Dear Friends of Oda,

This month’s newsletter comes to you later than usual, as Nepal has just gone through a period of historic political change. In early September, mass protests shook the nation, leading to the resignation of the government. The curfew has now been lifted, and former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been appointed as interim Prime Minister, with national elections scheduled for March.

These events carry both hope and challenge. The protests have already cost the country immense wealth, and local governments are facing tighter budgets. For Oda Foundation, this is particularly significant. As a grassroots organization, we work hand in hand with the local government in Kalikot. In recent years, their partnership has been vital, funding salaries at Mahawai Basic Hospital, supporting education initiatives, and agroecology projects.

Yet, during this interim period, there is real uncertainty. While essential health and education budgets are expected to continue, there is a real risk of reductions or even reversals in other local government commitments as priorities shift to national stabilization.

Still, Kalikot’s people continue to show resilience. In August, children returned to learning, mothers received safe care, farmers planted together, and women entrepreneurs began sending their first products to market. These are the everyday victories that sustain hope and remind us of the importance of standing firm during uncertain times, and download a PDF here.

EDUCATION: Partner School Updates

Back to School After the Fire (13 August | Jaganath Basic School, Katampur): After a fire destroyed learning materials, Oda mobilized quickly to replace supplies for 6 affected students. Personalized kits of books and stationery were distributed, restoring not only resources but also a sense of stability and hope.

Honoring a Teacher’s Journey (28 August | Shree Tila Secondary School, Oda): Staff and students bid a heartfelt farewell to Miss Sadhana Dhakal, an English teacher from Jhapa who spent last year nurturing students in Kalikot. The event included songs, dances, and a certificate of appreciation, recognizing her lasting impact on English education in the hills.

AGROECOLOGY: Growing Equality & Sustainability

• Gender Equality in Action: 31 participants including staff, volunteers, and community members took part in a 3-day workshop on gender transformation approaches, building awareness on gender roles and equality through games, reflection, and group learning.

• Greening Communities: 40 “Dhupi” (Cypress) tree saplings planted by 18 farmers from 3 local groups in Kuni village.

• Capacity Building in Seed Saving: 3 project staff attended a training visit to DOAR Lumle, Pokhara focused on establishing community seed banks with local government collaboration.

HEALTH: Safer Births, Stronger Systems

• Maternal Health: 2 safe deliveries at the birthing center; families counseled on newborn and postnatal care.

• Adolescent Health: Folic acid tablets distributed to all girls studens from 2 partner schools to prevent anemia and support long-term wellbeing.

• System Strengthening: New health insurance agreement at Mahawai Hospital ensures affordable services and reliable funding.

• Government Support: 3 government meetings and positive discussions on alternative energy support, equipment and a doctor placement for the hospital.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: SkillHer Moves to Market

The SkillHer cooperative team has begun gathering local herbs and spices for packaging and sale. Product labels have been designed. Their first batch of products was prepared and sent as souvenir packages to Kanthari in Kerala, which is supporting the project. This milestone coincided with CEO Karan Singh’s visit to Kerala with Kanthari International, showcasing the potential of Kalikot’s women-led enterprise on an international stage.

Questions? Send us a note at info@odafoundation.org.

With gratitude,
The Oda Foundation Team

As we step into the second half of the year, we’re proud to bring you our first monthly update, a more frequent look at how your support is shaping lives in rural Nepal. From new agroecology trainings to early childhood screenings, here’s a snapshot of July in motion, and download a PDF here.

"Now I feel less afraid." 

That’s what Manisha, 28, said after attending our July ANC clinic where she learned how to monitor her baby’s movements and identify danger signs during pregnancy.

From pregnancy to postpartum, our health team walked alongside mothers and children this July ensuring care reached even the most remote corners of Kalikot.

• 9 pregnant women received antenatal checkups, nutrition guidance, and birth preparedness sessions.

• 2 babies were safely delivered with skilled birth attendants at our hospital.

• 21 children were screened for malnutrition; 6 mothers received iron-folic acid and breastfeeding support.

• 6 new mothers received postnatal care incentives, helping them return for regular checkups.

• 14 individuals screened for Kala-Azar—all tests negative, with prevention tips shared.

• 11 health workers trained in emergency and chronic care, strengthening rural capacity.
  
  "The nurse held my hand through every contraction. My son was born crying and healthy!"— Ranipura Singh

Second Chances & Stronger Starts

"From identifying learning gaps to bringing dropouts back into class, July was all about creating inclusive and motivating spaces for students to thrive.

• JAPA Workbook Project: 12 students who had dropped out or attended irregularly joined activity-based sessions to rebuild basic literacy and numeracy through games, phonics, and peer support.

• Diagnostic Assessments: 96 students at Shree Tila and Dev Schools were assessed in core subjects. Findings helped tailor lesson plans and inform parent-teacher strategies for continued support.

• Volunteer-Led Impact: Over two months, 4 volunteers from Niten Memorial School supported daily classes, arts and sports activities, and mentored local teachers, reaching over 90 students with renewed energy and creativity.

AGROECOLOGY | Rooted in Participation

In July, our agroecology team focused on expanding access, knowledge, and community leadership.

• 585 saplings distributed to 160 households across 4 wards, prioritizing Dalit and marginalized farmers.

• 17 participants trained in local planning and proposal writing for community-led development.

• 57 local vegetable varieties identified to promote year-round nutrition and biodiversity.

• 26 group meetings held on seed saving, kitchen gardening, and nutrition.

