Sharmila Karki
Board Member
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower children through increased access to education.
Our Vision
We envision a future where education helps break the cycle of poverty that has persisted through generational poverty. Educated children are the beginning of chain reactions that empower and transform whole communities to break out of this cycle and enter into an era of continued success where future generations can thrive.
Organizational Values
At BLSO, we believe that empowering children to THRIVE not only transforms their futures but also uplifts entire communities. Our strength lies in programs that are Targeted, Holistic, Resilient, Impactful, Value-Add, Equitable, and Sustainable, creating opportunities for children to break cycles of poverty and lead their communities toward progress and self-reliance.
- Targeted: BLSO’s approach is targeted, focusing on the specific needs of rural communities. By conducting detailed assessments, we ensure our programs address critical barriers to education, such as lack of infrastructure, teacher shortages, and cultural disparities. This targeted strategy allows us to channel resources where they are needed most, maximizing impact.
- Holistic: BLSO adopts a holistic model, recognizing that education cannot exist in isolation. Our programs integrate health, nutrition, and community engagement, ensuring children are not just in school but healthy, supported, and ready to learn. By addressing interconnected factors like physical well-being and family involvement, we create a foundation for long-term success.
- Resilient: At BLSO, we prioritize building resilience within communities and systems. Schools are constructed to withstand natural disasters, and local educators are trained to adapt to challenges like economic changes or political instability. This ensures that children’s education continues uninterrupted, even during crises.
- Impactful: We pride ourselves on delivering impactful programs that create measurable, lasting change. Through rigorous monitoring and evaluation, BLSO tracks progress in areas like literacy rates, gender equity in schools, and reduced dropout rates. Every initiative is designed to drive meaningful, transformative outcomes for children and their communities.
- Value-Add: BLSO serves as a value-add, enhancing rather than duplicating community efforts. By working closely with parents, teachers, and local governments, we introduce innovative solutions like culturally relevant curricula and teacher training. These contributions strengthen existing systems and amplify the overall impact on education.
- Equitable: Equity is at the core of BLSO’s mission. We are committed to ensuring all children—regardless of gender, ethnicity, or ability—have access to quality education. By removing barriers like financial costs or cultural stigmas, we empower marginalized groups, including girls and children with disabilities, to thrive in educational settings.
- Sustainable: BLSO’s work is deeply sustainable, ensuring that progress continues long after our involvement. Through community ownership, teacher training, and partnerships with government institutions, we create self-sufficient systems. This approach guarantees that our programs will have lasting benefits for generations to come.
Our Story
Better Life Social Organization’s founder Dipak Niroula grew up walking two hours each way through the hills of Sovara village, in rural Nepal, to get to school every day. Although his family could barely make ends meet, he was one of the lucky ones whose parents prioritized education. Most families in his village relied on subsistence farming. Therefore, school and education were secondary to helping with the crops at home and in the fields.
Thirty-four years ago, Dipak and his friends faced a challenging journey to school in Sovara Gaun. Their school was a basic two-story structure built from stone, mud, and grass, lacking essential amenities like clean water, toilets, and proper desks and benches. While a new one-story school building has since been constructed, replacing the one destroyed by an earthquake, the situation has not significantly improved. The community still grapples with limited access to modern infrastructure, clean water, and reliable healthcare. This lack of basic necessities continues to impact the school environment, with students still facing challenges such as limited access to clean water, inadequate sanitation, and a shortage of essential learning materials. These ongoing issues create a subpar learning environment and hinder students’ ability to reach their full potential.
