Mendham, NJ, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The BlinkNow Foundation is proud to honor Joke Aerts and Anuj Mittal as its 2024 Supporters of the Year. Since 2018, Aerts and Mittal have provided invaluable contributions of expertise, advocacy, and funding to advance BlinkNow’s mission of transforming lives in Nepal through education, women’s empowerment, and sustainability.

Based in the Netherlands, Aerts serves on BlinkNow’s Board of Directors as well as the Science and Sustainability Advisory Committee. Together, Aerts and Mittal have supported programs such as the Kopila Valley School and Kopila Valley Women’s Center, helping to empower women entrepreneurs, expand access to quality education, and implement sustainability measures to strengthen climate resilience in Nepal’s Surkhet Valley.

As the Head of Credible Scaling for Tony's Open Chain at Tony’s Chocolonely, Aerts ensures the initiative's high-impact growth by driving sustainable practices and inspiring other chocolate brands to adopt ethical sourcing principles to eliminate exploitation in the cocoa industry. At BlinkNow, she also lends her expertise in sustainability and strategic thinking to help guide the foundation’s vision. Aerts helped found BlinkNow’s new Dutch Committee of volunteers and has promoted  outreach initiatives in the Netherlands, including a display at the Vakantiebeurs travel festival in January to increase awareness and support for BlinkNow’s work.

Maggie Doyne, BlinkNow CEO, says that Aerts and Mittal have made meaningful and impactful contributions at key moments in the organization’s history. “Joke’s and Anuj’s passion and dedication to BlinkNow are nothing short of extraordinary. Joke’s leadership, experience in sustainable supply chains, and unwavering support have been instrumental in helping us become who we are as an organization, and her financial contributions inspire more donors to join and create brighter futures for the children and families we serve in Nepal.”

BlinkNow’s programs, which serve hundreds of children and women annually in the Karnali region of Nepal, provide education, health services, and economic opportunities. Supporters like Aerts and Mittal play a crucial role in advancing BlinkNow’s vision of a world where every child is safe, educated, and loved, and where women are empowered to lead prosperous, sustainable lives.

Congratulations to Joke Aerts and Anuj Mittal for their outstanding contributions in 2024!

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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.

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• A transformational impact

Katy Munden Hays
BlinkNow Foundation
katy@blinknow.org