Our Team
Cora Edmonds - Co-Founder
Born in Hong Kong and raised in North America, Cora is the founder and director of ArtX Contemporary Gallery, an intercultural contemporary art gallery in Seattle. Cora’s research of indigenous cultures and passion for photography have kept her traveling extensively, documenting many indigenous cultures through the lens of her camera. She enjoys spending time with Phil and family in Seattle, as well as almost 100 daughters in Nepal!
Phil Crean - Co-Founder
Born and raised on a small sheep farm in New Zealand, Phil has lived in Seattle since 1990. Phil met Cora after being captivated by the “Namaste Boy” photograph and they married soon after and then founded Namaste Children’s Fund in 2008. Part owner and president of Orca Bay Foods, Phil is actively involved in a range of organizations in Seattle as well as staying connected to his family and 5 children.
Sandy Clark - Director
Sandy, a Pacific Northwest native, is on the Board of NCF. She brings executive NGO experience having served in leadership roles for international organizations including: Landesa, Grameen Foundation, and the World Affairs Council. She recently retired from Days for Girls International -- a global NGO working to end period poverty. When not talking about periods or traveling back to Nepal, Sandy enjoys reading Sesame Street books to her grandchildren, Bodhi and Sahale.
Chris Shaw - Director
Another Pacific Northwest native, Chris fell in love with Nepal after trekking in the Annapurna region with wife Sandy and daughter Megan in 1998. He worked as a software engineer in the Seattle area for nearly 35 years, but has been retired since 2017. He can often be found enjoying the outdoors skiing or windsurfing.
The first employee of NCF, Chimey was born in Nepal and brought up in Darjeeling, India. He has spent the last 20 years involved in social work, trekking and guiding in the Himalaya region. He also holds the office of President for Project Himalaya. Chimey is the General Manager of NCF Nepal operations and sends us weekly progress reports detailing how the programs and students are doing.
Chimey Sherpa - General Manager
Suresh and Ganga Bohara - Project Manager and Principal
Suresh and Ganga are both from Thehe Village where the majority of our students come from. They have been with NCF from the earliest days and are dedicated to the care and education for our girls. Suresh completed his degree in sociology in Kathmandu and helps keep both hostels running by working with the Nepali government and making sure the schools are run in compliance by Nepal’s Education Ministry. Ganga had previously overseen operations at the Simikot Hostel while also teaching Nepali, cooking for the girls, and helping to maintain the school’s vegetable crops. She has since moved to the Kirtipur hostel with Suresh and their children.
Raj Bahadur Bhandari - Teacher
Raj teaches Social Studies at the hostel and enjoys music, dancing and playing games with the students. Raj is married to Basanti who is our cook and their daughter, Karishma, is a student at the Simikot Hostel. We appreciate his upbeat attitude and humor and are grateful for him and his family for taking good care of the girls, especially during the pandemic.
Basanti Bhandari - Cook
Basanti has been with NCF for many years as one of our main cooks at Simikot Hostel. She makes sure the girls are well fed with Dal Bhat, a traditional Nepalese dish that is made with rice, curried vegetables, and lentil soup. Basanti is also in charge of the crops at the hostel that produce potatoes, cabbage, turnips, spinach, and other vegetables. The older girls help her harvest and process the crops to store food for the winter months. Basanti is close with all the girls and helps braid their hair every morning for school.
Richa Neupane - Career Counseling and Mentorship
Richa leads our Career Counseling and Mentorship Program. Richa is a curious learner herself, having spent seven years understanding issues of social and educational injustices in Nepal. A graduate of Kathmandu University as well as Minnesota State University Moorhead, USA, Richa has experience with differing educational systems and approaches.
Richa is a fellow for Teach for Nepal and is the co-founder of Udeshya Girls in STEM. Her passion is working to fill the gaps in access to quality education, especially for girls from marginalized communities. Richa understands the nuances of ambition, gender, motivation and environmental/social expectations which affect a girl child's education.