From Harvest to Livelihood:  18 Women Launch Native Products Initiative

18 women from Mahawai-2 came together to launch an initiative focused on collecting and packaging native products like pepper, cinnamon, red rice, and medicinal herbs. Supported by Kanthari, the initiative is rooted in traditional knowledge and led by the women themselves,marking a powerful step toward sustainable income and economic independence.

Thank you for being part of our journey.

Every sapling planted, lesson taught, and life saved in July was made possible because of your belief in our work. Your continued support empowers communities in Kalikot to take charge of their health, education, and livelihoods, one step at a time. We’re grateful to walk this path with you. 

Questions? Send us a note at info@odafoundation.org.

With gratitude,
The Oda Foundation Team

A Season of Growth and Recognition

This spring, our classrooms got brighter, our communities stronger, and our impact louder. From diagnostic health camps to national awards, every milestone this quarter reflects the power of community-led change. Here's a look at what we've achieved together, and download a PDF here.

EDUCATION: Equipping Teachers and Supporting Students 

Teacher Training Milestones

• In April, 15 teachers from 7 schools joined a 3-day training on Engaging Lesson Sequences, our first-ever STEM-focused training for secondary-level Maths and Science teachers delivered by UK-based educator Rebecca Pitkins.

• In May, 24 teachers from 5 schools participated in a hands-on workshop at the Oda Community Centre, jointly hosted with Niten Memorial School.

Learning Through Disruption

• Despite nationwide protests, learning didn’t stop. 48 students attended remedial classes at the Oda campus, with some walking up to 3 hours daily to reach class.

Volunteer Support

• Four volunteers led over 200 hours of classroom support and creative activities, strengthening the 4 Cs of learning: creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Diagnostic Assessments

• One-on-one literacy and numeracy assessments were conducted in four schools, helping teachers accurately understand learning levels and tailor future support.

Health, Hygiene, and Legal Rights at School

• Menstrual & Personal Hygiene Sessions conducted at Tila and Dev schools

• Leak-proof underwear distributed to all girl students and female staff.

• Legal advisory sessions covered: Child rights & protection laws, Gender equality, Child marriage & community violence.

National Recognition for Grassroots Impact: Creators Award 2025

We were honored with First Prize in the Creators Award 2025 for our video on women-led green economy initiatives. The national recognition and NPR 1,25,000 cash award brought broader visibility to our grassroots work in Kalikot.

Mahawai Partnership Summit: Giving Kalikot a Voice

This quarter, we hosted the first-ever Mahawai Partnership Summit at the Municipal Office, bringing together local government officials, NGOs, and civil society leaders for open panel discussions.

What set this event apart was its interactive Q&A session, where community members boldly questioned local authorities about unmet promises and everyday challenges.

The response was overwhelming. “For once, we were heard,” said one participant. Even the Municipal Chair praised the event as “a wonderful exercise in accountability.”

This summit marked a crucial step toward transparent governance and community-led dialogue, and it may pave the way for future town hall-style forums in Kalikot.

Community-Centered Care: From Awareness to Access

• A two-day integrated public health and specialist service camp at Mahawai Basic Hospital provided care to 669 individuals, offering services in dentistry, orthopedics, pediatrics, gynecology, and dermatology.

• In our first-ever eye treatment camp, held in partnership with Himalayan Eye Hospital, 453 people received eye care, including 70 cataract surgeries, restoring vision and dignity in remote communities.

Routine & Reproductive Health

• 65 children vaccinated under our regular outreach program.

• Ultrasound services supported safer pregnancies through prenatal screenings.

Community Wellness Programs

• TB awareness sessions were held in Wards 3 and 4 for mothers, teachers, and community leaders.

• The Health & Nutrition Week event taught students the value of local, balanced diets.

• A kala-azar case in Ward 6 was swiftly diagnosed and managed, with full contact tracing.

Agroecology: Cultivating Resilience in Mahawai

• 65 group meetings reached over 554 community members across 35 farmer groups, strengthening grassroots momentum for sustainable agriculture.

• 13 community-level trainings; 12 on organic fertilizer and one on nutrition education to FCHVs, driving change in farming and household diets.

• Staff received intensive training on kitchen gardening, gender transformation, and nutrition.

Thank You for Walking With Us!

Every student, mother, farmer, and health worker we reach is made possible because of your belief in a more just, healthy, and sustainable future. Let’s keep growing together.

Questions? Send us a note at info@odafoundation.org.

With gratitude,
The Oda Foundation Team

LEADERSHIP & MOMENTUM: A Fresh Chapter Begins

We began 2025 with powerful transitions. We bid farewell to our dedicated former Managing Director, Rajkumari Dura, whose leadership helped shape many milestones at Oda. Stepping into her shoes, we are thrilled to welcome Shalav Rana as our new Managing Director, who brings over 20 years of I/NGO experience and a passion for community empowerment. His first months focused on strategy, team development, and deepening cross-sector collaboration.

We also hosted Tobias Lewers, a young volunteer from England, who supported teacher training, administrative systems, and IT repairs——showing us the power of youthful curiosity and service.

Whether you’ve been with Oda since 2003, or just learned about us, thank you for being our support: you make this incredible work possible. Read below for our favorite highlights from this quarter, and download a PDF here.

EDUCATION: Empowering Students with Technology and Global Connections.

• 13 students received Educase school bags that convert into desks—enhancing classroom learning in resource-limited settings.

• 6 laptops donated to Shree Dev and Triveni Schools by World Bank Nepal, supporting digital access for school management.

• Cross-cultural learning: Dev School students connected with peers in Japan through a shared webinar experience.

