HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Dear Friends,

The concept of the Unatti Foundation came to me after traveling through Kathmandu in January, 1998. I was at the city gates of Bakhtapur, Nepal, working on a photographic book about underprivileged street children in third world regions. A group of small boys, ages 8 to 14, were sitting on the side of the road, hoping to befriend tourists so they could make a few rupees for their hungry families.

Two boys named Rajesh and Ramu, dressed in soiled clothes, approached me to be my city guides. In a typical Western fashion, I shooed them away. Still, they politely followed me around the city, several feet behind me, offering tidbits of information. At the end of the day, I gave them a few rupees and figured I’d never see them again. The next day they were right there. “We knew you’d be back,” Rajesh said. Then, staring at my feet, he remarked, “Two days, two shoes.” He noticed I owned more than one pair of shoes, a rare thing in poverty-stricken Nepal.

The boys and I became fast friends. When Rajesh preferred a dictionary over a gift of money, I decided to sponsor the two friends so they could attend a private school and receive a decent education. Five short years later, my board of directors, other donors and I have created the Unatti Foundation in honor of a young orphan girl who touched my heart.

Our aim is to continue expanding as funds become available. Your support can help a child receive food, clothing, medicine, education and hope for a better future.

Namaste,

Stephanie Waisler
Founder, Unatti Foundation