An Update From BSF's Director Leena Satyal
Last month, we were able to host a town hall Zoom meeting for all of our sponsors. We were very excited to see such a great turnout on the call and were honored to be joined by Leena Satyal, Executive Director of our partner NGO, BSF. Leena shared several updates with all of us regarding children in each of our programs, accomplishments, and challenges faced and answered our sponsor’s most pressing questions about the state of Nepal, BSF, and our children.
Leena Satyal
The Contact Center
The Contact Center, Mitrata’s early childhood program, is currently running in online and physical classes. While some of these are easier than others with the small children in the Contact Center, BSF’s priority continues to be keeping our children safe. They are giving hour-long online classes or staggered in-person classes when Nepal is not on lockdown. While these young children who are prone to low BMIs and malnutrition usually receive breakfast and lunch while in the Contact Center, BSF continues to provide food to these most vulnerable families.
Children suffering bone fractures due to malnutrition receive medical care
Grades 3 through 10 (school and boarding)
When schools and boarding facilities closed, BSF quickly jumped into action, giving out laptops and phone so that these kids could take online classes. Schools have provided extra classes and hours to students to prevent learning loss. While some schools are just now beginning to return to in-person classes, starting with higher grades first, some of the boarding schools we use agreed to open up their facilities just for Mitrata kids. Having a stable and consistent living environment is imperative for fostering a productive learning environment for our children, and we are thankful that our boarding school children were able to quickly return to their rooms at the schools.
Grades 11 and 12
Online classes and extra classes have been supplied for these two grades throughout the pandemic. This year, however, the exam that these children must take will be mandated in-person again. This presents our older children with a tricky situation because, while some have been able to get vaccinated, vaccines are still few and far between in Nepal. One must wait all day in line for a vaccine, and even then, vaccine sites often run out.
Bachelors and Vocational College
All college classes including final exams have now returned to being held in-person. Some of these older kids have now graduated and begun working, presenting another challenge: navigating a tight job market with job losses, especially in the area of tourism. Some of our previous graduates who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 have now returned under our care temporarily.
Through two long, police-enforced lockdowns in Nepal and the fear of further closings, no sponsor or medical trips from U.S. supporters, learning loss, and the need for alternate schools, BSF have been able to navigate and overcome an astounding amount. The team has maintained consistent communication between themselves and all of Mitrata children, including weekly staff meetings and one-on-one meetings between staff and children. Because of these strong networks, BSF staff have been able to distribute emergency technology and food to the families we serve, provide PCR tests, quarantine measures, and other medical services to our children, maintain COVID-19 safety protocol around classes, begin vaccinating children and vaccinating the entire BSF staff, providing greater counseling services, and moving children to emergency boarding school housing as well as arranging additional housing for those in need.
We cannot say enough about everything that Leena and the BSF team have overcome and accomplished over the past year and a half! Thank you for your continued support, and a big thanks to the BSF team for their perseverance and unending commitment to keeping our children safe and healthy.