Our Programs
SOCHAI combines low cost, low tech innovative product and services to tackle the health and nutrition issues at ground level.
On the service aspect, we design and implement community based programs (training, workshops, boot-camp, counseling) targeting pregnant lactating mothers, adolescents, health mother’s group, FCHVs, youth and school children. To deliver this service, we train, empower and mobilize young people at the ground level as active contributors for development.
With the overwhelming and unimaginable impact of COVID-19, SOCHAI is also implementing response immediate and long term COVID response programs in both rural and urban areas. Our comprehensive approach to tackle the pandemic involves immediate food and hygiene package distribution, community based nutrition assessment for early detection of malnutrition, individual and mass awareness programs, skill trainings.
We are relentlessly working on the frontline to prevent both social and economic consequences of COVID, which has put the vulnerable populations at even greater risk for poverty and malnutrition.
Skill development and empowerment programs on health, agriculture, handicraft and nutrition for Health Mother’s Group/Community groups
Educational Institutions focused training, workshops and boot-camps for youth, adolescents and school children
Health Center focused community awareness programs for golden 1000 days mothers
Our Products
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.
These bracelets are handmade by the local artisans. We are creating income opportunities for local women and artisans by making and selling these bracelets, and helping them find a way out of poverty.
Through our buy one give one scheme, you can purchase our Redcycle and Nutribeads bracelets and help a woman or a girl in rural and marginalized communities receive a free bracelet and counseling by Team SOCHAI.
Gift Our Bracelets
Nutribeads
$8 per Bracelet
Nutribeads Bracelets
Social Distancing
$5 for both Bracelets
Social Distancing Bracelets
Redcycle
$5 per Bracelet
Redcycle Bracelets
*$10 for International shipping.
Please mention your shipping address in the comment section.
For bulk orders, please visit SHOP!
Our Impact
SOCHAI has been taking small steps but big strides to support women, children and families reach their full potential in life.
For achieving our goal of improving maternal and child nutrition practices, we have already reached 3000+ mothers/children, 500+ community health workers and Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs), 4000+ adolescents and more than 50 youth through our community based programs led by young people in eleven districts across five provinces Nepal.
The pilot study conducted in by SOCHAI in Lubhu community, Lalitpur has shown that the community based learning program complemented by use of our innovation – ‘Nutribeads bracelet’ has helped in significantly improving the knowledge about nutrition and child feeding among mothers.
We have also sold and distributed 2500+ Nutribeads and Redcycle bracelets free of cost to mothers, FCHVs and adolescent girls during our programs which have helped our target users understand as well as communicate information on nutrition and menstruation effectively.
By selling the Nutribeads and Redcycle bracelets, we were also able to raise the fund to support disaster victims in Morang Districts, support COVID affected mothers with food and hygiene packages in Sarlahi and Lalitpur districts. We also organized several community based programs for golden 1000 days mothers, health mothers groups and other community groups, FCHVs, school children. These programs have sensitized and supported communities to adopt healthy nutrition and hygiene practices.
Additionally, with our ongoing COVID response program, hundreds of daily wage workers, pregnant lactating mothers, children and other vulnerable populations have been benefitted in both urban and rural areas. We were also able to reach thousands of online users with crucial information on COVID, Maternal Child Nutrition and its home based management.
Our Story
“Sangita and her family’s happiness had no bound when they found out she was pregnant. They welcomed a baby boy after 9 months. Sangita did not have an access to information on proper child feeding and nutrition during her pregnancy or after delivery. So, when Sangita’s baby was only 2 months old (when technically a child must only be fed mother’s milk), Sangita fed him cashew nut paste, hoping it will make her baby healthier. Unfortunately the nut paste got stuck in the child’s throat and the child died. Sangita was labeled a murderer by her own family and she was forced to leave her own home.”
This is a true story, which took place in the Lubhu community of Lalitpur district. This story is also a reality for hundreds of women, girls and children in Nepal who are facing the devastating consequences of the preventable problem of malnutrition.
Nepal has made significant progress in reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity in the last decade. But with the COVID-19 pandemic, the progress we had made is in jeopardy. Till today, Nepal has unacceptably high rate of child mortality associated with malnutrition. Every year, 52% of children under 5 years die due to causes associated with poor nutrition in Nepal and around 37% of children below 5 years have chronic form of malnutrition (NDHS, 2016). Women and girls are facing devastating and irreversible consequences of malnutrition throughout their lifecycle, while the entire country suffers social and economic loss.
We are firm believers that the devastating consequences of malnutrition can be prevented with access to simple and affordable interventions. With this vision and determination, we established SOCHAI in 2017 to support women, children, girls and families reach their full potential in life by improving their overall health and breaking the vicious intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.
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.
