Food Security Nepal Project #67917

Combating Malnutrition to Transform Education

by Rukmini Foundation

Project Report | Sep 16, 2026
Sep 2026 Progress Update

By Bibhuti Aryal | President

Meeting w/local schools to implement lunch program

Summary of Progress

Since our last report, we have focused on the essential groundwork required to launch our nutrition program in new partner schools. While our fundraising total currently stands at **$20**, we are actively meeting with school leaders to ensure that a lunch program will be ready for students this year. We are currently far short of our $10,000 goal, but we are determined to push forward.

The Challenge We Face

We are facing a significant funding gap. To date, we have raised only $20 of our $10,000 goal, leaving $9,980 remaining. This lack of funds threatens our ability to provide consistent, nutritious meals to students who arrive at school hungry and struggling to concentrate. Without these meals, these students remain at high risk of malnutrition-related health issues and dropping out of school entirely.

What We Are Doing Now

Despite the financial shortfall, we refuse to let hunger be a barrier to education. We are currently in active discussions with all of our partner schools to strategize the implementation of the lunch program.

These meetings are focused on:

Assessing Needs: Determining the exact number of students requiring meals for the upcoming term.
Logistical Planning: Working with school administrations to organize cooking facilities and supply chains for food.
Commitment: Ensuring that even with limited resources, we can find a way to provide at least one nutritious meal per day to the students who need it most.

We are forging ahead because the need is urgent. Our pilot program in 2017 proved that these meals dramatically improve attendance and focus. We are committed to replicating that success, even if we have to start small.

How You Can Help

We cannot do this alone. With only $20 raised, we are far from our goal of $10,000. We need your support to turn these plans into actual meals.

Please consider making a donation today to help us close the gap. Your contribution ensures that when we finalize our plans with the schools, we have the funds to actually buy the food.

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/ensure-meals-for-students-in-nepal/

Thank you for your continued belief in our mission. We will keep you updated as we finalize the lunch program details with our partners.

Girls enjoying lunch at school

Everyone including boys get to enjoy school lunch

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May 27, 2026
Expanding Nutrition: Progress Report (Months 1-4)

By Bibhuti Aryal | President

School Students Enjoying Meal at Panchakanya

Dear Supporters,

Thank you for standing with the Rukmini Foundation. So far, we have raised $20 towards our $10,000 goal to expand our nutrition program to more schools in the region where we work in Pharping, Nepal. While we have a long way to go, we want to be transparent about our progress and share the critical non-financial steps we are taking right now.

Evidence of Progress (Despite Low Funds)

Even with limited donations, we have not paused our mission. Here is what we have accomplished:

Needs Assessment Completed: We finalized data collection from two additional rural schools requesting meal programs. Both schools report that 70% of students arrive hungry, confirming the urgent need you are helping us address.
Leveraging Existing Success: We documented a 15% improvement in attendance at Kalidevi Basic School (our 2017 pilot site) during the last term. This evidence is our strongest tool to convince new partner schools to adopt programs once funding is secured.
Community Meetings Held: Our team held three informational meetings with parents and local leaders to discuss cost-sharing models, ensuring future expansion will be sustainable.
Seeking Additional Support: While we are excited about what we can raise from this project, we have been seeking alternative means of support, and we will continue towards this mission using funds collected outside of this project.

Looking Ahead

We have 4 months remaining to reach our goal. Every subsequent donation, no matter the size, will be allocated directly to scaling meals to new classrooms. We remain committed to reporting every quarter as required by GlobalGiving, even as we grow this fund.

Next Milestone: Our first meal service at a new school thanks to this project will begin immediately once we cross the $500 threshold.

Thank you for your essential first step.

— The Rukmini Foundation Team

Links:

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