• Conference representation at the 3rd International Education Conference at Rato Bangala, Kathmandu.

• A toilet construction project at Shree Tila School—supported by Rotary Club of Kathmandu—boosted student dignity and hygiene.

• Education Materials for Dev School and Tila ECD center of Mahawai - supported by Family & Friends Projects

Planning for a Digital Learning Hub at Oda is underway, aiming to enhance rural students’ access to digital education.

HEALTH: Reaching Further, Caring Deeper

• HPV vaccinations completed at Tila and Dev Schools—critical prevention for adolescent girls.

• Ward 2 declared fully vaccinated after a comprehensive household survey.

• Skilled Birth Attendant training underway for our nurse Sunita—60 days of hands-on upskilling.

• Our free ambulance service, launched on January 6, is already serving remote patients with local government support.

• Preparation began for a large-scale Health Camp, planned in coordination with Mahawai Rural Municipality.

LIVELIHOODS: Scaling Sustainable Solutions

Agroecology for a Prosperous Future (Supported By Fastenaktion)

The pilot phase concluded in February and exceeded expectations:

• 800 households reached (target: 690)

• 925 individuals trained in agroecology, nutrition, and kitchen gardening

• 100 families received fruit saplings and garden support

• 89% of participants were women, with 41% from Dalit communities

• 80 awareness meetings held across 40 clusters

• Project renewed for 2 years to serve 645+ households in Mahawai

Women led discussions, started gardens, and mapped local cooperatives for future collaboration—sowing the seeds of transformation.

KANTHARI PARTNERSHIP: Innovation in Action

• 22 students graduated from our Alternative Education Centre with skills in organic farming, hygiene, disaster preparedness, and English.

• 70 women trained in herbal cultivation and processing, supporting new income sources for the Mahawai Women’s Cooperative.

• Ambulance service, supported by Kanthari, became a critical link to emergency care—saving lives in the most rural corners.

EXPANDING MARKETS: Karnali Ratna at the Expo

For the first time, Karnali Ratna women’s products—red rice, timur, cinnamon, and bay leaves—were showcased at the 8th International Women’s Trade Expo in Kathmandu.
Everything was sold out.

This milestone proved that women-led rural enterprises have a market in urban Nepal. We’ve opened doors to potential retail partnerships and national visibility for Kalikot’s farmers.

BUILDING STRONG FOUNDATIONS

• Mission & Vision Workshop and SWOT Analysis unified staff under shared values and clarity.

• A Communication Workshop equipped our health and education leaders to better tell our story.

• Strategic groundwork laid for improved infrastructure and donor reporting systems across departments.

The energy of Q1 sets the tone for a year of deeper impact. With leadership in place, partnerships thriving, and community voices leading the way, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of possibility—and we couldn’t do it without your support.

Thank you for walking with us.
Together, we are planting seeds for lasting change.

Questions? Send us a note at info@odafoundation.org.

With gratitude,
The Oda Foundation Team

Alex Winant

Reflective Blog Post

January 2, 2024

Self-Reliance

For the last 6 months, I have lived in Oda as the foundation’s Business Strategy Fellow. Living in rural Nepal and engaging in Oda Foundation’s work has been constantly changing and given me a myriad of thoughts and emotions. Each morning I take a walk through the village to clear my mind and observe the everyday experience so that I can think about ways to support life in the village. Usually I walk alone, but one day in October our resident doctor Nabin came with me. We did a full loop and strolled past each cohort of homes cradled in the mountainside. Doctor Nabin pointed out to me where people of each caste level live, starting with the Brahaman quarters and ending with the Dalit (untouchable caste) zones. I noticed that homes in the lowest caste were significantly smaller and housed far more people than the higher caste homes. Nabin and I walked past a younger woman who cheerfully greeted us and extended an invitation to enjoy some tea in her home.

As we continued our walk afterwards, Doctor Nabin told me that this young woman was recently treated at the Oda medical clinic. She had to be rushed to a nearby hospital because she was suffering from an urgent heart complication but made a quick and full recovery. I said that it is fortunate that we were able to get her the help she needed, and asked why the condition was so urgent. Nabin met my eyes and explained that this woman is one of seven daughters so it was difficult to persuade her father to seek treatment. I was confused why being one of seven daughters was relevant to the story. “Her father told the medical staff that the price of paying for the transport and treatment of his daughter is not worth it if he has six others.” 

Later that day I watched doctor Nabin lecture another woman from the village about the danger she put herself in by performing an abortion without medical supervision. Even without understanding her words I could see the mortification and shame coloring her face. She was devastated by the morbid decision she was forced to make because of her financial constraints. At that moment I realized that medical situations like these two happen here all the time. Beyond that I recognized that this sort of situation is confronted everyday by people in poor places all over the world. I had learned about the harsh decisions women disproportionately face for medical care but I had never witnessed dilemmas like these in my life so it was difficult to understand them as frequent problems. Ruminating on this made me feel sorrow, confusion, remorse and other amorphous emotions. I began to wonder if moral judgment is a luxury of modern societies, and how often people have to deal with the same dark decisions throughout the world and throughout human history. Is morality more relative than I like to believe?  Is my reaction to this situation a privileged one? What is true self-reliance? What would I do? 

