It’s been 10 years since Maggie Doin was named CNN Hero of the Year in 2015 for her work caring for and educating vulnerable children and orphans in rural Nepal.
What began with a piece of land she bought with her babysitting money has become a global model for poverty alleviation and development through her nonprofit, BlinkNow Foundation.
“This is exactly the community’s vision for care and what children need to thrive,” said Doyne, 38.
After graduating from high school, Doyin began working in Surkhet, Nepal, after meeting a girl whose life had been destroyed by decades of civil war.
Doyne currently cares for 93 children, meeting their immediate needs and supporting their long-term growth and independence.
Her Kopila Valley School, once a small “bamboo hut,” now serves 1,000 students with state-of-the-art facilities, the latest technology, and a diverse range of courses. Students participate in gardening, agriculture and conservation classes and are provided with healthy meals to combat malnutrition. In addition to on-site daycare, we also have a job readiness program called Futures that gets students started on college, vocational programs, and vocational training.
“We’ve raised generations of children now,” Doyne said. “They go out into the world as architects, engineers, social workers, teachers, entrepreneurs.”
The Kopila Valley Children’s Home was once a one-storey building, but is now a four-storey children’s village, with the new facility set to open later this year. Doyne said her goal is to keep families together, but when that’s not possible, her home provides safety, protection and love for the community’s most vulnerable children.
The organization also has a separate home for at-risk girls who are victims of trauma, human trafficking, and violence. A food and agriculture program that trains indigenous women and farmers. and a full-service medical clinic. Doyne and her team of 175 caregivers, teachers and professionals work together to provide comprehensive services that address the roots of poverty.
Doyin’s past decade has been marked by great accomplishments, but also by deep heartache. On December 30, 2015, Doyin’s son Ravi passed away due to an accidental drowning. At one point, the traumatic loss made progress seem impossible.
“I didn’t know if I was going to recover,” Doyne said. “The next few years were a time of putting the pieces back together and really healing as a family.”
At a lecture in Los Angeles, Doyne connected with filmmaker Jeremy Power Legimbal, who shares his passion for humanitarian causes and storytelling. He began recording Doyin’s work and life story. And so the two began their journey together, both professionally and personally. She is now married and raising her children among 93 siblings in Nepal.
“This was a chapter of partnership and building this beautiful family,” Doyne said. “We are committed to working with our team and community to continue spreading the word in support of the orphan crisis.”
United by a common mission to make a difference, Power Regimbal directed and filmed the documentary “Between the Mountains and the Sky,” released this year, which highlights the raw and often painful realities of Doyne’s work.
“This definitely lifts the veil of heroism,” Doyne said. “By showing that vulnerability, I inspired people in ways I never imagined.”
Hope and Action is an idea that Doyne brought to life 20 years ago. And today, her message remains the same. Anyone can make a difference, and small actions can have a big impact.
“Keep doing what you can where you are,” she said. “Keep showing up, keep loving, keep doing acts of kindness. It all counts.”