Driven by his parents’ sacrifices to keep him in school despite their poverty, Dipak completed his education with a deep commitment to helping others. With his wife Sharmila, he built a successful career in the tourism industry, serving as Managing Director of Golden Star Travels and Tours from 2005 to 2009, and subsequently founding Sky Touch Travels & Tours. In 2008, he established Flourish International Education, providing valuable educational consulting services. In 2010, Dipak and Sharmila welcomed international visitors to their Kusunti homestay, sharing their cultural heritage. Remembering his own childhood struggles, Dipak and his younger brother Bhupal co-founded Better Life Social Organization Nepal (BLSO Nepal) in 2011, utilizing their business success to support education and provide basic needs for underprivileged children. Tragically, the devastating 2015 earthquake in Nepal resulted in the loss of their businesses and home in Kathmandu, while Dipak was on vacation in the USA. Despite this immense setback, Dipak’s commitment to BLSO Nepal has remained unwavering.
The Turning Point: Leadership Born of Struggle
In 2006, Dipak witnessed something extraordinary—his father led an effort to build the first school in their village. That moment showed Dipak the power of community and leadership and eventually inspired him to co-found Better Life Social Organization (BLSO) Nepal in 2011 with his brother, Bhupal Niroula.
BLSO Nepal became a lifeline for 96 homeless and vulnerable children affected by poverty and displacement. Dipak dedicated 20% of his business profits—over $36,000 annually for four years—to fund this effort. The organization provided food, clothing, and quality education, and employed single mothers as caregivers, ensuring sustainability and empowerment for the entire community.
When the devastating 2015 earthquake struck Nepal, Dipak and his family were in the USA on vacation. They watched in horror as their businesses, home, and the RiverSide Children’s Organization in Nepal were destroyed. Despite personal loss, Dipak mobilized quickly, overseeing the distribution of critical supplies like food, water, clothing, tents, medicines, and water filters. He rallied over 300 volunteers to provide emergency relief. This experience solidified his belief that addressing these systemic challenges required global collaboration.
A New Journey: The Birth of BLSO USA
In 2024, Dipak founded Better Life Social Organization (BLSO) USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Lebanon, New Hampshire. While BLSO Nepal continues to thrive as an independent organization, BLSO USA serves as a separate, early-stage nonprofit dedicated to expanding the mission on a global scale.
BLSO USA focuses on improving education, healthcare, and economic empowerment for rural children and women in Nepal. It acts as a bridge connecting supporters, resources, and expertise from around the world to the underserved communities of Nepal.
The Impact: Turning Challenges into Opportunities
BLSO USA builds on the lessons learned from BLSO Nepal’s success. It strives to:
- Provide children with essentials like school uniforms, books, shoes, and digital tools, ensuring no child is left behind.
- Support school meal programs and provide medical aid to address children’s health and nutrition challenges.
- Improve community infrastructure, including access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in schools.
These efforts are not just about meeting immediate needs—they are about creating long-term, sustainable change in Nepal’s rural communities.
The Vision: A Nepal Transformed
Dipak’s vision for BLSO USA is rooted in a simple yet profound mission: to ensure every child can access quality education, every woman has opportunities to thrive, and every community can grow with dignity and self-reliance.
It’s a vision of a Nepal where children no longer have to walk barefoot to distant schools, where women lead thriving businesses, and where villages once defined by hardship are filled with hope.
Your Role in This Journey
Dipak’s journey—from a young boy walking hours to school in “Sovara Gaun” to becoming the founder of two life-changing organizations—shows what is possible when resilience meets opportunity. But this journey cannot be completed alone.
BLSO USA needs your help to turn these dreams into reality. With your support, we can:
- Build schools and scholarships that open doors for Nepal’s children.
- Create lasting infrastructure to support thriving communities.
Your contribution can make a difference. Whether it’s $10 to buy school supplies, $50 to fund a training program for women, or $500 to help build a school, every donation helps transform lives.
Join Us Today
At BLSO USA, we believe in the power of community, resilience, and action. Together, we can ensure that children in rural Nepal no longer have to dream of a better life. Like Dipak, they can use education to break out of the cycle of poverty and start a new cycle of growth and transformative change in their own communities.
Join us in building bridges of hope and opportunity.
Let’s create a future where every child has a chance at education through programs that THRIVE.
We’re members of New Hampshire Nepali Community (NHNC), New Hampshire Center for Non Profits and GuideStar.