In time, my understanding of these topics and my biases have expanded. I became aware of the fact that I could not relate to the context of these decisions and that my limited perspective could never be an arbiter of blame. As the months have past, I have become more familiar with the challenges of living in rural Nepal, and the context of these painful realities have begun to make more sense. It is a blessing that Oda Foundation can take these heart-breaking decisions out of the hands of the people who must confront them. This story is one dim pixel in the broader image I have of my experience in Kalikot so far. Most of what I see here is bright and inspiring. Children are raised by the help of friends and family instead of a babysitter. When a parent gets old, they are taken care of by their children instead of a nursing home. People prioritize laughing and enjoying milk tea with loved ones instead of a work schedule.

 Sometimes I’ve had the strange feeling that traveling alone to this completely unfamiliar place has splintered off another vein of my life that is separate from what I have lived before. The relationships I’ve made and places I’ve explored are special because they too live in this offshoot of my experience. Every circumstance of living is different here so in some sense it is a principally different life. Being absorbed in this different life has brought me up close and immersed me in the conditions of this part of the world. Through this process I was able to understand Oda Foundation’s objectives more clearly. After nearly six months of listening and learning, I am in awe of the Oda Foundation’s ability to provide affordable and nurturing solutions to sometimes dire situations. I would characterize the spirit of Oda Foundation’s mission as being a facilitator of flourishing in a place where life is hard. 

Because life is and always has been difficult in rural Nepal, self-reliance is a quintessential characteristic of the people in Oda. So much virtue, wisdom and resolve is instilled in the people who are raised here. The grit needed to grow up in Kalikot demands strong character. Many times I've seen small children carrying loads of rice bigger than their own bodies so that their friends and family can eat. So often I see women climbing trees or maneuvering steep cliffs so their crops are maintained. I watch hoards of young men and women lugging building materials up sharp hills so their houses will stay insulated during the winter. I feel humbled when I see a group of children walk for three hours to arrive at school on time. These arduous feats of self-reliance are not celebrated because they are mandatory for survival. 

Rural Nepal is a set of communities that operate in isolation because most of their day-to-day responsibilities are not connected to a wider economy. Provisions from organizations become an afterthought when all the primary needs of life must be curated independently. The landscape makes it so public amenities are dispersed and energy must be dedicated to self-subsistence. Massive difficulty in managing the basic logistics for a safe and forward-looking life is baked into the reality of living here. Oda Foundation cannot change the solitude of Kalikot or fight against the challenging terrain of this region. Instead, we can make public amenities available, dependable, and sustainable. Rural Nepal will continue to grow on its own and become better connected to hubs of development and municipal services. I am optimistic about the future of our region because I know that as life begins to become easier, the core attribute of self-reliance will not fade from within its people. The people of rural Nepal will grow and thrive with the changing tides of time because they are able to flourish when life is hard.

Please read more about how our organization is run and the values we continue to promote:

 Creating Independence 

As The Oda Foundation is situated directly in the community, it is imperative that we does not create a dependency on the organization for basic healthcare and adequate education. To see this through, the Oda Foundation has operated so that the initiatives created by the foundation can survive and flourish independently of the organization itself. While many NGOs choose to start private schools, The Oda Foundation has developed a public-private partnership with the local government school in the community. We believe that to sustain change, we need the government’s buy-in. The Oda Foundation works to empower our local schools by providing teacher training, school materials, and resources for capacity building. In this partnership, our organization can work cooperatively with the local government for improvements within an education system that is already established and will continue to operate beyond the Oda Foundation’s time.

Hear from two of our current teachers about the importance of this private-public partnership.

Sustainability

The Oda Foundation’s primary goal is sustainability. What does this mean? We focus on long-term health and education initiatives, and we also ensure that our work safeguards the natural environment. Our social enterprise focuses on employing women from precarious situations to grow the food our staff consumes on our campus. Our agriculture women share their practices with the local community and run the cooperative of over 100 women. By sharing farming practices, we can increase the region's nutrition variety and food security. The disadvantaged women we employ are both widowed and illiterate. We have trained them in sustaining the culture of locally processed seeds and food, rather than commercially processed ones or brought in from the cities to ensure that the genetics of the plant remains true - preventing illness and disease from hampering produce. Through permaculture training and support of understanding local growing practices, we will continue to train trainers and expand knowledge to the community. 

Research-backed Initiatives

We value the importance of community research to drive our decisions. Through collecting and analyzing data communicated by the community, the Oda Foundation can better understand the community's struggles and subsequently determine which initiatives should take the highest priority in addressing these issues. For example, after conducting the 2017 household survey, OF recognized the community need for a safe birthing institution. At-home deliveries put women at greater risk for complications during labor because most often there is not a sterile environment with trained personnel for assistance. In October 2021, The Oda Foundation followed through on this data to create the region’s first birthing center with auxiliary nurse-midwives and necessary equipment for safe births. Since then, we have provided countless prenatal check-ins, births, and post-birth care in our center. 

In April 2022, our team went door to door to understand current health habits and community trends. Please find the report here. The responses of which are currently feeding projects and initiatives the Oda Foundation is undertaking. To learn more about our research and implementation, please reach out!

Lastly, our most recent and exciting research-based project is our “Ma For Mahila” program which means “I stand for Women” in Nepali. This women’s health project focuses on improving women’s menstrual hygiene, access to our health facilities and promotion of family planning. Over the last month, the project has been training local women to take the lead on the project and run workshops in the surrounding communities on women’s wellness and long-term impact.

Local Leadership

The Oda Foundation prioritizes investing in locals because we believe that people from the community should be leading their own change. 80% of our staff are from our local district, and 95% of the Foundation’s staff are Nepali. The Oda Foundation’s Scholars program takes young people from the village and puts them through professional training to create leaders who are personally invested in their home village development. Additionally, we report to two boards, one Nepali and one US. All members of the Nepali board are from the Oda community, and all organization decisions must be approved by them, fostering the importance of community-led decisions.

