Little Sisters Fund, Inc.

Courageous girls in Nepal fight daily for education, freedom and respect. Little Sisters Fund aims to join them in this fight. Our programs take a holistic approach with gender equality, education, and women’s empowerment at the center. We strive to 1) break the cycle of poverty in Nepal through access to education; 2) lower the incidence of child marriage, child labor, and child trafficking in Nepal; and 3) increase women’s empowerment and gender equity in Nepal.

Removing the barriers to education is our number one priority and the first step to addressing so many of the injustices girls and women in Nepal face, including child marriage, child labor, and child trafficking. Through the provision of long-term scholarships and continued support through college, we improve the lives of at-risk girls who would otherwise not attend school. An education is the first step toward an empowered future for a young girl. Once she is safe and in school, we provide the necessary support to ensure she can thrive through the end of school and beyond, as she grows into an empowered young woman ready to live her life to its full potential.

In addition to long-term scholarships, we provide comprehensive support that is critical to ensuring that girls not only have access to school, but also thrive there and position themselves for future success. This includes:
• Mentoring provided by young female leaders, often graduates of our program, who have overcome similar challenges on their paths out of poverty;
• Community awareness raising to build a more supportive society;
• Basic health education and preventative healthcare;
• Girl-led community development projects;
• Teacher training to elevate the overall quality of education offered in Nepal;
• Access to financial assistance for college (higher education) to empower Little Sisters to attain a higher degree than previously possible.

LSF’s long-term commitment sets us apart from other programs and ensures that we are not merely delaying early marriage and exploitation for a year or two, but instead are empowering girls and young women to make their own choices and thus, breaking the cycle of poverty and oppression in Nepal one girl at a time.

The heart of our organization is our 11-member, native Nepali staff working on the ground in Nepal. Led by Usha Acharya, a former Senior Program Officer for the Save the Children (UK) and a published author on topics including primary education in Nepal and trafficking and child labor in Nepal, our dedicated team consists of former social workers, teachers, finance and healthcare professionals. They have an average tenure of more than 13 years with Little Sisters Fund; this experience and commitment helps us to run our programs efficiently and effectively.

The staff is assisted by 25-30 volunteer Coordinating mentors (CMs), mostly graduated Little Sisters, who now oversee and coordinate the education of groups of 20-50 younger Little Sisters. Little Sisters Fund’s Coordinating Mentors have always been one of the most important parts of the Little Sisters Program. By offering support, advice, and encouragement they help current Little Sisters broaden their horizons and see the benefits of working hard and persevering in their studies. Because many Coordinating Mentors have travelled a similar path as they have struggled through poverty and adversity, they can meet Little Sisters where they are and offer a concrete example of the life-altering effects of a quality education.

LSF also relies on our partnerships with over 90 partner schools in 21 districts of Nepal. These schools support us financially through reduced tuition while serving as advocates for girls’ education in the community and recommending girls who might need assistance. When a school has a need outside of our scope, we recommend other NGOs, for example Teach for Nepal for teachers or Room to Read for libraries. Thus, the community school is the locus for coordination.

In addition we have partnered with other NGOs, such as the grassroots Nepal Women’s Community Service Centre in Dang. We are currently exploring partnerships with the Center for Reproductive Rights and Women LEAD. We have a strong relationship with the Social Welfare Council, the governing body of NGOs in Nepal.

LSF has been able to ensure over 2,000 current Little Sisters and more than 600 graduated Little Sisters have the opportunities to realize their dreams and reach their full potential. The academic achievement of the Little Sisters ins outstanding. Not only are they performing well on standardized test in Nepal, they are also excelling in their pursuit of higher education. We now have Little Sisters pursuing degrees in medicine, dentistry, education, engineering, auditing, MBAs, law and much more.

Impact Statistics:
- Over 98% of Little Sisters graduate from high school compared to 25% of their peers nationally.
- Over 99% of Little Sisters passed the School Education Exam with 3x the national average of top performers.
- Over 70% of graduated Little Sisters have pursued a tertiary degree.
- LSF estimates Little Sisters earn between 2-10x more than their peers over a lifetime.
- Little Sisters delay marriage by over 5 years on average compared to their peers.

LSF has made a long-term commitment to the educational support of each Little Sister as they progress from primary school through secondary and tertiary education. Therefore, the true impact of the program will be realized over the coming years and decades as the current Little Sisters mature into strong, empowered women with high school degrees, pursuing higher education, and achieving their professional and personal goals as adults.

Little Sisters Fund plans to continue our commitment to social justice and gender equity through providing Little Sisters with the support they need to complete their education, improve their communities and schools through community projects, raise awareness of women’s and girls’ issues within Nepali society, and become role models who are willing to challenge traditions and stereotypes to improve themselves, their families and their communities.