Our History
In 1998, Trish Ginnelly (Ireland) and Kristen Leadem (US) had a life changing experience when they met in Nepal and discovered they shared a compassionate calling to help a group of vulnerable young children living on the streets in Pokhara. With a burning desire to help protect these kids, fueled by financial support from friends and family, the first step was to get these boys off the streets. From a safe shelter they began the road to recovery, family reunification and/or integration into formal education. Trish and Kristen quickly discovered that this passion for social justice in Nepal would require long-term commitment, cross-cultural understanding, collaborating with local organizations, sustainable resources and a healthy dose of tenacity. They set out to put their Compassion in Action! SATHI Nepal was founded and registered as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization in the USA in 2000.