Local Mendham Couple Hosts Charity Event Supporting Nepal Mission

MENDHAM, NJ — Last month, local supporters continued the Mendham tradition of generosity toward BlinkNow's purpose with a fundraiser event held by a local couple, who welcomed friends, board members, and special guests from Surkhet, Nepal.

Maggie Doyne, co-founder of BlinkNow, and about 50 other members of the local community attended the event, which was hosted by Monica and John Micera.

The Miceras have sponsored BlinkNow for over a decade and have made charity a priority, inviting friends and coworkers to attend and share the purpose of BlinkNow to empower children and women in Nepal.

Doyne, a Mendham native, currently resides in Surkhet, Nepal, but returned to her hometown for support visits. Sachyam Upadhya and Aakriti Subedi, live-in coordinators of the Kopila Valley Children's Home, were also there.

About 50 people met at the Micera residence for drinks and hors d'oeuvres before Doyne gave a presentation about BlinkNow and her founding journey with co-founder Tope Malla. Doyne also provided an update on the status of existing programmatic areas as well as future goals.

"Monica Micera shared a poem about her support for the organization as well," officials said.

According to officials, the Miceras are active community members who are well-known for their charitable contributions. Monica founded and organized multiple youth mission trips to Appalachia, and they have both worked with World Vision, Children International and the Haitian Center of Hope.

"I am a believer that everyone has the ability to change the world, even in the smallest way – but Maggie has taken that to another level. Through her belief that every child deserves love and education, she has bettered the lives of an entire community in Nepal by expanding her vision to include a women’s center, a health center, a children’s home, a school, and more—all in an efficient and sustainable way," Monica Micera said.

The BlinkNow Foundation supports orphaned, poor, and at-risk children with an education and a caring environment.

The foundation also engages in community outreach to reduce poverty, empower women, improve health, and promote sustainability and social justice; it accomplishes this by providing financial support and management oversight to the Kopila Valley Children's Home and Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal.

In addition to the home and school, Kopila Valley operates a health and wellness program, a women's center, a home for at-risk students, a future career readiness program and a sustainability program that is integrated across all projects.

"Through her example, she inspires all of us to look around and see how we can each make the world a little better in small and large ways," Monica Micera said.