Why one fundraising dinner was split between Kathmandu and Agra
- Published
- Reading time
- 1 min
- Written by
- MRN
- Filed under
- Announcement
Pairing an autism school in Kathmandu with a cafe in Agra staffed by survivors of acid attacks needed an explanation, and the organisation gave one.
Its argument was that both groups are made invisible by the same mechanism. Acid attacks are reported when they happen and then forgotten; children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in countries like Nepal are treated as a source of family shame. In both cases the practical result is that people disappear from public life, and the financial and emotional support that would bring them back is not organised.
The initiative was taken by Anju Thapaliya Sharma, who holds the Mrs Asia Utah title, working with Mission Rebuild Nepal. The organisation had by that point been supported by her for several years and described the collaboration as a continuation rather than a new departure.
The framing is worth noting because it is what the organisation's own project selection has looked like since 2018. Having finished a village, it began choosing small institutions run by people already doing the work, and putting money behind them in stages.
