Nepal Australia Friendship Association

President’s Report 2025

Russ — Tue, 12 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

With continued support from our network of loyal donors, NAFA had another impactful year in 2025, supporting twelve ongoing programs and several one-off projects covering the important development sectors of education, childcare, health, disability, water infrastructure and agricultural development. Collectively, NAFA’s funded program and project portfolio continue to make a real difference to disadvantaged individuals, families and communities in Nepal.

Donations totalling nearly $170,000 were received from three like-minded philanthropists and a network of loyal NAFA supporters. NAFA donors are undoubtedly attracted by the spread and depth of NAFA’s program/project portfolio, the tax deductibility of donations to NAFA and our guarantee that 100% of donations go directly to Nepal. That guarantee can be provided as we have no paid staff or office, spend no money marketing and executive officers visit Nepal, at their own expense, at least once a year (twice a year for many years after the devastating 2015 earthquake).

Read the 2025 President’s Report for a full update on the year’s progress : 2025 NAFA President’s Report

President’s Report 2024

Russ — Tue, 20 May 2025 12:00:04 +0000

With continued support from our network of loyal donors, NAFA had another impactful year in 2024, supporting core, annually funded education, health and disability programs and one-off projects that make a real difference to disadvantaged individuals, families and communities in Nepal.

Donations totalling over $170,000 were received from three like-minded philanthropists and a network of loyal NAFA supporters. NAFA donors are undoubtedly attracted by the spread and depth of NAFA’s program/project portfolio, the tax deductibility of donations to NAFA and our guarantee that 100% of donations go directly to Nepal. That guarantee can be provided as we have no paid staff or office and executive officers visit Nepal, at their own expense, once or twice a year to assess funding applications, monitor project implementation and evaluate outcomes achieved.

Read the 2024 President’s Report for a full update on the year’s progress : 2024 NAFA President’s Report

President’s Report 2023

Russ — Tue, 07 May 2024 11:34:42 +0000

While NAFA is no longer being directly affected by COVID, our new normal is not the same as it used to be – again, no annual fundraising dinner and few market stalls. At least I was able to visit our projects in March. As was the case in the COVID years, NAFA continued to support our core, annually funded programs and allocate funds for a range of significant and impactful one-off projects. We were able to achieve this through the generosity of our network of loyal supporters and like-minded philanthropists, including the Hare Family, the Goldburg Foundation, and the English Family Foundation. In doing so, NAFA continues to make good on our guarantee that 100% of donations go directly to Nepal.

Read the 2023 President’s Report for a full update on the year’s progress : 2023 NAFA President’s Report

President’s Report 2022

Russ — Thu, 04 May 2023 13:59:09 +0000

The third and likely final year affected by COVID – though our new normal is not the same as it used to be: again, no annual fundraising dinner and few market stalls but at least Deb and I had visits to Nepal during the year, though in the second visit in late 2022, we contracted COVID, forcing us into seven days of isolation. However, like the previous two years of COVID, NAFA continued to support our core, annually funded programs and allocate funds for a range of one-off projects. We were able to achieve this through the generosity of our network of loyal supporters and like-minded philanthropists and continuing to make good on our guarantee that 100% of donations go directly to Nepal.

Read the 2022 President’s Report for a full update on the year’s progress : 2022 NAFA President’s Report

Newsletter May 2022

Russ — Thu, 26 May 2022 13:59:17 +0000

Another COVID year, but again, thanks to wonderful support from NAFA’s donor network and generous donations from loyal philanthropists NAFA continued to support its ongoing health, disability, education and childcare commitments, as well as fund important one-off projects. In March 2022 senior executive officers were able to visit most of NAFA’s funded projects in Nepal.

Newsletter May 2022

President’s Report 2021

Russ — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 13:00:20 +0000

A second year affected by Covid we had hoped for a return to normality but again no annual fundraising dinner, only a couple of market stalls and no visits to Nepal by NAFA executive officers. However, like 2020, we were still able to continue to support our Nepali funded partners through Covid, fund our core projects in Nepal and allocate funds to complete the rebuild of classrooms of another village primary school impacted by the 2015 earthquake.

Our priorities in 2021 included further provision of personal protective equipment and supplies, as well as additional allocations to Surendra in Thimi and Govinda in Pokhara to support their efforts to provide additional Covid-19 related assistance to the most disadvantaged in their respective communities. Another priority was to ensure we met our ongoing education, childcare and health program commitments. We were able to achieve both these priorities through the continued generosity of NAFA supporters and our guarantee that 100% of donations go directly to Nepal.

Read the 2021 President’s Report for a full update on the year’s progress : 2021 NAFA President’s Report

Distribution of Covid-19 Aid Packages to the Disabled in Pokhara

Russ — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 04:46:16 +0000

Govinda Raj Pahari is Director of the Butterfly Foundation (BNF) in Pokhara. In this post Govinda provides an update on the distribution of aid packages to people with a disability.

Govinda is a deeply passionate man with a long history of helping the disadvantaged in his community, including the establishment of two childcare centres and assisting those affected by the 2015 earthquakes. Since 2006 NAFA has provided funding towards the costs of running the two child care centres.

