August 30, 2013
On Thursday, August 15 the Community Foundation of New Jersey hosted the BlinkNow Foundation’s “Summer Celebration” at which the organization thanked its many supporters and volunteers who have contributed to the success of BlinkNow and its Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School in Surket, Nepal. Approximately 50 people were in attendance including former Kopila fellows, board members, donors, and colleagues in international education.
Board Chair Tracy Gaffney and Founder Maggie Doyne welcomed guests and provided an update on recent successes. The celebration shined a light on how far BlinkNow has come since its inception in 2007. Founded by Maggie when she was just out of high school, the Kopila Valley Children’s Home and School is now home to 44 children. The School also has 330 students and was recently ranked as the best such school in its region. This past spring the Kopila Valley Women’s Center opened its doors and 70 women began receiving vocational and educational instruction. BlinkNow is moving ahead with plans to build a “green” high school, a vocational center, and a new health clinic.
The Community Foundation of New Jersey was acknowledged for donating office space to BlinkNow and for hosting the event. To learn more about the BlinkNow Foundation and its work in Nepal, click here.
From BlinkNow’s website:
BlinkNow is a grass-roots organization working to empower young people to become pioneers in developing their own solutions to world poverty. The organization targets under-developed, war-torn countries where extreme poverty exists. These nations have high rates of illiteracy, disease, child labor, and unstable governments, thus making them the prime focus for our organization. The organization has established its initial project in Nepal, Kopila Valley Children’s Home.