A homage to Olga Murray, a retired lawyer, and a Nepal lover
By Narayan Prasad Mishra
The Tribhuvan University Central Library, created by my beloved wife, Shanti Mishra, remains a tiny library compared to the vast and well-organized libraries found in many parts of the USA and other developed countries. But it is our biggest and most well-organized modern library, a disseminating center different from traditional libraries, which are mere storehouses of books. I joined this library a year after her. The library has been a center of attraction since its inception. It was like a tiny moon appearing in darkness in our country. It attracted all equally – Nepalese as well as foreigners. Because of this library’s shining picture and being the recognized server of this institution, my wife, Shanti Mishra, and I became known to the International Library World, and we came into contact with many international library figures. In this context, we became very close friends with Marjorie Stern of California, USA, who started the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and played a central role in establishing the San Francisco Main Library and Asian Museum. Her name is well-recorded in the history of library development in San Francisco, USA She loved some parts of this region, especially – Tibet in China, Ladakh in India, and, of course, Nepal. She was a dynamic woman, very active, invariably well-dressed, witty, and humorous. By age, she was quite a senior to us. I remember she visited Nepal even just overnight to see us for lunch or dinner when she was in Ladakh. She would never forget us when she was near our country. She visited us many times. I vividly remember with joy her many visits and her love for us. Marjorie was a well-known figure among San Francisco’s elite circle. Once, she visited Nepal with some of her friends and stayed at the Dwarika Hotel, Baneshore, when the hotel was not so big and elegant. Olga Murray was one of them. Olga later became the president of a well-known Nepal Youth Foundation, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that provides education, health care, human rights, and housing for disadvantaged children in Nepal. I remember Marjorie introduced us to Olga at Dwarika in 1987. That was the year when Olga was seriously injured with a broken ankle on her hike in Nepal and was carried by porters with a Doko (a large basket made of bamboo straps designed to be carried on the back and shoulders). Olga, by profession a lawyer and a retired research attorney at the Supreme Court of California in San Francisco, later became a lover of Nepal and Nepalese and started helping poor students of Paropakar High School at Bhimsensthan with the close collaboration of her friend Allan Aistrope, a volunteer English teacher there. After knowing them, they became our good friends and invited us for advice on their activities and sometimes to be language mediators between the students and them. Shanti and I provided them with our service with honesty and sincerity. They became our friends of joy and trouble. We shared our problems with each other. We had lunch and dinner together from time to time whenever they were in Nepal, sometimes being their guests at the hotels or sometimes in our house. In 1989, they started what was then called the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation, with Ms. Murray as the president and chief fundraiser and Allan as the Executive Officer or the Secretary. Later, Allan left the work in a dispute in 2000. Olga continued her work with the Nepal Youth Foundation. Sometimes, she lived in Nepal, and sometimes, she lived in the USA. Whenever she came to Nepal, she called us for a meeting. We never missed an opportunity to see her in her rented residence at Jawalakhel or at our house. We never stayed behind whenever she asked for our help and advice. She brought us great joy. According to the news published in The New York Times on March 12, 2024,” Over the years, the foundation built 17 nutritional rehabilitation clinics; the Olgapuri Children’s Village, which has room for 80 children whose parents cannot support them; a counseling center for children affected by trauma and loss; and a vocational school”. She also rescued thousands of girls and young women whom their fathers had sold. She was a recipient of a medal from the King of Nepal to honor her work with the children of Nepal. Murray was honored by the World of Children as a 2005 finalist. Olga, who was highly impressed by Nepal’s stunning landscapes and friendly people after her first visit to Nepal in 1985, dedicated her 40 years of service to thousands of Nepali children. The Olgapuri Children’s Village, located at Karya Binayak Bhaisepati, has some beautiful buildings and attractive huge premises. The center was established in the name of our friend Ogla Murray and has been providing unforgettable services for the cause of our underprivileged children with a variety of activities. After the sad demise of my beloved wife, Shanti Mishra, in 2019, I started writing articles every week in the People’s Review on various topics about Nepal. I sent some of my articles to her, which I thought would be of interest to her. Whenever I sent them, she would receive them with her good comments. When I sent the links to the articles titled – 1. Tribhuvan University Central Library and Shanti Mishra; 2. Tribhuvan University Central Library and Me; 3. The news about our book donation to T.U. Central Library to her, she wrote the following in her email to me.
It gives me great pleasure to remember we have some good friends who value our service. However, we see very few Nepalese who genuinely evaluate and value anyone’s selfless, dedicated service to the nation with a pure heart. On March 15, 2024, I received the following note from my good friend Robert Palmer, who lives in New York and was the Fulbright Librarian to China and Nepal at different times. That was about the sad demise of Olga Murray, our long-time friend, at the age of 98 on February 20, 2024. He informed me about the more than half-page news published in The New York Times about Olga Murray, which was quite an honor to a server.
I wrote to Robert ( Bob ) – “I am thankful you informed me of the article about Olga Murray. I read it using Google search and forwarded it to Pragya. You will be glad to know that Olga was our good friend, and I used to send my articles to her. I am sad to know about her demise. I will miss her.” The following Bob’s reply in a few words made me happy that our country has the power to win the hearts of people who have good hearts, like Bob and Olga and our many other friends in different parts of the world. In this context, I especially remember Lottie Weise, our dear friend who settled in Nepal and served this country and its people in various capacities. Lottie was the wife of Robert Weise, the renowned Swiss Architect who designed the Tribhuvan University Central Library Building and many other iconic structures in Nepal. Her passing in December 2023, while I was in the USA, deeply saddened me.
In memory of the sad demise of Olga Murray, the Nepal lover, the mother of thousands of our children, and our good friend, I, with my daughter Dr. Pragya Mishra, pay homage to her and pray for her eternal peace. I am sure she will be living in the hearts of our children, who could develop their careers through her love and support. I pay homage to her with profound love and respect, cherishing the memories of her dedication and kindness.