Butterfly Foundation Nepal (BFN) is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit making humanitarian organisation (NGO) that supports vulnerable people and underprivileged children by providing food, shelter, education, healthcare materials and extra-curricular activities. It aims to provide humanitarian services to impoverished persons including children through day care center, sponsorship and support for their education and health accordingly.

In this a month, BFN has successfully conducted following activities in August 2020.

1. Medicine and Health Checkup Service

During this project period and based on the project activities, BFN has distributed medicine and health checkup services for the children and peoples with disabilities, having wound infection by various incidents. In this regard, BNF provided home based medicine, dressing and counselling services for 20 persons. Similarly, 40 persons with disabilities including 21 children received medicine support. During this activity, BFN has mobilized it’s two health workers Mr. Jhalak Bahadur Bhujel, the Senior Health worker (SNA) and Jiwan Khanal, Community Medicine Assistance (CMA) from 1st August to 26th August 2021.

2. Oxygen Cylinder Distribution Program

On 20th August 2021, BFN foundation in collaboration with NAFA has distributed 20 oxygen cylinders with oxygen and 20 sets of PPEs to Pokhara Academy of Health Science which is also known as Wester Regional Hospital, Gandaki Province Nepal. During these materials’ distribution program, the Chairperson of BFN, Mr. Govinda Raj Pahari and the Vice-President of BFN as well the ward Chairperson of Pokhara Metropolitan City -6, Mr. Jagat Bahadur Pahari handed over to the Dean of Pokhara Academy of Health Science Professor/Doctor Mr. Shree Krishna Shrestha. In this program, health secretary of State Government Mr Binod Bandu Timilsina was attended as the position of Chief Guest. This program was chaired by Mr. Govinda Raj Pahari followed by welcome speech given by Mr. Jagat Pahari. The Chief Guest and the Dean have expressed gratitude to BFN and NAFA for their valuable contributions.

3. Relief Package Distribution Program

The relief package distribution mainly focused to the families of persons with disabilities and families from ultra-poor living in the slums. BFN has organised this program 2 different places i.e., one at BFN’s premises in ward no 5, and Urban Health Center of ward no 15 on 24th and 26th of August 2021, respectively. In ward no 5, a total-25 families and in ward no 15 in Nayagaun 15 families were received such packages. In both places, Mr. Govinda Raj Pahari and Mr. Jagat Bahadur Pahari distributed such packages. They also expressed their commitments for regular support and advocacy for the needy people in coming days too. The relief packages consist of rice, lentil, oil, spices, dry beans, salt etc. as well as sanitiser and masks.

Newsletter May 2021

Russ — Sun, 16 May 2021 07:00:28 +0000

After celebrating our 30^th Anniversary at our Annual Fundraising Dinner in May 2019, little did we know what lay ahead in 2020 – a year like no other, due to Covid-19: no annual fundraising dinner – only a couple of market stalls and except for a short visit by the President in late January 2020 no visits to Nepal by NAFA executive officers. However, we survived and we were even able to support some exciting new initiatives. Read about NAFA’s achievements in 2020 and how we managed to keep supporting our projects.

Newsletter May 2021

President’s Report 2020

Russ — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 08:15:55 +0000

After celebrating NAFA’s 30th anniversary at the Annual Fundraising Dinner in May 2019, little did we know what would lie ahead for 2020. In a year like no other due to Covid-19, there was no annual fundraising dinner, only a couple of market stalls and, except for a short visit by the President in late January 2020, there were no visits to Nepal by NAFA executive officers. Despite the challenges, NAFA was able to stay on plan with its project objectives.

Read the 2020 President’s Report for a full update on the year’s progress : NAFA President’s Report 2020

Education in the Age of Covid-19

Russ — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 02:00:37 +0000

In this post we are delighted to share some insightful updates in the form of two videos and a written report presented to you by NAFA’s partners and beneficiaries in Nepal.

Bijaya Rajbhandari – NAFA’s volunteer Coordinator in Nepal.

Bijaya provides a particularly insightful overview of how Covid-19 has impacted Nepal. In his video Bijaya makes specific reference to the effect on education, particularly for students in rural and remote villages; a message reinforced by the second video below.

Bishuka Tamang – Student from Tawal

A Grade 10 student brings you her unique message from the Tawal hub school which serves five remote hill villages. Bishuka Tamang’s charming and engaging video epitomises the enthusiasm and energy with which the young people of Nepal approach educational opportunity. In her brisk presentation Bishuka talks about the impact of Covid-19, not only on her own school, but on those in all of Nepal’s remote villages.

Surendra Prajapati – Founding Principal of the VSN School in Thimi and Charter President of the Rotary Club of Thimi.

The attached report report details the Covid-19 related assistance provided by VSN and the local Rotary to the school, the local community and to Patle a village in eastern Nepal. Additionally, Surendra’s report provides details of the responses by a coalition of donors, initiated by VSN school and the Rotary Club in Thimi.

Click here to open the report: COVID-19 Newsletter – Surendra Prajapati