Our Story
Sangita and her family were overjoyed when they found out she was pregnant in 2014, and delighted when they welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world nine months later.
Sangita lived in the Lubhu community of the Lalitpur district, an under-resourced settlement in the Kathmandu Valley known for its textile and agricultural output. She did not have access to information on proper child feeding and nutrition during her pregnancy or after delivery. So, when Sangita’s baby was 2 months old—when a child should only be fed mother’s milk—she fed him cashew nut paste, hoping to make him healthier. The nut paste stuck in the child’s throat, killing him.
SOCHAI co-founder Bonita Sharma was visiting Lalitpur for research on October 7, 2016 when she heard this story from Sangita’s neighbor. The neighbor also explained that Sangita—a mother who had only wanted to feed her child—was labeled a murderer after her loss, and forced out of her home and community. Though this is a particularly harrowing story, it represents a reality for hundreds of women, girls and children in Nepal who face malnutrition and limited access to vital information—completely preventable problems, with devastating consequences.
Nepal has made significant progress in reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity in the last decade. However, the country still has an unacceptably high rate of child mortality associated with malnutrition. Every year, according to UNICEF, nearly half of children under 5 die due to causes associated with poor nutrition. Roughly 25 percent of children below 5 have a chronic form of malnutrition in Nepal, according to the Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) 2022.
Well-nourished women, children and girls break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition and empower generations. SOCHAI is on a mission to improve access to simple, community-driven, cost-effective interventions. Put simply, SOCHAI exists to support mothers and children like Sangita and her baby.
Our Programs
SOCHAI has an arrary of product and services to tackle the health and nutrition issues at ground level.
On the service aspect, we design and implement community based interventions targeting pregnant lactating mothers, youth, adolescents, health mother’s group and Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs). To deliver these services, we train, empower and mobilize young people at the ground level as active contributors for community development.
Youth Volunteers Program (V-Program): SOCHAI’s flagship V-Program is a platform for adolescents and youth from diverse background to come together and build their knowledge and skills on health and nutrition issues. SOCHAI conducts annual recruitment and training programme for volunteers in collaboration with colleges and universities, who are then mobilized throughout the year for –
- Implementing adolescent focused school nutrition education programs
- Providing nutrition counselling to 1000 days mothers visiting local health center
- Conducting community nutrition assessment using MUAC Tape and BMI
- Capacitating youth and adolescents as advocates for climate action and food security
- Utilize SOCHAI’s innovative Nutrition, Menstruation and Anti-Anemia (Iron Folic Acid) bracelets to educate different community groups
- Implement social media, radio and other digital advocacy and awareness initiatives with a focus on nutrition and health
- Coordinate with local ward and municipal networks for synergy in implementing nutrition initiatives
School-based Adolescents Program: SOCHAI implements four days of school-based health and nutrition bootcamp where adolescent and youths in schools can learn essential technical (topic covered: nutrition, WASH, SRHR, climate change, sustainable agriculture) as well as soft skills to become ambassadors, changemakers and promoters of nutrition at their own schools and communities. Besides school, SOCHAI works with other institutions such as campuses, youth clubs, youth networks, NGOs, CBOs, private companies, corporate sector to organize similar learning sessions. SOCHAI also supports in formation of a nutrition club in the schools where the club members lead and organize Poshan Mela (Nutrition Exhibition) event in their schools. To not leave the out of school adolescents behind, SOCHAI also organizes similar bootcamps for out of school adolescents.
Skills Program: SOCHAI’s skills program supports the most marginalized and vulnerable women and families at risk of poor health and nutrition with agro-based skill training and resources to create a sustainable income source that leads to upliftment of their socio-economic status, ultimately improving their capacities to consume quality diet and adopt climate-resilient agricultural and business practices.
Advocacy, Engagement and Research: SOCHAI has a very active presence on digital media. SOCHAI has been amplifying vital messages around nutrition, health, food security, climate change through multiple digital platforms such as – Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Linkedin. SOCHAI is also involved in high level consultation meetings and workshops to voice the challenges faced by youth and adolescents with regards to their health, nutrition and climate related issues. We also bring forward the hidden issues of mothers from marginalized communities based on research studies implemented by SOCHAI that helps advocate for inclusive policies at federal, provincial and local and even global level.
Emergency Response: To address the overwhelming and unimaginable impact of climate change and resulting crises such as earthquake, flood, landslide as well as COVID-19, SOCHAI has been implementing immediate response programs on need basis. Our efforts involve immediate food and hygiene package distribution, community based nutrition assessment for early detection of malnutrition, individual and mass awareness programs on climate change, disaster preparedness etc. We are relentlessly working on the frontline to prevent both social and economic consequences of disaster, which has put the vulnerable populations at even greater risk for poverty and malnutrition.
Skill development programs on health, agriculture, handicraft and nutrition for women and community groups
Capacity building programs for youth, adolescents and school children
Local health center focused nutrition counseling programs for golden 1000 days mothers
SOCHAI's Products for Social Impact
On the product side, we develop various innovative tools and kits that aid our knowledge and skill building programs. Some of the low tech tools that complement our community programs are ‘Nutribeads bracelet’ which informs about how to feed a child in the first 2 years of their life and the ‘RedCycle bracelet’ which helps understand, accept, communicate and track menstruation. Iron Folic Acid (IFA) or Anti Anemia bracelet that helps adolescents in easily understanding the national guideline for intake of weekly IFA supplements.
SOCHAI’s award-winning Nutribeads, Redcycle and IFA bracelets are handmade by local artisans in Nepal. To contribute in the local economy, SOCHAI has collaborated with a local handicraft production house to manufacture all the bracelets, thus creating income opportunities for local women and artisans. Through this initiative, we aim to support women by creating income generation opportunities so that they are able to afford nutritious food for themselves, their children and families.
