– Pallavi Karn, Central Volunteer, SOCHAI Human beings are inherently social creatures. Our existence thrives on mutual support—physically, emotionally, economically, and socially. This interdependence begins from birth and continues throughout our lives. Families play a pivotal role in nurturing individuals from infancy to independence, shaping their habits, values, and well-being....

Generation Zoomer (Gen Z) is a generation that zooms on the internet. They radiate the energy of being the main character. The tech-mindedness of Gen Z is shown by their use of social media platforms to gather information. Gen Z views themselves as the generation of “foodies”, being a part...

Introduction:  “Healthy food”- what often comes to our mind when we hear this term? For many, it’s the misconception that healthy eating is expensive, unaffordable, or simply impractical to maintain in our daily life. But let’s take a moment to delve deeper into this topic.  Firstly, what exactly does “eating...

आज बिहान हतारमा निस्किए म। सोचाइको सेतो कमिज, खैरो पाइन्ट र खुट्टामा चप्पल लगाएर दौडिए । मलाई साथीहरु भेट्नु थियो । छिटो नपुगे गाडी छुट्छ ओहो ! चितवनको चिल्लो अनि सिधा बाटोमा सानो गाडी चल्छ, सेतो म्याजिक। होचो गाडी, ठ्याक्कै ७ जनालाई सिट भएको तर १४ जना बस्न पर्ने ।...

-Ashish Shrestha, SOCHAI Youth Volunteer  In the bustling city of Dharan, a national nutrition initiative is underway to ensure that every child receives not just an education but also adequate nutrition to support their growth and development. The mid-day meal program, implemented in government schools, aims to provide nutritious meals...

Do you believe that breastfeeding can be healthy for people and for the planet as well? I guess, we all are mostly aware of benefits of breastfeeding to babies as we are told or in any way, we got to know about it but recently research has revealed that breastfeeding...

As you shop for period products, tucked away on one of the shelves, you might see a lesser-known option for pads and tampons: the reusable menstrual cup. A menstrual cup is a bell-shaped container, made of silicone, latex, or rubber. Like a tampon, it’s inserted into the vagina when people...

My neighbor is seven months pregnant. She is putting faith in her pregnancy, and she is getting good care and nourishment. She is enjoying her road toward motherhood while receiving love and respect. Is the need for nourishment only crucial during pregnancy and breastfeeding? We recently observed the biggest festivals,...

One day going with one of my colleagues for the lunch during office hours, I noticed she felt very uncomfortable wearing a mask but at a time she denied taking off the mask until the food arrived. As soon as our order arrived, she took off her mask and I...

Yes, I am a Feminist. I want to be loud enough and say, I am a man, and I am a feminist.I am a feminist because I believe in equality.I will continue being a feminist until and unless every woman and girl can enjoy theirbody autonomy, can have respectful sexual...

Every year World Humanitarian Day is commemorated on August 19 to pay tribute to all the humanitarians who get injured and killed during the course of their work and to honor all the health workers who work for human aid despite the odds. August 19 was designated in the memory...

Do you ever think whether or not the food you’re having is SAFE? This is one question that needs to be thought well before eating any kind of food. Food safety in common means the overall process that compromises of different processes like food handling, storage, and preparation of food...

It’s Asaar and it is the time of mango harvesting, selling, and buying season. Mango is the king of tropical fruit and we know that very well. Mango has a very good juicy intense sweet taste when we eat it. I think most people like mango very much and most...

Covid-19 infection affects the lungs and makes us sick. In severe case, one has to be admitted to the ICU to support in breathing process with a ventilator. In the ICU, you receive nutrition through your veins to fight against infection. After being discharged from hospital, maintaining your health status...

Sita Shrestha, an energized and empowered women proudly shows her effort to conserve mother earth. She is 53 years old but still young enough and enthusiastic to cultivate vegetables and grow flowers on the roof of her house. She has started to grow it for more than 2 years. She...

We have already stepped on the menstrual month of 2021 which is in the month of May. May 28 is also called MHD or MH Day i.e. Menstrual Hygiene day. This day ie. May 28 has a symbolic meaning -> May is the 5th month of the year and the menstruation’s average length is also 5 days every...

Is the period blood pure or impure? This question might confuse a lot of people about menstrual blood. To answer this we must first understand the menstruation cycle; the natural process of the female body. Females have an amazing process going on inside their body. One of them is menstruation....

 A national study conducted in Nepal found that pre-lacteal feeding is mostly observed in Terai areas of Nepal. Promotion of ANC visit and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices are required for reducing pre-lacteal feeding practices. IYCF and breastfeeding practices are highly influenced by the knowledge and believe of...

“GOOD NUTRITION BEGINS WITH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE” Agriculture and nutrition both begin with the word “Food.” Food is a major byproduct of agricultural practices and as a result, a key component of healthy nutrition. The much evidence, research shows that there’s a lot more to nutrition than just having food....

SOCHAI recently conducted three visits to Tarkeshwor Municipality, Ward number 1, 2, and 3 on 20th November, 24th December 2020, and 18th March 2021 respectively under the COVID Response Program. Participating in the entire program was a great learning opportunity for me. I learned a great deal from the SOCHAI...

