Funding Area: Education
Sunsar Maya envisions a Nepal in which all of its communities independently and sustainably thrive.
Our mission is to help vulnerable women and children in Nepal build pathways out of poverty through holistic, community-based programs that promote education, mental health, and physical wellbeing.
We do this through a multi-pronged approach that addresses both the short- and long-term needs of a population that suffers from severe social and economic barriers. We work alongside a strong network of collaborators, service providers, and local stakeholders to provide programs that educate and empower communities.
Our involvement: The Marty Tomberg Charitable Fund has financially supported this organization.
Projects We Support
Sunsar Maya Machhegaun – Expanding to Rural Nepal
Sunsar Maya’s mission is to help vulnerable women and children in Nepal build pathways out of poverty through holistic, community-based programs that promote education, mental health, and physical wellbeing. We do this through a multi-pronged approach that addresses both the short- and long- term needs of a population that suffers from severe social and economic barriers. Working with a strong network of collaborators, service providers, and local stakeholders, Sunsar Maya provides programs that educate and empower communities. Sunsar Maya is seeking funding to open a third SuMa Center in the rural village of Machhegaun. The Center will house our three core programs: SuMa After-School, SuMa Women’s Literacy, and SuMa Teacher Training. The implementation of this third location will expand our reach to provide daily services to 130+ students in the area (in addition to the existing 200 currently served).
GOALS OF PROJECT: REDUCTION IN POVERTY FOR NEPALESE CHILDREN AND WOMEN VIA EDUCATION AND SERVICES Sunsar Maya’s goal is to break the cycle of poverty in the Nepali community of Maccheguan by addressing the immediate educational and physical needs of impoverished women and children. By opening a new SuMa Center, and offering our core programs: SuMa After-School and SuMa Women’s Literacy, we will reach 130+ women and children with the education and support they need to build pathways out of poverty. Additionally, in 2023, when we expect SuMa Teacher Training to safely restart, we expect to indirectly reach an additional 8,000 students.
PROGRAMS: SUMA AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM Sunsar Maya’s SuMa After-School Program (SuMa ASP) serves children and teens, ages 3-17, living in extreme poverty. The first program of its kind in Nepal, SuMa After- School takes a holistic approach to supporting students, providing a three- hour schedule of tutoring, recreation, and enrichment lessons that improve academic outcomes, emotional well-being, and overall health. We use a combined Montessori/Waldorf/Reggio-based curriculum which offers an integrated approach to the world and its systems through experiential learning.
SUMA WOMEN’S LITERACY SuMa Women’s Literacy provides women in our target communities, including mothers and caregivers whose children are enrolled in our SuMa After-School Program, with skills they can use to better their lives and those of their children. The program provides instruction in four core areas: conversational and written English, Nepali, and Mathematics. English skills enable students to use communication devices, like mobile phones, which use English characters. By building our student’s literacy and numeracy skills in Nepali, they are able to more easily manage daily tasks, such as shopping and paying bills, and participate more fully in their communities. This is even more meaningful for many of our women who speak the regional language but cannot speak the national language of Nepali, and thus struggle to navigate independently outside of their community.
Support Dates: March, 2022 – March, 2023
