HISTORY

The roots of Sprout go back to 1944, when Richard Bacas contracted polio while vacationing with family at the Eastern Shore in Maryland. While polio left him paralyzed, Mr. Bacas was a leader and entrepreneur, and upon his death in 2005, his family chose to honor his memory by creating a facility that would serve those with special needs. Spirit Farm LLC purchased the farm on which Sprout resides in 2009. At the time, the land was contracted to local farmers to grow soybeans and other crops. The facility was designed by Brooke Waldron and constructed by Quality Buildings and Supplies (a Purcellville, VA based company) in 2010. During this time the organization was founded by Mrs. Waldron (formerly Bacas), who remains the Executive Director. Sprout filed its Articles of Incorporation in June 2010 worked through 2010 to achieve 501(c)3 status. In 2011, Sprout acquired horses and became a PATH Member Center, beginning services in the fall of 2011.

OUR MISSION

Sprout provides equine assisted activities and therapies to individuals seeking opportunities for growth. Sprout is dedicated to providing dynamic learning, recreation, socialization and therapy opportunities for individuals and groups in a farm environment.

OUR STORY

Our journey starts on a dry riverbed in the foothills of the Himalayas, where one young woman decided to help one young girl, hoping to make one small difference. In the blink of an eye – and with a lot of hard work from a lot of people – that hope turned into a home, a school and so much more. Kopila Valley was born and soon blossomed into BlinkNow, a nonprofit foundation serving an ever-growing, ever-inspiring community in Surkhet, Nepal. Our history is an unlikely tale. Our mission is to change the world by empowering Nepal's youth. Our team is built from within and getting stronger. We’ve already done so much together. Now is the time to get involved and add your voice. This story is only just beginning.

OUR WORK

“We have the power to create the world we want to see every day.” - Maggie Doyne

A loving home for over 40 children. A school for 350 young students. A program to prepare our graduates for their futures. A safe house for 10 of our most at-risk female students. A center for the women of Surkhet to gather and learn. A new school campus made from the earth. A community that is strong both in health and in the environment that surrounds us. This is the world we want to see every day. Of course, our work is never done. After all, progress never stops.

OUR ITINERARY TO NEEKO

In 2000, a 19-year-old Anju took off in a plane from Nepal to USA, happy and excited that her first dream of many was finally coming true. During her student life at American University (Washington DC) , Anju did not have a free ride and found herself working odd jobs at odd hours to bring to life her wish of acquiring a prestigious American degree. It was hard, but she was persistent. Her next aspiration was to secure an Accounting job in a big Accounting firm, which she made happen despite many struggles she faced. To say everything seemed to be on track for a girl right out of college would be a major understatement. After few years of work and after marriage, Anju became full-time mother devoted to caring for her family of four. Her dreams though weren’t over. While watching her boys grow, she felt that it was time to get back to her vision, the one she grew up with. There was a void that a motherhood could not fill, a yearning, even a desire to affect more than just her own kids. Now that she is a mother herself, the need to get working on this next ambition of her life seemed more important than ever. Anju wanted to reach out to the children in Nepal, to try to give them what she could, for a second chance to look at life. She specially felt that the visually challenged children were the ones who needed assistance the most. Finding that inner point of satisfaction by helping others is greater than any other success or blessing Anju have had in her life. Neeko is the shape that Anju’s dream has taken. It has been founded in the hope that it will act as the bridge for these special children to achieving their own dreams.