MANAKAMANA FUND NEWSLETTER

SUMMER 2019 As we head into our 30th year of providing scholarships for young women in Nepal to study for vocational degrees, we are looking backward as well as forward. In 1990, US Peace Corps Volunteers John Neeley (shown below) and John Brugman put together a small fund to help three of their female high school students pursue higher education.

From that modest beginning, the Manakamana scholarships have grown: we have supported over 600 female students, concentrating on vocational degrees which will allow recipients to work in or near their villages. When Pam took over the day-to-day running of the scholarship program in 1992, she knew she needed help, and asked Manohari (her Co-Director of the U. of Wisconsin College Year in Nepal program) and then Geeta (a language and culture teacher at that program) to volunteer their time. Now our annual budget is approximately $35,000, and we will fund 90 girls from all over Nepal this year. This year's new scholarships showed a shift in fields of study, with many more Junior Technical Assistant (Plant/Agriculture or Livestock/Veterinary) degrees, a steady number of Education degrees, and fewer Auxiliary Nurse/Midwife and Certified Medical Assistant and Lab Assistant degrees. This reflects the needs and desires of the applicant pool. Most of our graduates find jobs, and many keep in touch and help to inspire others to dream big and apply. Since 2007, we have produced a photo calendar as a fundraiser for the scholarships, which has netted an average of $5000-6000 per year. The 2020 calendar will be available soon from our website: www.manakamanafund.com Here are some of the people who make it all happen:

Geeta Manandhar, who joined Manakamana in 1998, is a Nepali language teacher who has traveled all over Nepal and to many other countries. She is the mainstay of the Fund, spending enormous amounts of time talking with scholarship recipients (many of whom have never been away from home or had money of their own to budget and spend), with the schools they attend (making sure that the girls are paying their fees and sending receipts), and with donors (providing them with information about the Fund and individual girls). For the current batch of new girls starting their studies right now, Geeta interviewed all 159 applicants by phone in order to choose 45.

Pam and Bishnu Pariyar, our first MF recipient Pam Ross is from the US and spent 25 years living and working in Nepal and raising a son there with her husband Charles Gay, who helps produce our fundraising calendar. Pam is the major fundraiser for the scholarships and generally visits Nepal every year to meet recipients and school personnel.

Geeta and Manohari Upadhyaya go through all of the applications each year and try to pick the most promising candidates for scholarships. Manohari is a Nepali educator who currently heads the Kathmandu Study Center, and who loves to travel to remote areas in Nepal. He is also our liaison with the Nepali government.

Steve with scholarship recipients and Tirtha Raj Shakya Bidur Dangol is the owner of Vajra Books in Kathmandu and serves as our Nepal calendar distributor and shipper. He's also on our Board of Directors. Siobhan Kelly helps out with calendar distribution in Kathmandu. In the US, Leigh Williams has taken on the task of US calendar distribution and online sales. Zach Larson is our webmaster and keeps our website updated. Thanks so much for your help over the years--we hope it will continue! - Pam & Geeta

Steve LeClerq is our super-volunteer. Originally from the US, Steve was in the Peace Corps in Nepal from 1974-78 and has spent most of his life there. He works in the Terai, and has over the years identified more good applicants than anyone else, mentored them and often employed them in his project. He's also been our driver and facilitator on numerous field trips to remote areas to meet recipients and school personnel. Plus he sells more calendars than anyone else!