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021, SOCHAI recognized 7 grass-root female entrepreneurs as POSHAN (Nutrition) HEROES. When the COVID-19 pandemic started and the entire country went under lockdown, most of the small local businesses lost their source of income and means to feed their families. However, the resilience...

When I was only a child, I remember our house helper, who helped us with the chores, was at times severely bruised and wounded. On such days, my mother used to offer her food and listen to her problems. I later found out she was married to a drunkard. Her...

Diabetes is the condition characterized by elevated levels of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Management of Diabetes means controlling blood glucose level. Controlling of blood glucose level can be done by monitoring blood glucose level at home. This is called...

An Apple, a Mango, a Banana, and a Bitter gourd meet each other after 23 years.  Apple: Hi guys! I am very busy these days. I had to manage my schedule to meet you today. Bitter gourd: *Furiously* Oh really?? Apple: *Proudly* Yes, I am in huge demand these days. And...

According to World Bank, over 1/3rd of child mortality in Nepal is due to malnutrition and reasons associated with it. Despite of several efforts to reduce malnutrition in Nepal, the findings of recent NDHS 2016 report reveals, 36% of children in Nepal are stunted, 10% are wasted and 27% are underweight. It...

Collected by: Kritee Lamichhane 1. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding should begin within one hour of birth 2. Breastfeeding should be “on demand”, as often as the child wants day and night (Usually 8-12 times in 24 hours), bottles or pacifiers should be avoided 3. A child must be exclusively breastfed for the...

I got my first period at the age of 13. I used to study in grade 8. I vividly remember losing consciousness in school assembly due to heavy bleeding and severe menstrual cramps. I was unaware of what was happening to me. My first period was a scary and bitter...

Ever since I remember my childhood, I was told that the trees and plants can hear, see and feel like us, humans. At the age of 25, I now know that they don’t, but, I don’t think it would be wrong to say that my love for nature grew with...

-Written by Saina Shrestha [Note* This article intends to correlate the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition in Nepali communities (especially rural), and how the cultural feeding practices have direct or incidental impact on the maternal and child health. Aayam’s mother as the narrator tells her story as a girl child, as...

It is a known fact that that an HIV-positive mother can infect her baby through breastfeeding. However, if correct measures are taken, the risk of transmission can be reduced and the child can received adequate nutrition and antibodies through breastfeeding. Every HIV positive mother has the right to have all...

By: Saina Shreshta As I made my way through the corridor to my cabin, I noticed Linda hurrying from the other side. I waved my hand and started walking towards her. With hands full of filed documents, I could see Linda short-winded, managing to shove off saying, “You look flawless!...

“In our everyday life, we meet a lot of people, and some of these people help us realize the purpose of life. I have been involved in various health-related projects and programs in Nepal since my undergraduate days. However, my actual journey to self-discovery began with a mother’s story. This...

“After I was selected to attend the One Young World Summit in Bogotá, Colombia, as an OFID-sponsored delegate, I received a message from Nischal Baskota, a young Nepali social entrepreneur based in the US. Nischal is the owner of a tea company—Nepal Tea LLC—and had read about my work in...

High prevalence of malnutrition is one of the major public health problems in Nepal. It is one of the leading causes of child mortality & morbidity in the country. Thousands of children miss the opportunity to reach their full potential due to the physical and mental effects of poor nutrition...

-Richa Neupane, Teach For Nepal “In our school, younger students come to school with a five or ten rupee note every morning and before assembly, they buy chamcha paun, candy, instant noodles etc. It was a very apt awareness program for our school. The SOCHAI team carried their work impeccably...

SOCHAI’s Red Cycle Bracelet i.e. the Menstruation Bracelet is based on the calendar method of fertility awareness. In the bracelet, different colored beads are arranged in a way that helps learn, track and communicate an average menstrual cycle of 28 days. The bracelet is developed as a low-tech wearable education...

“From the very beginning, just when we’ve learned to be on our two feet, we’re taught to fold our hands, bow our heads, close our eyes and put forth a prayer whenever present before a holy deity. And most of us were hesitant to side with profanity by questioning the...

पोषण तथा यस सम्बन्धि जानकारीको अभावले हाम्रो गाँउ–समाजमा गम्भिर समस्याहरु निम्त्याएको महसुस गरेपछि, जनस्वास्थ्य, फार्मेसी, समाजसेवा र मिडिया जस्ता विविध पृष्ठभूमिका ४ युवा विद्यार्थीहरू, बोनिता शर्मा, नेहा मल्ल, मन्जिता राजोपाध्याय र आशुतोष कार्कीमा नेपालीहरूको स्वास्थ्य र पोषण स्तरोन्नति गर्ने दृढ सोचका साथ “सोचाई – पोषणका लागी युवा”, एक सामाजिक अभियानको...

We are the Social Changemakers and Innovators (SOCHAI) and just like Dean Kamen, we believe that, “every once in a while, a new technology, an old problem, and a simple idea can turn into an impactful innovation.” Since past one and half year, SOCHAI has been working at the grass-root...

-Sagar Parajuli World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world. This year the World Breastfeeding week is being celebrated with the slogan “Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding”. This theme/slogan was chosen to focus on supporting...