Operating on the Ground

Unlike many NGOs in Nepal, the Oda Foundation is situated in the village where we work. Our staff is predominantly living on the foundation’s campus, where they are better equipped to communicate and collaborate with the community. With the majority of our staff from Oda, we can quickly adapt our priorities and initiatives to suit the needs of the community at the time. Recently, our municipality saw unexpected heavy rains that caused landslides and flooding throughout the region. Because our staff lives in the village, members of our medical team and grounds team could go to the homes of people most affected by the disaster to assess their needs. Within days, Oda Foundation helped coordinate providing basic necessities such as blankets, shoes, clothes, and food to people who had lost their homes and livelihoods in the floods.

Our team supporting rice distribution to families who lost their homes to the heavy rains and floods that swept through our community in Oct 2022.

We are grateful for our continued support and partners who allow us to operate and further the community impact in Oda. If you have any questions or would like to donate, please find our giving season campaign here.

With Care,

The Oda Foundation Team

Recently conversations with the women kept flowing to the same topic ‘Lucy, kahile bibah garne?’ (When will you get married?) I am often asked. ‘ma bibah na garne’ (I will not marry) is always my response. The first time I gave my opinion on the matter of marriage, I was anxious about how they would respond. I knew that my opinion goes against the cultural norms here, and still does to some extent at home in the UK. I’m careful of the way I portray myself. My views are already so different to those of the community. Then they responded ‘ramro’ (nice). I was surprised. I knew many of the women in the organisation wished to have married at different times in their life, but I didn’t expect them to agree with the idea of never marrying. I decided to open up more.

One evening I told them my own mum’s story of divorcing my dad when I was young and making the decision to raise us as a single mum, until re-marrying several years later. Despite knowing she would face many challenges as a single mum, she still had the autonomy to make the decision to leave a marriage she knew was not good. As I told this story, the women’s eyes widened and were astounded. ‘kasto ramro chha’ (how very nice) said Purna Didi. I was surprised. Again, all that I thought I knew about the culture surrounding marriage in Oda was being questioned.

Widows and single women in Nepal 

In both regular and casual labour markets, women struggle to find employment significantly more than men in Nepal. Furthermore, women who are uneducated and live in rural areas face several more barriers in finding employment. Women are also paid significantly less than their male counterparts (Yamamoto et al., 2019). Karan (co-founder and chairman of The Oda Foundation) told me about the difficulties his family faced after his dad had died, due to his father being the only source of financial income. 

The word widow is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘vidhuwa’ meaning destitute and lonely. At a time when women are widowed, they not only have the bereavement of the loss of their husband, but they also often find themselves becoming outcasts of the community. Some communities enforce strict rules upon widows. 

History of discrimination against widows 

Widows have faced a history of discrimination, starting with the enforcement of Sati in 4th century until it was outlawed in 1920. Sati was the tradition of widows killing themselves by burning on their husband’s funeral pyre. Sati was initially to be practised by ‘willing’ wives, however as it became more influential in society many women were forced to practise this, as the social pressure was immensely high (Das, 2017). 

Following the outlaw of sati, many women would only wear white Saris. White is the colour of mourning in Nepal. Many widows were thought to be inauspicious and blamed for their husbands’ deaths. These views would marginalise widows, making them outcasts of their community and prevent them from engaging in community events such as weddings and religious ceremonies. By enforcing widows wear white Saris they are known to all that they are ‘a woman without a man’, making their situation even more dangerous. Over time, this practice has relaxed, however many widows still practise not wearing red.  

Women’s identities and the way they perceive themselves changes in the transition between single woman to wife to widow. It is very clear in Nepal to know when a woman is married. Many women have a middle parting in their hair, to which they then apply a red powder (sindooram). Married women will often wear a red bhindi between their eyebrows, compared to unmarried girls who wear a black one. In many regions of Nepal, the colour red also extends to married women’s clothing and is the traditional colour a bride will wear at her wedding. This all changes again when women are widowed or separated from their husbands, as these women stop wearing red (WHR, 2010).

How are we supporting?

Although laws protecting widows’ rights are in place within Nepal and have been for two decades, widows are still having to fight for their rights. A high rate of illiteracy means that many women are unaware of their rights. Furthermore, those who are aware of their rights may not be able to enforce them. Changes in law are the first step towards ending discrimination, education and a change of ideology of how widows are viewed within society must also occur. 

Our holistic approach at delivering the basic needs of health, education and livelihood means that issues such as child marriage are also indirectly affected in a positive manner. This is an incredible achievement, but we also recognize that it is not nearly enough.

To see a big change occurring in the community, we work for and hope for an intrinsic change in ideology. One way this continues to take place is via the Oda Foundation Youth Program. Rather than only empowering women, the Youth Program empowers youth to work together, giving young people the capacity to create change in their own community. We create safe spaces for youth to speak openly, debate, and learn alongside each other about their views without judgement. As our ongoing Youth Program Coordinator, I’m excited to be part of these critical changes here and to ensure that they remain sustainable and agile, long-term! 

