Community Response to COVID-19

by | Mar 12, 2020 | Awareness, Blog

Update regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Foundation Operations

For the past few weeks, the Rukmini Foundation team in Nepal has been closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19 throughout the world, and despite the low number of known cases in the country, to ensure the safety of the community and our team, we have decided to cancel all planned activities in March and will reconsider our next steps towards the end of the month.

March has always been a very important month for us because not only do we celebrate International Women’s Day every March, but it is also an important month for students coming close to high school graduation. However, the safety of our community and team is paramount, so we are not only cancelling programs, but also advising our staff to avoid coming into the office unless absolutely necessary.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and consult all available resources to determine our next steps. In the meantime, we are also working to help provide reliable information about what the community can do to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe. Even in a pandemic, education is still one of the most powerful weapons. In the last week, our team visited various villages as well as businesses to distribute pamphlets to educate the community about what the Coronavirus is, what preventive steps they can take, and what they should do in case if they see symptoms.

LitClub Mentor, Shreejana Didi talks about Coronavirus and what the students should (and should not) do[/caption]

Although the reported number of cases is low at the moment, the Foundation is working to ensure that the community remains vigilant. We all have to take the appropriate steps to prevent and reduce the spread of this disease so that our families and communities are safe, especially the most vulnerable.

We appreciate the continued support of all of our supporters, our volunteers and especially our dedicated staff.

Thank you,

Bibhuti Aryal – President, Rukmini Foundation
Usha Adhikari – Executive Director, Rukmini Pratisthan

Shreejana Didi explaining about Coronavirus

About Bibhuti

Born in Nepal, but growing up in the United States, Bibhuti Aryal has received most of his education in the US. He credits the excellent education he received through Pittsburgh Public Schools, Robert Morris University, and Carnegie Mellon University for the opportunities he has received in his life. Bibhuti earned his undergraduate degree in Information Sciences from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA, USA and then his Master's in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University, also in Pittsburgh. He currently works in the Information Technology field where he has had a variety of roles from Software Developer to Project / Program Manager to Consultant where he has been helping companies and organizations to make the best use of technology to help solve business problems. He has experience in various industries, such as: government, logistics, finance, insurance and engineering. However, he discovered his passion to advocate for equal access to education when he revisited his motherland of Nepal in 2011. For most of the last 9 plus years, Bibhuti has been advocating for quality education for all, especially in his country of Nepal and the communities where he was born into. He is the Co-Founder of Rukmini Foundation, an organization that empowers girls through a holistic program of education, mentoring, and health & wellness. In the US, Bibhuti also serves in his community in various roles including as the Chair of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs in Pennsylvania where he leads the Commission in advocating for the diverse AAPI communities in the State. Bibhuti is responsible for ensuring that the organization fulfills its mission and achieves the goals set by the board through coordination of efforts of all volunteers of the Rukmini Foundation. Bibhuti brings his years of experience in various industries like: government, construction, finance and technology along with a strong desire to initiate a positive change in the world. Away from work, Bibhuti enjoys time with his family, running, reading and trying to learn new languages.
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