News
Read stories and updates from our work with the children of Nepal. To find our old newsletters from 2003 to 2018, visit the archive! Otherwise, click in the search bar below to locate blogs on a topics you’re interested in.
Time to Say Goodbye… For Now!
After two wonderful weeks that were spent trekking in the Annapurna range, exploring Kathmandu and Bhaktapur, and most importantly meeting and enjoying time with their sponsored children and the kids at the Contact Center; it was time for the Mitrata Child Sponsors to head home. Three members of the Mitrata leadership team remained behind to get some important work done. Executive Director Dr. Christine Schutz, Advisory Board member Stephanie Recht, and Sponsorship Committee Chair Danny Williger settled in to tackle serious business. And they did. They tackled it Mitrata Style!
It’s a Graduation Celebration!
One of the most exciting experiences for our Sponsors, and one of the most anticipated moments in the lives of our students is the Mitrata-Nepal/BSF Graduation Ceremony.
Throughout the pandemic, our NGO partner, Bhuvaneshwori Satyal Foundation (BSF) was not able to hold a graduation ceremony. For this reason, this year’s ceremony included all our 2020, 2021, and 2022 graduates.
A Busy Day At The Contact Center
Eight sponsors, Dr. Christine Schutz and Anna Wertman spent a busy day at the new Contact Center, our early childhood school readiness program in Balaju, Kathmandu. After spending a busy morning at the Contact Center, we left the children to their studies and went to visit the Vibhuti Vidhya Mandir School. We were then able to take a walk through the neighborhood and visit a few of our Contact Center students at home.
Celebrating Tihar in Nepal
This week, our Executive Director and Founder, Dr. Christine Schutz, and Director of Development and Operations, Alexis Mead, are celebrating the Tihar Festival in Nepal with the entire BSF staff and Contact Center children. Tihar, also known as Deepawali, is a five-day-long Hindu festival celebrated in Nepal. They celebrate Tihar by honoring the Hindu goddess of prosperity, Laxmi. Tihar is also known as the festival of lights, where diyas are lit both inside and outside the houses to welcome the spirit of Laxmi. The festival is considered to be of great importance as it shows reverence to not just the humans and the gods, but also to the animals like crows, cows, and dogs who maintain an intense relationship with humans.
Happy Dashain!
Every year, our children and staff celebrate the holiday Dashain at our Contact Center. Dashain is one of the biggest Hindu festivals celebrated in Nepal every year. It takes place in the fall season, which is typically during our months of September and October. The festival lasts a full 15 days or more, and is meant to celebrate victory of good over evil!
Celebrating 20 Years of Mitrata
On Sunday, September 11, 2022 many of the friends of Mitrata gathered together to celebrate Mitrata’s 20th Anniversary. The celebration lasted from 1:00-5:00pm and was a wonderful open house that allowed Mitrata supporters to catch up with one another.
Mitrata’s Child Sponsors join Leena & Yogesh for “Sponsor Coffees”
While visiting St. Louis, Leena and Yogesh Satyal, the Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors of Bhuvaneshwori Satyal Foundation (BSF) were able to get together with our child sponsors for a cup of coffee while sharing updates on their sponsored children, their progress, and the programs in which they participate in Nepal. As Chair of the Sponsorship Committee, Danny Williger was able to attend most of these “Sponsor Coffees.” Here’s what he had to say about the experience…
Welcome Leena and Yogesh!
It has been four years since Bhuvaneshwori Satyal Foundation's (BSF) Executive Director Leena Satyal and Board President Yogesh Satyal have been able to visit us in the United States. Now, in just a few days, they will arrive in St. Louis! We are so excited to finally get together with them and hear first-hand updates on all the programs and children.
Why is Providing Healthcare so Important?
In Nepal, healthcare is not free. Because of this, we ensure that our children receive dental care, braces, vaccinations, glasses and regular annual exams. Last month, our NGO partner, Bhuvaneshwori-Satyal Foundation (BSF), was able to take some of our children in for a dental checkup.
2021 Annual Report
The 2021 Annual Report is now published on our website! It’s a perfect way to stay up-to-date on the challenges we faced and successes we achieved over the past year.