References

Das, B. (2017) ‘Sati Custom in Nepal: A Historical Perspective’, Academic Voices: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 7, pp.1-7. Available at: https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/AV/article/view/21359

Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (2020) Redefining the early and child marriage and reconsidering its elimination in Nepal Through absolute criminalization. Nepal: Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC). Available at https://www.worecnepal.org/uploads/publication/document/2133142066REDEFINING%20THE%20EARLY%20AND%20CHILD%20MARRIAGE.pdf

Yadav, P. (2016) ‘White sari—Transforming widowhood in Nepal’, Gender, Technology and Development, 20(1), pp.1-24. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0971852415618748?needAccess=true

Yamamoto, Y. et al (2019) ‘Gender-based differences in employment opportunities and wage distribution in Nepal’, Journal of Asian Economics, 64, p.101131.

WHR, (2010) ‘A Journey towards empowerment and the status of single women in Nepal’. Baluwatar, Kathmandu: WHR.

Since I last wrote, one topic has predominantly been on my mind: how to implement education in authentic ways and how education is deeply intertwined with the progress of our species. Poverty, in general, is associated with insufficient outcomes related to health, nutrition, weak social relations, insecurity, low self-esteem and powerlessness and in my opinion, and most importantly, lack of education.

Literacy is something I have taken for granted my entire life. Growing up in an affluent community, with parents who hold advanced degrees, I was surrounded with people who could read and write. The ability to read was never something I questioned until now, where I am interacting and working with people who are illiterate everyday.

Even now, as I type and watch my fingers fly across the keyboard, transcribing my thoughts and perspectives to communicate my experience to others, I realize what a blessing it is to be educated.

The power to read and write gives you an exponential ability to grow, find depth and meaning in life through communication, knowledge and understanding and ultimately can empower a person to make educated decisions for themselves.

Our Foundation’s social enterprise branch, Karnali Ratna, employs women from precarious backgrounds. One woman in particular, Purna (who deserves an entire blog post of her own), is one of the kindest energies I have ever encountered. She has so much love to wrap you in after a long day of cutting grass, tending to our animals and caring for our vegetables. Purna’s background classifies her as a part of a concept called “triple deprivation” + another layer, bringing her to quadruple deprivation. The first layer - geographical isolation, which this entire region is within, the second layer - from a Dhalit background, the untouchable caste, the third layer - a woman, the fourth layer - widowed. She has two extraordinary young daughters, one of which I will get to shortly.

Purna also happens to be illiterate. Recently, we sent her to permaculture training to learn about holistic and sustainable approaches to agriculture. Permaculture is the growth of agricultural ecosystems in a self-sufficient and sustainable way. This form of agriculture draws inspiration from nature to develop synergetic farming systems based on crop diversity, resilience, natural productivity, and sustainability.

Upon her return from the course, Purna came to meetings with a voice we had never heard before; confidence and knowledge radiated from her being. Because she was not able to take notes, she instead took videos of all her on the ground training. She goes back through her videos and photos to remember what she was taught and listen to what the instructor was explaining.

Overcoming the barrier of illiteracy through technology, resulting in empowerment, was profound for me to witness.

The long term goal and a part of my work with the foundation is to upgrade the standards of the local government school. We want kids to be able to get quality education here, not have to leave the community or region to find adequate resources and basic education.

Pulling children out of villages and putting them in schools in the cities can decimate a village’s economy and future potential, the term is often called brain drain. It also disrupts families and takes responsibility off of the government to provide quality education to its citizens.

That said, the system needs fundamental overhaul and corruption detoxification for the educational resources and opportunity to see equitable enhancements. This will take years… and in the meantime, the politicians and global economy continue to disproportionately take advantage of the ones who are not educated to make informed decisions that change those same systems.

Now onto Jamuna, Purna’s 14 year old daughter. Jamuna has youthful curiosity, maturity from her unfortunate past and a hunger to learn. Each day when she returned home from school, we danced in the community center with the windows closed. It often brought me to tears watching a young woman be so playful with her movement and body in a private space, something that is taboo here (think cartwheels, handstands and hair whipping). She begged to continue studying English after dinner around the campfire and always was the first to raise her hand in class.

All this said, we found Jamuna an opportunity at a boarding school in Kathmandu that is focused on children from disadvantaged backgrounds and gives them the support to thrive. Long term, the hope is that we do not send kids off to Kathmandu, and rather create a positive space here, but this was a time that I was excited to see a child leave for opportunity.

I returned to Kathmandu, received Jamuna and Purna from their first airplane ride and supported their journey to Jamuna’s new home.

I kept looking at Jamuna and realizing that her entire life was about to change. Her curiosity, exploration and imagination were going to have incredible room to play, grow and thrive. Having access to a music room, a dance room, a nurturing school environment with teachers who care has me hopeful of Jamuna’s future and even more so that she will return to Oda to work and drive her community forward.

Until next time,

Emily, Fellow 2021-2022

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

As a global health professional and clinician, this quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has always stuck with me. These were also the words I had in my mind when I travelled from Kathmandu that day in 2019 to start a new chapter in my life at The Oda Foundation in one of the most rural areas of Nepal: Kalikot.

Kalikot is a place not lot of people have heard about. A place devastated by Nepal’s decade-long civil war, and yet, somehow unnoticed – “by the government and by nature” — where injustice in health care engulfs the community. 

When I first came to Oda, I was still trying to figure out who I was, with my purpose in life and my destiny. On these hills, I found my inspiration in witnessing the power of faith and silent grace of people working in the face of inequality, poverty, struggle and loss.

For 2 years, inside the compound of this beautiful organization, my colleagues – my friends and family here – and my patients is what has kept me honest, inspired and have kept me going on. My experience here has made me a better human, a good clinician, and a responsible citizen of this country. 

