Hello friends,

I am trying to gather information regarding the problems of Nepalese students in US and potential roles of Nepalese organizations to help them out. Problems for a student start from day one when he/she arrives in US or even before than that and continues throughout his/her academic career. Also problems for graduate vs undergraduate students and self funded vs school funded students may differ significantly.

There are several Nepalese organizations in US working in different areas but I am sure very few of them are actually helping with the problems of Nepalese students. So please contribute your ideas on how these organizations can help Nepalese students.

I had a nice experience with Nepalese Society of Oregon who provided me with hosting during my research presentation that was not funded by school.   

Yes, only few of those organization are helping these ignorant kids. And I don't feel bad about it.

Now you tell me TIGER, these kids they come with $3000 or less in their pocket to stay here for 5 years.  They work part time, legally or illegally but still not enough to support daily life. Forget about how they are doing in college. So are these organizations suppose to help them with their financial needs??

And they work at Ghetto City, and they got killed, and another headache to send their bodies.

THE SOLUTION is to teach  MATH  to that stupid parents who send their kids SAAT SAMUNDER PAAR with 3months money hoping they'll survive for 5 years.

Guess! if you have enough money do you think there will be any problem.

Ooops! Xmas time, have to be nice, humm!! What will be my gift?

Enjoy your holidays!

SexyinSari, you are an idiot!

Tiger, Thank you very much for pointing the issue out. I have wanted to help, and give back to the community, now I know what I need to do. 

I know some ppl organized something like free health checkup in bay area.. I guess something like dat wud be highly appreciated...

 सेउसी इन सारी: के गर्नु आन्टी, सबै तिमी जस्ता सेउसी हुँदैनन नि त अम्रिका आउने बितिक्कै हुकर बनेर पैसो कमाउनलाई;  काम्-काजको टुंगो नलागुन्जेल बाँच्नु त परो नि गाँठे! अनि घरबाट $३००० नल्याएर के गर्नु त? तिमी दिन्छेउ र हुकरी (नयाँ शब्द, लोल!) गरेर आको आफ्नु कमाइ? 

Thank you GT for raising good topic about problems of Nepalese students in the US. I think if Nepalese community will help in small matter like finding an apartment and part time job that would be great help for new Nepalese students. 

-Roommates
-ride
-job

but most important- there should be someone to encourage them and be optimistic in their life. When i first came i was surrounded with lot of troubles and Ne*ricans. One person changed my life and i have everything that i wished right now. So if l could be of any help to a fellow Nepali, i won't step back.
Any website instead of Fashionable ANA, with a sole motive of helping fellow Nepalese both back home and abroad and without any political motives will be of great idea!

thanks GT for the effort. it would really be a worthwhile organization to help nepali here in the us and possibily be an example for other nepali residing in different countries. 

first of all my real problem being here in the us is "Taruni" - let me explain that better. 

i dont know what is the stat of men:women here but i'd imagine that there are less female. which would mean in terms of suply and demand they would be pretty demanding. and thats where we suffer. aaba aafnai gf us aayepachi afu lai bhau dina chadi sakyo, aaru lai k dos dine. 
age is at the peak of youth, cant say when i would slide downhill so its time to settle in. now it gets tricky. supply thorai vayera ani demand badera taruni paudaina. 

solution ko lagi female lai encourage garnu paryo yeta aauna lai.  

 

The first thing is perhaps creating an alliance of already existing numerous nepalese student associations spread across US and creating a platform like sajha or inside sajha or perhaps even a facebook group would suffice. Some tips should be posted for new comers or going to be new comers. Some indian student associations might have been of help to nepalese regarding pick-up service from airport and giving the shelter for initial few days: these are the most important things for new comers. There should be enough information posted about it - like what to expect and what not, and should be sustainable - such as charging some fees for the service (but should be comparatively less than taxi and staying at single bedroom).
The other thing that comes in my mind is creating a network for professionals (umbrella organization) which can even perhaps organize an event every year or in 2-3 years, but it shouldn't be oriented towards ANA style. It should be more like semi-conference style where there is an theme and people can meet each other and gain something with perhaps some key speakers, workshop (immigration, service to Nepal and so on) and later on recognizing (with distinguished award) to emerging nepalese.
There should be no place for POLITICS and the political leaders should NEVER be invited.
Like the last-poster's interest, some events could be organized where lone hearts could be paired. This has more potential for fund-raising.
It should not be another oganization which only sponsors some cheap artists from Nepal.

@SIS: I understand your frustations and acknowledge some of your valid points. It could be my fault to throw this open ended question but whatever valid points you have raised those are beyond the scope of my question. The question 'What Nepalese parents should do before they send their kids to US?' it is definitely bigger than my question. And obviously I am not saying that these Nepalese organizations in US need to pay tution bills of Nepalese students. Being a student representative for such organization I am just trying to indentify basic helps that one ogranization can offer to Nepalese students which can make their life lot easier.

Anyways thanks for dropping your ideas and merry chirstmas to you. Sorry I don't have sexy sari for chirstmas gift, will you accept my 'jhuse dari' instead? (just kidding). I really enjoy reading your posts except stories like what you did during Thanksgiving break in your father-in-law's house. So please keep writing.   

