After experiencing momo at ULM’s International Food Festival, senior communication major Ali Owens said there’s no way she was going to pass up the chance to eat it again. “It (momo) was delicious. The spices were stronger than the last time I had it, but once I got used to them, it was really good,” Owens said.

Owens had the opportunity to satisfy her momo craving at the Wesley Foundation’s “Momos for Nepal” event which took place Friday night. The Wesley’s purpose was to raise funds for the Nepalese School Lunch Project, a project they started to feed 384 Nepali children, by selling two momos for a dollar.  

The children they wish to help live in the  hills of Nepal and walk as far as eight hours a day to attend school. The children of Chepang community suffer from malnourishment and are discouraged to attend school because of the distance. The obstacle of distance has been eliminated, since the Wesley Foundation built a hostel for the kids. This event helped their goal of feeding 384 kids for a whole school year, so that they can continue school for another year and not stay hungry.

Besides eating momos, participants at the event could also enjoy the games the Wesley provides every Friday. Owen’s favorite part had nothing to do with fun or games, though. She enjoyed the blending of the two different cultures at the “Momos for Nepal” event. “Walking around, you could hear people speaking in English, Nepali or a mix of both, and no one was making a big deal about it.” Owens also shared that she feels the U.S., as a whole, often falls prey to a “fear of the unknown,” which causes a lot of stereotyping and racism towards other cultures. But “Momos for Nepal” was different and educational.

“Events like these are so important in helping educate people about other cultures and learn about someone past the stereotype you may hold about them, which I feel like is something the world needs today,” Owens added. The Nepalese Student Association (NSA) partnered with the Wesley Foundation to make this event happen. Milan Katuwal, the NSA vice president for campus affairs, wished to express his gratitude towards the Wesley.

“I would like to thank ULM Wesley Foundation for hosting the event and even more gratitude for the cause they are supporting. I believe that everyone should contribute towards this, because the proceedings from all the events and sales will go towards building a brighter future for an innocent soul.”  Even after running out of momos 45 minutes into the event and recuperating, the Wesley Foundation has yet to reach their goal total of $2,112.