The Wind Down 

September 2019:

Please watch an important video message from Manisha and Stephen:

The Executive Team and the Board of Directors at The Umbrella Foundation in Ireland have spent the past year discussing the future of Umbrella now that all the children are nearing the end of their education. We have decided that in 2021, Umbrella will phase out its work here in Nepal, after having succeeded in our original mission of supporting 411 vulnerable children, enabling them to reconnect with their families and complete their school-level education, becoming responsible citizens of Nepal.

This was such a difficult decision to arrive at, but we are confident that it is the right one.  We know that there are still many problems in Nepal that need to be addressed, however, we also know that, rightly, the world is moving away from models of institutional care.  All charities should endeavour to work themselves out of existence and, with the majority of our children now close to adulthood, that time has come for Umbrella. Our local partner NGO, Umbrella Organisation Nepal, will continue on without us after 2021 implementing projects of their own.

As you are aware, Umbrella has always strived to be a responsible ethical organisation which is why we are giving ourselves 2 years to complete the phase-out process, ensuring that it is carried out correctly.  However, to achieve that we need to secure additional funding.  This is to secure the educational fees and support for the remaining children and youth, whilst also providing long-term support for special cases. At this point, assuming current levels of fundraising stay the same, we have a projected shortfall of €50,000, which we are aiming to fundraise over the next 6 months with your help.

Organising a fundraiser, sharing this with your networks, or simply making a donation, will not only help us reach our target, but also mean that we finish this journey together. DONATE HERE! 

At this point we would like to sincerely and humbly thank all of you. Making this decision has afforded us the opportunity to reflect on the work that has been carried out and the impact we’ve had on many children’s lives over the last 14 years. All of the happy memories and success as well as the challenges and heartbreaks are shared with all of you. Without your support and participation Umbrella would never have survived for this long. We will always be one Umbrella family, and we hope you will hold the same amount of pride and joy in your hearts as we do.

Please do not hesitate to get in contact with us with any questions you may have. There is still a lot of work to be done to support these children and families and we hope you can join us for our final steps of the journey.

irishoffice@umbrellanepal.org
imogen@umbrellanepal.org
tsewang@umbrellanepal.org