@moonshine, ojaswi, jantare, sunayani, raju and nepcha: thank you very much for your genuine ideas and suggestions. After reading you suggestions these are the points I want to include in my request.

1) To include a section for students in their website where they can find every piece of necessary information and send their queries to the organization. It could be helpful even for students in Nepal trying to find an affordable or reputed school in that particular area or for students in US moving to that area. We have seen many threads in Sajha just to find Nepalese community so this could be really helpful.

2) To pick newly arrived student from airport, provide an accomodation for few days and give a short tour of important places I think we can make a list fo volunteers and ask them to serve based on their availability

3) To provide information of jobs and rooms there are more than 100 gas stations, gift shops and restaurants of Nepalese owners in my area. An organization can keep the information of available jobs in those places and relay to job seeking students. Same thing can be done regarding rooms.

4) To provide ride to grocery stores and malls It can be easily done if we can hook them up with any established Nepalese family in their area.

5) To organize cultural and social events and health camps I think most of the organizations do such things but the management part  and the politicalization of these programs always have been major concerns.

6) Scholarship for poor and talented students There are always such people who want to donate part of their earning for social welfare. So it's not that impossible to establish some kind of scholarship to support talented student in economic hardship.

Please suggest me if you have anything else in your mind

@nepcha: you have brought some really interesting topics here specially the concept of umbrella organization of professionals which I think is important not only for students/professionals but also for our home country. The bigger picture of ANA has been already ruined by unprofessional management and poor choice of content during their meeting but I still believe that there is a small group of people inside ANA lobbying for technical session. Once, I also heard that 'Nepal ka Yuwa' is planning to extend their network in other parts of US but haven't heard anything about the actual progress. Nepalese students of New Mexico State University also organized similar conference few months ago. So basically If we can tie all these different Nepalese groups in some sort of network that will be great place to bring the ideas and people together and make real contribution to our society. If I get an oppurtunity to work for such frontier I will definitely take part on that.  

@nepali kancho: i think you have raised the most important issue, mero pani gf nepalmai faseko cha yar.... ke garne lastai tension bha cha... 

Somebody needs to tell Nepalese students to go to school. Not just take classes to maintain status. The organization may partner with many schools that they will provide international students to them, and the school provide scholarships and permission to stay off campus,

(contd.) and on campus jobs, etc. which will pay to go to school. Also provide student loans paid directly to school (tuition, housing and meals) with terms that student will pay after one year of graduation;

धन्यवाद मित्र जिटी,
तपाईंले उठाउनु भएको बुंदाहरु एकदम मनन योग्य छन। नेपाली समुदायले नेपाली विद्यार्थी र नेपाली जो अमेरिकामा नयाँ छन, तिनिहरुको लागि गर्ने सानो सहयोग पनि नयाँ मान्छेको लागि ठुलो हुन सक्छ। नेपालीहरुले बिभिन्न संगठन त खोलेका छन तर वास्तविक सहयोग गर्न सकेका छैनन। (थोरैलाई छोडेर) सानोमात्र सहयोग यि संस्थाहरुले गर्ने हो भने पनि हामीले हाम्रो नेपाली संगठन भनेर गर्व गर्ने ठाउँ रहन्छ।  

Job napaune ! 
When we first come to usa then Vehicles and many more bro.
(Lets forget about problems and lets start a new life in new year 2012) merry X-mas to everyone !

 GT bro mero kuro ko marma bujhnu vayena jasto cha. nepal bata aayeko gf le pani bal diyenan aru taruni ko ta kurai chardinus. ani hajur ko gf nepal cha vanya haina, best of luck . mero sujhab chai nepal ko gf nepal ma rakhna parcha. yaha aayepachi gf gf rahadainan.

Here is the ideal scenario I can think of -

Every Universities/Colleges that has (x or greater) number of Nepalese Students should elect a student govt body to head the Nepalese Student Organization. Someone who is outspoken and can speak for the concerns of future/current/prospective students for that particular university, and please let it be autonomous. You dont need a nation-wide scoped Nepalese student organization to listen to every Nepalese guy/girl that lands at the US airport. But you need participation from the elects from all autonomous organization to a bigger organization (hierarchial) to voice your concerns. That can be simply an open forum with all elects together (Mailing-list/Website) and the content open to public.

When you have many split-autonomous government bodies working for their students, with ideas of helping and making everyone feel home, you could share your success stories to some other government bodies who are struggling through the open forum. That is the whole idea of diversified working groups.

Same applies to Young Professionals , and even Families/Kids.

That's really a great idea and much more practical if it works.

Please continue sharing any of your experiences/tips on how Nepalese college students can lay the groundwork to thrive in the US especially during the first five years in terms of do's and don'ts so that they can accomplish their mission in a safe and sound manner.

Padhna aako pahila padhai ma focus garnu paryo. Moj masti ma dherai lagnu bhayena.

let this thread be in the highlight, please. thank you so much for all who are contributing on this real issue.