yes. We have a brokerage account that allows us to transfer stocks of your choice. These are very helpful for us for planning for the future of our children.

Where do I find out about volunteering in Nepal?
Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering and would like to go to Nepal and assist in our children’s home. We can personally arrange a project for you that will fit your needs and benefit the children.

How do I let you know that my address has changed?
Please email us as soon as possible your new address including your email address. It will helps us save money if we can communicate by email.