We have been working with SVSI since 2018 and have experienced great teamwork and a joint passion to empower women and support the community. The SVSI-team is always open to work together and to learn from each other and understand the importance of involving local stakeholders.
6 Degree Network for Women, Netherlands

I have known Dhruba Giri founder of the Sapana Lodge for the past 8 years. The first time I met him and heard his story I knew here was someone very special, with an open heart, hardworking, inspirational with an excellent vision what he wanted to create at Sapana and how to work with the community. He has done just that. Year by year thinking how he can help more people to develop skills be it in weaving, basket making, vegetable farming, teacher training etc, to earn a living and improve their own well-being and life style.

A ‘must do’ for everyone whilst staying at the Lodge is a visit the remarkable Sapana Village School run on Montessori lines which I visit on my yearly visit to Sapana. This is the brain storm of Dhruba and offers an outstanding education, superb by English standards, to children from nursery to year 2 and expanding year on year. Half of the children come from marginalised and very pour neighbouring villages are given free education. The parents for the other 50% pay fees.

More information on the website of Chance for Nepal.

Barbara Datson, Chance for Nepal, Netherlands

In 2009 I met Dhruba Giri through my friend and former colleague Elsa Geilman. I went to meet him and hear about his plans for a new school because Elsa had asked me to work with her and Dhruba on his dream. His dream was making a school with Education of the 21^st Century, Child Centered Education for children from 2.5-18 years. He then had a group of friends who supported him and talked, talked and talked. This group of friends was the predecessor of the not for profit NGO Sapana Village Social Impact, a legal body.

The school was the first and most ambitious plan to be realized. Over a period of 6 years we prepared the foundation of the Sapana School and SVSI organized a teacher motivation training for people in Chitwan. From this first group the teachers and teacher assistants have been selected for the Sapana School (Sapana = dream in Nepali language).

From 2016 we performed 5 trainings and all together there were 70 trainees, partly teachers of neighboring schools and also ladies from eg Kathmandu, who now are teacher at various governmental and private schools throughout the country.

In the mean time many people who need help to realize plans address Dhruba and SVSI, for information, organization and support on the ‘spot’ for instance for community development programs or aid in cases of disaster or support of women and jobless youngsters.

Dhruba spends hours talking with the initiators of these idea’s and when he, and the board of SVSI, consent that the effect of these programs benefit the people in the area then they go ahead. The plans are developed and SVSI takes care of the effectuation of the projects. SVSI is financially supported by different INGO’s. They know that the projects will be supervised closely by Dhruba and the board of SVSI, that there is no question about the success of the programs and they also know that all sent money is directly to the projects for the people who really, really need this most.

Marie-José van der Sandt, Advisor, Sapana School, Netherlands

I have met Dhruba Giri in 2005. He introduced himself has a man that was working on his dream. His dream was to help the people in the Tharu villages where he was born. From that day on he never seized to inspire me with the sheer amount of heart energy that he put in to realize this. He effectively touched the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people.

He created a beautiful small lodge at the Chitwan national park. Riksja Travel started to book most her Nepal travellers in this lodge. Dhruba shared much of the income with the community. We joined Dhruba and his foundation the SVSI to enforce various projects. I always admired how the foundation realized heaps of projects for relatively small amounts. Dhurba is a man that does what he promises. He has a magic enthousiasm that brings people along, but he is also realistic in his project management and calculations. He has built a small team of dedicated professionals who make things happen. Sapana is dream in Nepalese, Dhruba is making is dream come true as well as the dreams of many others.

Riksja Travel has the Stichting Soul venture (Soulventure foundation). Through this foundation we manage our charity projects and are also raising donation for the SVSI. If you are from The Netherlands and want to assist Dhruba and his team to help the poorest of the world, please refer to our website Soul Venture

Marius Appelman, Riksja Travel, Netherlands

Medical Checks for Children has had the privilege of collaborating with SVSI in organizing medical camps for children in remote villages for many years. Our organization is deeply impressed by SVSI's dedication and hard work. We are working side by side to improve the health of these young children. We eagerly anticipate continuing our partnership into the next years, confident in the positive impact we can achieve together.”

Medical Checks for Children (MCC), Netherlands

"For many years already, we have enjoyed working with SVSI, an organisation with a passionate team that puts its heart and soul into helping the Chepang communities in Kaule and Siddhi improving their future situation!"

Henriette and Marie-Jose, Foundation to Earth, Mankind through Inspiration & Initative (FEMI)

In April of 2023 I had the pleasure of working with SVSI on their website and video production. It gave me the opportunity to see several of the projects. I am a big fan of the business like approach of SVSI, investing in communities to help them to become self sufficient. I was inspired by the enthusiasm, dedication and hard work by the team. Love working with you!

Hugo, PUM Netherlands