Kalikot and especially Oda will now always have a spot in my heart as a place where I learned and had a chance to witness how change in this country is possible when ordinary people, like me and the whole Oda team, get engaged to demand change and work hard for it.

Of course, change and progress are always uneven and slow. It’s the same story everywhere and the story for Oda, for this community, has been defined by forward motion: Oda Foundation’s success in drawing educated, qualified, and passionate Nepalis here to rural Nepal, is exemplary. If our founder/director had told you 7 years back that this place was going to have health facilities, education for children, a hospital and insurance for people - just 7 years back! - you might have said his sights are settled up too high.

But that is what Oda Foundation did - that’s what we did, each and every one of us, the Oda family - and I am happy to be a part of that, of this all-encompassing hope and dream. 

A place like Oda Foundation has given work and purpose to people like us. People with the idea beating in our hearts that progress is possible in this community, in Nepal, within our lifetime. So that’s what I mean when I say Oda Foundation is exceptional – it has helped people like me realize the capacity within me to bring change and make a difference. A realization that I will be carrying my entire life as I chase my individual dreams, and dreams I have for my country as I strive to achieve a common good — a greater good! — for everyone in the world. 

— Dr. Prasana Khatiwoda

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]]>An Incredible Journey: Dr. Prasana’s FarewellOda FoundationSun, 08 Nov 2020 05:06:37 +0000https://www.odafoundation.org/update/covidfund5e9b6611e372fe45bd1795f9:5e9c985d043bae769f383e50:5fa76d424e5ce030c79e597b

In March, Oda Foundation launched the COVID Response Fund. Our donors joined together, helping us to raise over $8,000 USD. The COVID Response Fund has been critical, allowing our team to address unprecedented needs including: disrupted education, food insecurity, outbreak preparedness, continued access to medical care, and local economic depression.

This report details comprehensive responses to mitigate damage to Oda Foundation operations, support to the greater Kalikot community, and critical assistance for programs in health, education, and women's livelihood.

Daily Operations

All around the world individuals, families, and communities face a heightened level of uncertainty. In Oda, that uncertainty has come in many different forms including: food security, loss of income, and access to healthcare. Here are some of the ways we've worked against that uncertainty:

• Even with major shifts in clinic hours and staffing, emergency medical care has remained accessible 24/7.

• 100% of our staff have kept their jobs, and a COVID-specific health insurance plan was provided to all.

• We have provided COVID-critical medical equipment previously absent in our region.

• Over 1,000 kgs of foodstuffs have been distributed to at-risk families.

• We continue to work with local healthcare officials on COVID testing, tracking, and treatment procedures.

• An isolation unit for our municipality was set up on our campus to treat the critically ill.

• Our education team has engaged with local school teachers and administrators, ensuring students receive attention while schools remain closed.

Rural Education During A Pandemic

COVID has shut down schools in Nepal for over 5 months. It is an unprecedented challenge in our education efforts, but with your support we've been able to:

• Deliver 700+ worksheets to students at home.

• Continue training for local teachers while classrooms remain closed.

• Sustain investment and community buy-in for public school policies and procedures.

The fight to support local public education, helping it achieve a standard that local parents and their students deserve, is one of Oda Foundation's most difficult challenges yet.

While we continue to look for solutions that might allow us to innovate through technology in this remote region, currently we have focused on working with public school administrators to ensure that they develop strong policies and school reopening plans.

COVID + Rural Healthcare

We made the Oda Foundation's healthcare staff and facilities immediately available for pandemic support. This allowed us to play a significant role in our municipality's COVID response including:

• Hosting the municipality's only isolation unit, newly equipped with COVID-related equipment to provide care for respiratory infection.

• Rearranging facilities to make safe emergency care (including deliveries) available 24/7. We have delivered 4 healthy babies since March!

• Significant time coordinating our organizational power and resources, in support of the local government's testing and quarantine procedures and management.

• Ensuring local healthcare workers are equipped with PPE.

The COVID Fund has allowed thousands in our community to feel protected, dignified, and certain of critical healthcare services.

Women's Livelihood Trainings

Even throughout an incredibly challenging time, we saw amazing growth in the newly formed Odanaku Women's Cooperative. This is the first organization of its kind in Odanaku - an inter-caste women's livelihood group, organized exclusively by women and for women, and registered with the Nepali government as its own independent organization.

During lockdown, the Women's Cooperative, alongside Oda support staff, gained permission from the government to work together in small groups! Their work has included: 

• Planting vegetable varieties new to Kalikot - important for nutrition and potential economic return.

• Growing membership from 30 members to over 70

• Agriculture trainings for higher production.

• Continued trainings on women's leadership and group organization.

• Saving money to establish a micro-loan and education fund.

• Creating opportunities for women's advocacy

The Oda Foundation Mission:
Headquartered in rural Kalikot, our initiatives in healthcare, education, and community support offer critical, lifesaving services. Hand-in-hand with local leaders, private partners, and government offices, we develop community-led solutions, helping Nepal’s most impoverished and remote communities to thrive.

I sit to write after my first three months of working for the Oda Foundation. Looking back, serving as the Chief Operating Officer and as a woman in leadership, it has been an incredibly meaningful journey packed with challenges. I have had the chance to get my hands, head and heart into all projects, as well as all the mechanics and systems of this organization. Project-wise, this has meant working alongside the healthcare and broader team in responding to Covid-19, including the returnee migrant crisis; working as a mediator between our Architect, Engineer, and labor team so that the construction process for our rammed earth birthing center goes smoothly; negotiations with our rural municipality on education collaboration; observing how some of our investments - like the new Women’s Cooperative – are now bearing fruit.

