About

D2N's mission is to provide sustainable support to grassroots, community-based programs in Detroit neighborhoods and remote villages in Nepal.

The genesis of D2N was Richard Keidan's and Namgyal Sherpa's fact-finding trip to Khotang, Nepal. D2N was founded in 2010 as a way to address the conditions they found - the lack of power, waste management (toilets) and clean water as well as limited access to health care and educational opportunities. Recognizing similar needs in the Detroit area, D2N added Detroit to the foundation in 2012. D2N is a 501 (c) (3), a non-profit organization.

For its first nine years in Nepal D2N awarded educational scholarships to girls, built toilets, schools, libraries and health posts and birthing centers and brought hydroelectric power to a village. Since 2022 on our efforts are focused on building programs that sustain high-quality health care.

Our efforts in Detroit initially centered around health and education for children. Attention then shifted to underserved communities in Detroit, where the focus has remained. A collaboration in Highland Park between D2N and S.A.Y. Detroit Family Clinic, Buckets of Rain, Avalon Village, Detroit Outdoors, Parker Village and Soulardarity resulted in efforts to improve access to health and wellness care for women and their families in Highland Park. D2N is currently building on these efforts by developing a program that uses lessons learned in Nepal to Detroit neighborhoods. D2N also supports youth at risk through Black Leaders Detroit, Building Better Men and Figure Skating in Detroit.

Whether it was the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, COVID-19 in Detroit and Nepal or the 2023 earthquake in Nepal D2N has always been able to respond quickly to emergency situations.

For information on all our initiatives, both past and present, please see our 'Projects' section.