2020 Recap
So many challenges and yet so much to be grateful for—that’s how best to sum up 2020 for Sunsar Maya.
We began the year with our three core programs—SuMa After-School, SuMa Women’s Literacy, and SuMa Teacher Training—providing holistic support to help women and children in Nepal build pathways out of poverty. As the pandemic struck, and Nepal went into lockdown, our Nepal-based team identified the most pressing needs in our communities and focused our efforts there.
Sunsar Maya’s donor community responded to our calls for help with unprecedented generosity last year. They enabled us to continue the work of educating and supporting our students, while also allowing us to expand our scope to include the provision of lifesaving food and supplies to thousands of women, children, and families living in our communities.
COVID-19 Relief
A series of long-term lockdowns made life on the edge even more dire for far too many. Sunsar Maya leveraged our partnerships to provide immediate and long-term emergency relief in the form of food and sanitation supply distributions, twice a month from April through December.
We are incredibly grateful for the generous contributions we received from supporters around the world. We would be remiss if we did not recognize Moms Against Poverty, the Blend Family Foundation, the Good Works Institute, and James Kearns for their incredible support of our emergency relief efforts.
SuMa After-School
On March 22nd, our teachers gathered our students one last time to help prepare them for what was ahead. We had lengthy conversations about the importance of good handwashing hygiene and we provided them with soap and sanitizer, which we knew would be in short supply. We sent our students home with the knowledge that they were deeply cared for and a promise that we would be in touch on a regular basis.
With the emotional-well being of our students as the priority, the staff made weekly check-in calls to students and their families, and our mental health therapist provided hours of counseling. In April, we augmented that support and began providing at-home learning packets every month. Packets included books, STEAM projects, craft supplies, and other activities designed to keep students engaged and learning during the year.
Rising Star: Karan Wins “Aspiring Next Generation Award”
In February, Karan won the “Aspiring Next Generation Award” at the Spiralogics Spirathon 2020. Karan beat out 15 finalist from across Nepal with his presentation of STEM projects and video tutorials he created at SuMa After-School. Karan received a year of mentorship by Spirologics to develop computer applications and serves as an inspiration to students in Sunsar Maya and across Nepal!
SuMa Women’s Literacy
Our Women’s Literacy students are rockstars. They embraced digital learning and thrived using it! Following the nationwide lockdown, many of our students participated in group classes using video chat, while others without the necessary equipment, worked one-on-one with teachers, sharing assignments via phone.
Additionally, we were able to provide women in our programs access to medical care, including gynecological exams. We are pleased to report that access to healthcare, with twice-yearly checkups, is now a core component of the SuMa Women’s Literacy program.
New Program: Women’s Councils in SuMa communities
We also launched Women’s Councils in both Sunsar Maya communities. The goal of the Councils is to build the leadership skills of women in impoverished communities while providing a platform for members to identify the barriers impeding the success of women and girls in their neighborhoods, and the solutions to address those challenges.
We are forever grateful to Ellen McNally for founding SuMa Women’s Councils and her unwavering support of women and girls in Nepal and around the world.
Our Global Community Came Together
Sunsar Maya means “World of Love”
It’s a phrase that represents a shared belief that compassion, generosity, and commitment can create positive, lasting change. In an extraordinary year, our donor community embodied “Sunsar Maya” in ways we would not have imagined.
On behalf of the students, staff, and board, THANK YOU for your generosity and support.
Finances
Covid-19 impacted every aspect of our work, including finances. Our 2020 budget was adjusted in response to programmatic changes necessitated by the pandemic. While the majority of our operating costs remained stable (staff salaries and rent), some costs were reallocated to support our Covid-19 Emergency Relief work, thus lowering program costs for SuMa After-School and SuMa Women’s Literacy. SuMa Teacher Training operated for two months before it was paused for the safety of our staff and participants.
