Mendham, NJ, March 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlinkNow Foundation is proud to announce the groundbreaking of its new Kopila Valley Children’s Village, an ambitious project designed to provide safe, nurturing, and sustainable homes for the at-risk children served by Kopila Valley Children’s Home in Surkhet, far western Nepal. This state-of-the-art campus will include modular homes for children, family gathering and play spaces, living quarters for caregivers, dedicated spaces for returning graduates, and a community program headquarters.
The groundbreaking ceremony, held in collaboration with the local Surkhet community, was a day filled with love and hope, marking the beginning of a bold new chapter for the organization. The event featured heartfelt moments such as a time capsule filled with letters and keepsakes from the children, preschool children singing, a traditional puja ceremony, and community blessings for the project’s success.
Addressing Urgent Needs with Sustainable Solutions
Since its founding in 2007, Kopila Valley Children’s Home has been on a mission to ensure children are safe, educated and loved. Working in collaboration with the local community and government agencies, and funded by the BlinkNow Foundation, Kopila Valley has provided a home and a family for nearly 90 children in need to date.
With over 50 children currently living in the Children’s Home and nearly 40 graduates returning during holidays, the need for more space has become urgent. The new Children’s Village will address the needs of this growing family while prioritizing safety and environmental sustainability.
Nepal’s seismic activity underscores the importance of earthquake-resistant construction, and the campus will feature eco-friendly compressed earth bricks crafted by women trained at the Kopila Valley Women’s Center, another one of BlinkNow’s initiatives in Surkhet. This innovative approach not only ensures structural resilience but also supports local women and their families with vital income opportunities. The campus will also be powered by solar energy and use rainwater harvesting systems, serving as a model for conservation and sustainable living.
A Vision Built for the Future
The Children’s Village represents a significant step forward in BlinkNow’s mission to provide holistic care for vulnerable children while fostering community development.
Maggie Doyne, CEO and Co-founder of BlinkNow, said, “Every child deserves a safe place to grow, to play, and to be surrounded by people who love and care for them. We are so excited to make this beautiful space our new home. Our greater hope is that this project serves as a model and sets a global standard for what home and family can look like for children in need of alternative residential care. These buildings allow us to safely expand our growing family with earthquake resilient structures that integrate with nature. Backed against a community forest and adjacent to our Kopila Valley school, this move offers our children more room to grow and thrive. We will also have space when our transitioned young adults come home to visit.”
The use of sustainable materials and local labor highlights the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship and economic empowerment. By employing women from the Kopila Valley Women’s Center to produce the building materials, the project strengthens the local economy while aligning with BlinkNow’s broader vision of sustainability.
Supporters are encouraged to follow the progress of the Children’s Village on BlinkNow’s social media channels and newsletter, where regular updates will be shared.
The BlinkNow Foundation provides an education and a loving, caring home for at-risk children. The foundation also provides community outreach to reduce poverty, empower women, improve health, and encourage sustainability and social justice - it fulfills its mission by providing financial support and management oversight to the Kopila Valley Children's Home and award-winning Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal. In addition to the home and school, Kopila Valley runs a Health & Wellness program, Women's Center, home for at-risk girls, Futures Program for career readiness, and integrated Sustainability Program across all initiatives. Between the Mountain and the Sky, a documentary about BlinkNow’s work and the love of the Children's Home family, is scheduled for theatrical release this year.
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Katy Munden Hays BlinkNow Foundation katy@blinknow.org