Additionally, through SOCHAI’s ‘buy-one-give-one’ scheme, the organization has been applying a sustainable social-entrepreneurship model to continue its community efforts. As a part of this model, anyone can support a woman or a girl in marginalized communities receive a free bracelet and counselling from team SOCHAI by purchasing our IFA, Redcycle and Nutribeads bracelets.
Along with the bracelets, SOCHAI also has a maternity wellness basket designed for new parents as a gift. SOCHAI also offers ‘customized learning program’ packages such as Nutrition and Wellness training, Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) session etc. for schools, organizations, and private company staff as per need of the users. To keep up with the technological development and expand its horizon, SOCHAI is also developing nutrition e-course and tele-nutrition service as its new and innovative entrepreneurial initiatives.
Gift Our Bracelets
Nutribeads
$8 per Bracelet
Nutribeads Bracelets
Anti-Anemia
$5 per Bracelet
Anti-Anemia Bracelets
Redcycle
$5 per Bracelet
Redcycle Bracelets
For bulk orders, please email us at info@sochai.org
Our Impact
In pursuit of our mission to promote nutrition and break the inter-generational cycle of malnutrition, we have touched the lives of over 5500 mothers and children, 500 health workers and Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), and 9500 adolescents and youth. Our community-based initiatives, led by our youth volunteers network with 300+ members, span across fifteen districts in four provinces of Nepal.
We have distributed over 6300 Nutribeads, Redcycle, and Iron Folic Acid (IFA) bracelets, coupled with informative sessions for mothers, caregivers, FCHVs, and adolescent girls. These initiatives have not only facilitated learning and awareness but also empowered our target groups to effectively disseminate information on nutrition and menstruation within their own local communities.
Through the entrepreneurial arm of SOCHAI, we have developed various sustainable products and services to bolster our interventions and amplify our impact. Collaborating with diverse stakeholders, we deliver innovative solutions, including wearable bracelets and nutrition consulting services for the government, UN agencies, NGO/INGOs, schools, corporate, youth organizations etc.
Our Nutribeads bracelet has earned accolades, winning the UNICEF’s Youth Innovation Challenge Award, while the Red Cycle bracelet has been incorporated into the Menstrual Hygiene Management Reference Toolkit (Grade 4 to 12) based on Curriculum Development Center (CDC) of Government of Nepal. Currently, the toolkit is undergoing pilot testing in five provinces of Nepal. Similarly, our IFA bracelet has garnered recognition from the Nutrition Section/Government of Nepal and UNICEF Nepal.
A recent study implemented to assess the impact of SOCHAI’s interventions revealed our school-based programs helped in reducing consumption of unhealthy food and improving Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation and compliance among adolescent in Sarlahi district.
Our initiatives have sensitized and empowered communities to embrace healthy nutrition and hygiene practices. A pivotal pilot study conducted in the Lubhu community, Lalitpur, showcased the effectiveness of our community-based learning programs alongside our innovative tool, the ‘Nutribeads bracelet,’ in substantially augmenting knowledge regarding nutrition and child feeding practices among mothers.
SOCHAI is rigorously invested in implementing research activities for generating evidence-based intervention recommendations that can be scaled up at a larger scale. We also meaningfully engage in policy level advocacy including drafting of Multi Sector Nutrition Plan III, annual nutrition review at national and provincial level to provide youth perspectives and recommendations to the government of Nepal.
In times of crises, our short-term and long-term emergency response program has been a lifeline for hundreds of daily wage workers, pregnant and lactating mothers, children, and vulnerable populations in both urban and rural settings. Along with distribution of essential food and hygiene packages, we have provided skill trainings and resources to set-up small businesses for marginalized women in Sindhupalchowk as well as in slum/squatter settlements of Kathmandu. Through initiatives such as hog-plum candy making, tailoring, and mushroom farming training, we have equipped women with valuable vocational skills that enable them to generate income sustainably. By diversifying their sources of income, these women are better prepared to tackle economic uncertainties and improve their overall quality of life.
Leveraging digital platforms, we have disseminated crucial information on COVID-19, Maternal Child Nutrition, Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), home based nutritious recipes etc. reaching thousands of online users. We have also developed an e-learning platform that is accessible free of cost. For additional details of our work, check out our annual report available in this website.
Our Achievements
Lead 2030 Challenge
WINNER
SOCHAI is winner of the Lead 2030 Challenge for Sustainable Development Goal – 2 ‘Zero Hunger’ category initiated by One Young World and supported by the RB (Reckitt Benckiser) Group. SOCHAI was chosen as one of the most impactful youth-led solution from 1200 applicants from 100 countries around the world. SOCHAI received funding and a year-long mentorship support from the RB Group.
Asia Pacific Youth Innovation Challenge
WINNER
Our innovation Nutribeads bracelet is the winner of 3rd High Level Meeting – Asia Pacific Youth Innovation Challenge organized by UNICEF, Tandemic and hosted by the Government of Malaysia in 2016. Sochai was chosen as one of the three winners of the competition (Social Protection Category) from over 650 applicants from 17 countries. As a winner, SOCHAI received seed grant and mentorship support.
WINNER
AWARDEE
SOCHAI’s Cofounder and CEO Bonita Sharma was listed in the 100 most influential women of the world by the BBC in 2019. In the list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019, she was placed as an innovator under the knowledge category. Her work through SOCHAI in the public health nutrition sector and the idea of Nutribeads bracelet has also been featured by the BBC.
