Celebrating January’s Good News
Happy January Everyone!
It has been quite a chilly one around the world, with sub-zero temperatures hitting the US and EU these past weeks. We hope you and your loved ones have braved the cold with both literal warmth, and the warmth that comes with envisioning a prosperous, gratitude filled year ahead.
We wanted to join in on spreading some warmth to you this weekend with updates from Hari and the girls at Rising Lotus. We have seen the start of winter holidays for the younger girls, welcomed a visionary leader and friend of the program to your new campus, and celebrated our class 10 girls passing their pre-SEE exams. Know it has been cold but the ample blankets, winter wear, and new hot water showers - all made possible through sponsorships from supporters around the world - are ensuring the girls stay warm through the winter.
Wishing you and your families a wonderful rest of your weekend!
As always, Namaste and Lots of Love,
RLCV Directors Tracy, Hari and Nate
Class 10 Achievements!
Just this week, we received news that our two class 10 girls, Apsara and Anu, passed their The Secondary Education Examination (SEE) qualification exams. This is BIG NEWS! Think of the SEE as the SATs or A-Levels. Every student must first qualify to take the SEE which will determine what level of higher education students are eligible for after class 10, as well as scholarship opportunities. We are so proud of Apsara and Anu and will be supporting them through this intense period ahead, leading up to the SEE exams in April and May. We are equally proud to share that we are able to provide private tutoring for all our girls, on a weekly basis, with extra tutor sessions for our high school girls in class 9 and 10. These sessions provide them with the best opportunity to achieve top SEE grades, and thus opportunities to further pursue their education after leaving Rising Lotus.
Visit from long time friend Balkrishna Thapaliya
We had the privilege this week of welcoming community leader, visionary, and longtime friend Balkrishna Thapaliya to RLCV. Balkrishna is the pioneer who has spent the last 20 years transforming the region of Chitwan, Kanda, where over 1/3 of our girls are from.
Thanks to his leadership, the Chitwan community in Kanda, which is amongst the most remote and poorest communities in Nepal, has realized the construction of new homes, a primary school and health clinic. Villagers are now registered in the Nepali social security system, given access to voting and social benefits for the first time in their history. Additionally, each family has had water irrigation lines channeled to their homes, saving them countless hours daily and ensuring their livelihoods which are solely reliant upon subsistence farming.
This was Balkrishna’s first visit to our new campus and the first time we have seen him since our directors Hari and Nate visited Kanda in December 2022. We are so grateful for Balkrishna’s tireless work, improving the lives of our girls, their families, and thousands living in Nepali’s most vulnerable communities.
Winter Break
January sees a school break for our primary school girls. Family members came to pick up the girls to spend these weeks with their siblings and extended families. We are proud to coordinate and provide the financial support for the girls to stay connected with their families throughout the year.
