Who We Are

Learn about Meg’s Children and how we rescue kids in crisis.

What is Meg's Children Trust Nepal?

Meg’s Children Nepal is an Australian not-for-profit charitable trust that was established in 2005.

Our goal is to support the upbringing of vulnerable and at-risk children in Nepal, by providing for their daily living needs and meeting their right to education.

These necessities, and the children’s health and safety, are therefore enabled solely by funds raised through our trust, which is run by volunteers in the Albury-Wodonga district.

We are proud to say that 95 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to our children in Nepal.

All money raised for Meg’s Children Nepal and the Siddhi Memorial Foundation goes to these programs:

Who is Meg?

Meg’s Children Nepal is named in memory of Meg Ryan, Trish Ryan’s oldest daughter who passed away in 2003 as a result of complications from Spina Bifida. Meg had always taken a great interest in education, and had worked as a teacher’s aide at primary schools in Albury and in Mullengandra. When Meg passed away at age 23, she was studying for a Bachelor of Education at Charles Sturt University. After the loss of Meg, Trish made the decision to travel to Nepal to volunteer, and this is how Meg’s Children started.

Partnership with the Siddhi Memorial Foundation

In lasting memory of their son Siddhi who died in a road accident at the age of four, Mr and Mrs Shyamm and Ranjana Dhoubadel founded the Siddhi Memorial Health Service Centre in 1993.

This non-government and not-for-profit organisation provides primary health care services to women and children in need, and support for seniors through an onsite senior citizens home. In addition to the hospital services, Siddhi offers an ongoing Saturday morning clinic offering free consultations, immunisations and family planning services.

The Memorandum

Meg’s Children and the Siddhi Memorial Foundation have been working in close partnership since 2015. A Memorandum of Understanding between these two organisations was signed on the 18^th January 2018.

An updated MOU was signed by Trish and Shyam in late January 2023. The Committee appreciates the very effective working relationship with Shyam and Siddhi Memorial Foundation.

What we believe

Meg’s Children Nepal believes that every child has the right to education and the right to have their daily living needs fulfilled.

Therefore we support the upbringing of vulnerable and at-risk children in Nepal to help them grow and flourish.

Megs Children Nepal - Albury Wodonga Childrens Charity

What we do

The children in our care have the opportunity to turn their lives around thanks to the following three programs that Meg’s Children has implemented:

Noble House
Outreach Program
Tertiary Education Scholarship Fund

1. Noble House

Noble House is a specially built children’s home in Bhaktapur, outer Kathmandu. It is currently home to 22 children aged from 4 to 16, who would otherwise not have stable accommodation with their families.

Noble House is owned by the Siddhi Memorial Foundation, with whom we work in close partnership. The Siddhi Memorial Foundation oversees the in-country practices to allow for the daily running of the home in Nepal. Meanwhile, Meg’s Children provides the finances to fully support the children, as well as the house mothers who look after them.

All the children in the home attend the local Bal Vikash School to receive quality primary and secondary education. Their teachers closely monitor their development and progress, and provide us with regular updates. Additionally, volunteers from Meg’s Children visit Noble House at least once a year.

2. The Outreach Program

The primary focus of the Outreach Program is to provide financial support for the education of children in vulnerable families, who would otherwise struggle to gain quality education. Meg’s Children and the Siddhi Memorial Foundation are continuously in contact with teachers at school to identify students who have difficult familial circumstances, but who do not live in Noble House. We are then able to support these children with their education costs, such as school books or fees, so that they can remain at school.

The Outreach Program also assists in the reunification of family members, which allows children to be looked after in their own homes. This is consistent with the Nepali Government’s wishes to endeavour to keep children living with their parents or close relatives.

3. Tertiary Education Scholarship Fund

Meg’s Children believes that education is a basic human right. We therefore ensure that the older children in our care have access to tertiary studies after completing their primary and secondary education at the local Bal Vikash School.

For students who wish to pursue tertiary education, we offer loans through a repayable scholarship program. These loans cover their necessary education fees and costs of living as they develop their careers through university or post-school studies.

Students apply to Meg’s Children Trust for an education scholarship loan, which is considered by the committee for approval. Upon completing their studies and becoming employed, a portion of their loan is repaid at a sustainable rate. This creates an ongoing fund that remains with the Siddhi Memorial Foundation in Bhaktapur, which is made available for other children to assist them in their future tertiary studies.