Dear Friends,
Happy Holidays! I am delighted to share that the Samaanta Foundation family has gone from strength to strength this year. We are into the 12th year of our program, and our Fellows and Alumni keep raising the bar with their tremendous achievements. At a time when much of the world seems intent on violence and destruction, we wanted to share some of our positive news to add a bit of joy to your lives during this holiday season.
The Samaanta family at the 12th Cohort Orientation
Graduates on a mission
All four of our Fellows from the 5th and 6th Cohort- enrolled in their Bachelor’s degrees at Thames International College and King’s College- have graduated with excellent results. Each of our graduates has also managed to secure meaningful and dignified employment in reputed organizations. They are now taking steps to be changemakers- in research, in service, and in leadership- as they embody our values of “Paying it Forward”.
Archana Giri and Kumar BK at their Graduation Ceremony at Thames International College
In the spotlight: Manoj Bisunke
Manoj is one of our 10th cohort Fellows, and we are delighted to share his journey with you. Hailing from Panchkhaal, kavrepalanchowk, Manoj has faced several challenges in life. Manoj has taken inspiration from these hardships to excel in his studies, leading him to achieve a perfect 4.00 GPA in SEE. With Samaanta’s support from 2020, he completed his higher secondary education at Nepal Mega College with a Science degree, maintaining a highly respectable 3.58 GPA.
In a context where professional degrees are extremely unaffordable to students from underserved communities, Manoj excelled against the odds to secure a placement at the National College of Engineering to pursue Civil Engineering. He wants to pursue this degree because he has seen firsthand the impact of rural communities being disconnected from roads and markets, and he wants to play his part in serving his community. He has become the first Fellow from Samaanta to pursue an Engineering degree, and as the first person from his family to pursue any higher education, he is excited about what the future holds.
One More Fellow 2024
After the success of the “One More Fellow” campaign last year, our Fellows have come together once again to “Pay it Forward” and raise funds to expand the Fellowship. This year, they embodied the principle of “less is more” to focus on small contributions from their extended networks. All Fellows and alumni set personal targets, and together they set out to raise at least USD 4,000 so that their contribution could directly fund an additional Fellow for two years in the program.
Fellows’ Deusi Bhailo Program to raise funds for the Campaign
This campaign is testimony to the Fellows’ belief that the Fellowship they have received has transformed their own lives, and they have worked tirelessly over the last three months to manage the project. As a result, they have already raised over USD 5,000, and they are still making a final push to raise even more in the last week. The Fellows are organizing a “Meet and Greet” ceremony on the 23rd of December to celebrate those who have contributed to the campaign, as well as to reflect on 12 years of Samaanta’s journey. They are still accepting donations, so if you feel like encouraging their work, please find your options here.
As we reflect on these accomplishments, we want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone for your love, support, and contributions. As our Fellows say, “Together we can make a difference”. Their dedication and your generosity has made the last 12 years of Samaanta’s journey possible, and we will keep striving to do more so that we can make equitable access to quality higher education opportunities a reality for even more deserving students from underserved communities in the future.
Thank you once again, and we wish you all a happy, peaceful, and prosperous year ahead.
On behalf of the entire Samaanta Foundation family,
Shrochis Karki
Executive Director
Samaanta Foundation