Maggie Doyne

After graduating high school in Mendham, New Jersey, Maggie Doyne left on a gap year of international travel and service. This adventure, her first trip outside the United States, took her around the globe, ending with volunteer work in India. At the invitation of a friend, Maggie soon found herself in Nepal where a recent civil war had left thousands of orphans. Walking by a dry riverbed, Maggie met a 7-year-old little girl named Hima breaking rocks and selling them to help support her family. The two connected as Maggie realized that, except for the luck of being born in the US, she could have been that little girl. With her life savings of $5,000 from babysitting, Maggie worked to enroll Hima in school. The one became two, and suddenly she had helped several children from this resource-poor community attend school. Realizing there was still more to be done, Maggie founded the BlinkNow foundation. Maggie’s gap year has extended over a decade and her work has expanded to include a Children’s Home for over 50 children, a school that serves over 400 students, a Women’s Center to empower women in the community, and so much more. 

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, noted for mountain climbing and wilderness trails. Its physical infrastructure lacks paved roads and its harmful cultural norms and misconceptions make it difficult to promote change that builds a better future for children and women. Since founding the BlinkNow Foundation, Maggie Doyne has looked to the community to provide support and help design programs from the ground up, addressing the unique context of rural Nepal.  Like climbing Mount Everest, it has been a steep climb to the top, but the reward is immeasurable. Maggie Doyne will tell her story of overcoming the greatest obstacles while working to promote positive change within rural Nepal. While her journey has been filled with adversity and heartache, Maggie shares the inspirational story of how anyone can make a difference.

Maggie will tell her story of how a high school graduate with no international, educational or business experience has led one of the fastest growing and successful organizations in the developing world.

Every family faces challenges in raising their children from scraped knees to life-threatening events. The parent has to get through it with the child and family intact.

Maggie Doyne is the 28 year old mother of over 50 orphaned children in Nepal. Many of these children were abandoned during the civil war in Nepal, and had been abused, sold into slavery or suffered from serious illnesses. Having only graduated from high school in New Jersey with no training, Maggie started BlinkNow to care for these children. Maggie will tell her story of finding any path, anyone, anywhere to help her kids and the learning the deepest love while doing it.

Every parent wrestles with how to give each child the attention they need. Working moms have the greatest struggle as they seek to balance the demands of the job with nurturing at home.Maggie will tell her story of how she juggles being mom to over 50 orphaned children and the needs of running one of the world’s fastest growing international charities. It’s a story of overcoming fears, many tears and much to cheer.