In 1998, Santa Monica CA resident Stephanie Waisler Rubin, was traveling through Kathmandu, Nepal.  She was working on a photographic book about underprivileged street children in third world regions, and she was approached by a group of small boys who offered to be her guide, in the hopes of earning a few rupees for their hungry families. As the days went on and the little boys continued to follow Stephanie, she grew fond of them and was taken aback when one asked for a dictionary instead of money.  From this humble introduction, Stephanie decided to “sponsor” two of the boys so they could attend a private school. Moved to do more, Stephanie formed The Unatti Foundation, which built and funds The Unatti Group Home for Girls, a safe home/school for 21 underprivileged and orphaned girls in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
Debra Wollitz, also a Santa Monica resident and friend to several Dollie ladies, traveled with her teen-age daughter to Nepal to do service work at The Unatti Group Home for Girls, and brought along 30 dollies.  Debra told us about a little 4 year old girl Samriddhi who had just been brought to the orphanage. The youngest of 5 children, her family could not care or feed her.  Dollies Making A Difference (DMAD) awarded The Unatti Foundation a $1450 DMAD grant, which will support Samriddi for one year.
We all feel so blessed to partner with the good work of The Unatti Foundation both by sending Dollies, and also by issuing a DMAD financial grant. We can’t wait to learn more about Samriddhi, and hope our small gesture will lead her to a brighter future.
Here is a photo of Stephanie Waisler Rubin, holding beautiful little Samriddi.
BREAKING NEWS:
In the early morning of Saturday, April 25, the village of Katmandu, Nepal suffered a horrific 7.8 earthquake. Avalanches were triggered by the quake, and people were reported to be running for safety through a driving rain.  World travelers who are mountain climbing enthusiasts were in the area which is base camp for Mt. Everest.  To date, over 3200 people have lost their lives with many more injured. We received this email from The Unatti Foundation:
“Just made cell contact with the children at Unatti Home. Â Everyone is safe! Â The quake was very strong in Bhaktapur. Our home seems to have some damage, unknown if it is superficial cracks or structural. Â The people of Bhaktapur have been advised to stay outside for the next few hours, and many are choosing to sleep outdoors tonight. Â Our housemothers have pulled out the carpet and blankets from The Unatti Home, and all the children are going to try and get some sleep in a nearby open field. Â Their spirits are good. Â Thank you for all your prayers!”