Mandala House
Mandala House is a supported-living facility for disabled adults set in the grounds of the Hope Centre. Not only does it represent vital accessible accommodation for these individuals, but also an important resource for the local community.
As of 2024, several individuals at the Hope Centre (our home for disabled and orphaned children in Kathmandu) were over 18 and required to live separately from younger residents. Through an extensive feasibility study, New Futures Nepal established that there was a lack of suitable accommodation and resources in Nepal for adults with differing abilities who cannot live independently and lack family support. This gap left these individuals at risk of being forced to leave the centre or being placed in unsuitable living conditions, jeopardising their overall well-being and future prospects.
With a lack of adequate and cost-effective rentable property in the area, and no appropriate established services in Kathmandu, it was decided by the charity to construct a purpose-built residential facility (which would later be known as Mandala House) situated on Hope Centre land and designed to comfortably accommodate up to six adults with disabilities as well as a member of support staff and their family. The total predicted costs for this project were £100,000, and in 2024 New Futures Nepal went about establishing and commencing a fundraising campaign to cover these costs.
Join our trustees discussing why this was such an important project.
In March of 2024, following preparation of the site area, trustees Lynne McCutcheon, Andrew Small, and Alex Maher (who were in Nepal visiting our projects and partners) visited the site for an auspicious blessing of the ground upon which the new Mandala House building would be built. A local priest was welcomed to lead the blessing and also in attendance were children and staff of the Hope Centre, and Nirmala Bhandari of the Nirmala Foundation.
Prior to construction, the foundations of the new building were blessed.
The construction phase of Mandala House was overseen by former Hope Centre family member and Architectural Engineer Suman Shrestha. Suman’s story.
In November of 2024, supporter and UK-based engineering advisor David Rivers, along with his son Charlie, visited the project to attend the ‘Inauguration Day’ at which the house was blessed by a local priest. The day was attended by municipality officials (including the Ward Chair of Gokarneshwor Municipality) and our Nepali project team, as well as Hope Centre neighbours, local social workers, and some of the older children of the Hope Centre. David and Charlie were on hand to plant a commemorative tree in the grounds of the house and join in with the proceedings.
A special inauguration day saw the building blessed and marked the celebration of Mandala House’s completion.
Through consistent hard work by our team, and with the help of our supporters, New Futures Nepal were able to raise £63,518, and along with our funding reserves, we were able to fully fund this project.
Despite adverse conditions during construction (brought about by monsoon rains), the construction of Mandala House was completed in the first quarter of 2025. In Mid-March of 2025 5 disabled adults and their carer moved in to Mandala House (joining the ground’s guard and family). Following some finishing touches, this represented the culmination of a year’s hard work by New Futures Nepal and our partners in Nepal and was a joyous event for all involved.
Our Chairman Andrew Small said of the occasion:
“For most, Mandala House is more than just a home—it’s a launchpad to independence. Just as the Hope Centre has provided a foundation of care and opportunity for children over the years, Mandala House is the next step for those who need longer-term support as they work towards building independent lives.
Mandala House represents something ground-breaking: a supported living model rarely seen in Nepal—a safe, nurturing place where adults with disabilities can develop the skills, confidence, and stability they need to establish themselves in the wider world.
This is an important precedent for Kathmandu, proving that with the right support, disability does not mean dependence. The journey is just beginning, and we can’t wait to see the transformations ahead!
Thank you for making this possible. Your support has laid the foundation—not just of a building, but of new opportunities, new ambitions, and new hope.”
Going forward, it is the intention of New Futures Nepal for Mandala House to not only serve as assisted-living accommodation for its residents, but also act as a day centre facility offering extracurricular activities to local adults with disabilities. This will not only enhance the quality of life of these individuals and help increase the impact of the project, but will also provide the controlling NGO (the Disabled Welfare Association Nepal) with an amount of financial self-sufficiency.
We would like to thank everyone that made this revolutionary venture a reality. From the New Futures trustees who conducted the meticulous feasibility study, to the Hope Centre children and staff, the planning and construction teams in Nepal, and everyone who donated, we couldn’t have done it without you!