Seeing Impact Up Close: My Time with Rukmini Foundation

By Deniya Evans, Volunteer, AllPeopleBeHappy

I had the opportunity to visit Nepal for three weeks and volunteer with Rukmini Foundation (RF) through AllPeopleBeHappy (APBH), one of RFs partnerships organizations.

I was initially interested in volunteering with RF because of their work in supporting women and children in health and education aligning with my own personal interests, and it was exciting to get on the ground and actually see how their work impacts their community.

The Rukmini Foundation serves to empower girls in Nepal through education. There seems to be a big focus on public and community health and well-being. Through community engagement and various mentorship programs, the Rukmini Foundation provides young girls with access to education, mentorship, healthcare education, leadership skills, and the confidence to know that they can do anything they want to do.

AllPeopleBeHappy (APBH) is one of the partnership organizations of Rukmini Foundation, and they provide funding for many of Rukmini’s community projects. So far, I have observed how funding from APBH benefits Rukmini’s Community Health Impact Projects (CHIPs) such as the school lunch nutrition program and the vegetable tunnels.

The nutrition program has ensured that hundreds of students are able to receive daily nutritious meals, which is vital to learning and growth and development. The vegetable tunnels funded by APBH present a community involvement initiative, as the tunnels are owned by women in the community who have children who attend the school. The owners give back to the school through selling of goods. The vegetable tunnels are a part of one of Rukmini's latest initiatives that focuses on uplifting local women in the municipality by providing them with vegetable farming training.

Aside from learning about community needs and involvement, this trip also provided me with many opportunities for cultural immersion. I met almost daily with RF staff to participate in community events, stayed with a local host family in Dallu, visited many monasteries and local markets, hiked to a cave, tried lots of Nepali food, learned some common Nepali words and phrases, and got to interact with local families and students.

Meeting with the girls in school during GLOW Club meetings was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I enjoyed getting to learn about their interests, their goals, and hearing how involvement with RF impacted them. This was such a meaningful trip and a high-impact experience that I will never forget. I am grateful to both RF and APBH for this opportunity, and I hope to stay involved with RF and visit them again in Nepal soon!