I've also been meeting our community - going on walks with children, and visiting families. We have had two deliveries so far in my time here, and both involved baby girls. Having heard about the common practice of celebrating only boys' births, and nervous and curious about how the family was going to respond, I visited the babies at the clinic and talked to the parents about celebrating their newborn girls. 

At two other villages, about an hour's walk from Oda but still in our rural municipality, we lost six children to the monsoon landslides. I decided to pay a visit to understand the landscape, and to try to understand the grief of the parents. It was not easy to be there for this, and I came back to the question of what we can continue to do, as Oda Foundation, to make each life in our rural municipality matter. 

All of this work has meant that the launch of some new major projects – like one of my passions, regenerative agriculture – is moving slower due to setbacks caused by Covid-19 and the monsoons. Personally, I've had a few rounds of sickness and some homesick Saturday afternoons, but I must say that I am both very busy and very at home here in Oda.

I am mindful that we, Oda Foundation, choose to serve here so that we can make each and every life matter. Despite setbacks and difficulties, we have benchmarks for this community in: education standards, health standards, access to development infrastructure, equity, and dignity. Through equipping local communities and supporting local public infrastructure, we will continue to advocate and work towards the achievement of these benchmarks.

It is a pleasure to be introduced to the broader Oda Foundation community. Thank you, I look forward to the road ahead!

- Mona

Over Oda Foundation's 7 years, we have shifted from a "scattershot" clinic approach (supplying medicines, often to more extreme cases), to bringing in more technical staff and focusing on preventative care, global health research, and generally providing resources and health-seeking behavior counsel - more similar to the role of a primary care physician. Crucial to Oda Foundation’s mission, we have worked hard to develop partnerships with the Nepali government, allowing us to bring in more clinicians, finance a new Birthing Center, and provide sustainable support for this work.

That said, we still do it all - countering AMR (anti-microbial resistance), delivering children, developing a birthing center (under construction), and providing life-saving care for extreme cases of infection or undiagnosed ailments. Explains Chief of Staff Narendra Bogati, "The Oda Foundation clinic is perceived as second only to the District Hospital. Patients are willing to walk for three hours and bypass other health posts."

Even with the highest-quality clinical staff, our clinic is primary care (in layman's terms, no surgery) and still in a deeply remote location: hours from the nearest road, and with inconsistent access to internet. Now with Butterfly IQ, we can provide detailed health information with confidence for a host of complications - heart conditions, potential kidney stones, pre-natal and ante-natal concerns, and more.

We are beyond thankful to the many hands who have contributed to the Butterfly IQ - and to all of the clinic happenings in general. ""It is a privilege to be using this," says Clinic-in-Charge, Dr. Prasana Khatiwoda." Moving forward, we have 3 staff members fully trained on ultrasound, with CMA Sarita Singh as our lead technician. We are now at work with training all staff on how to use the device and integrate ultrasound technology into our clinic practice.

Explains Clinic-In-Charge, Dr. Prasana: "Our very first case with Butterfly IQ is a perfect example. Before when we had a case like this, where their back is hurting, and there's a history of frequent burning urination, we had no way to know is there a kidney stone or not. We refer, and that's a huge expenditure and time spent for them - and people are already so impoverished, so this is truly a hardship. We had a patient with classic signs and symptoms of stone, and I was thinking, this is a referral. Then I realized: We have Butterfly IQ. We can know this for certain."

The Butterfly IQ made it to Oda via a team effort between Director Nick Kraft, prior Health Fellow Sarah Helms, student-researcher Hannah Wilson, and support from Butterfly IQ itself. "Hannah, a classmate of mine in undergrad, had the idea of getting a portable ultrasound out to Oda. When the stars aligned that I would head back to Oda for a few months, and Hannah would come to do some agriculture research, we got serious about finding a way to make it happen," Sarah explains. "In many ways, it's just a refined tool, right? It helps clinicians do their work. But to me, it certainly represents why Oda Foundation exists in the first place - people in Oda deserve quality healthcare and deserve not to unduly suffer. And because women's healthcare has different requirements than men's healthcare, having an ultrasound on the ground shows that women's healthcare is equally catered to. I want it to be normalized that women deserve high-quality healthcare, and when possible, that includes assurance of safety during pregnancy with the standard of modern healthcare."

At the Oda Foundation clinic, the Butterfly IQ has already been used for several antenatal visits, kidney stone concerns, and a few stomach-related cases. "The Butterfly IQ makes sense for renal stones, anything acute in the abdomen, appendicitis versus gastritis cases, and obviously pregnancy and women's healthcare," says Dr. Prasana. In one case, we had an antenatal visit, and then the woman delivered at the clinic a few days later. With 50% of women still giving birth at home, and high infant and maternal mortality rates (20% of women in Kalikot have a child die before age 5), developing accessible women’s healthcare is paramount.

"As the Clinic-in-Charge, it's scary when a woman shows up to deliver without any ultrasound documents. We still advise that women go to the District Hospital for an ultrasound, as this is the government-mandated system and they receive a stipend for prenatal visits, but for the many women that can't or won't go, we have something available to make sure we don't end up in an emergency situation that was preventable."

She continued, "We have had about 17 deliveries this year, and this is while the new Birthing Center is under construction. With the Birthing Center, this will increase. We would have used the Butterfly IQ for all of these! I chose to refer a patient to a larger hospital because I was unwilling to take a risk without knowing the placenta and cord location."

In a location like Odanaku - 3 hours from the nearest road, and at best, 2 additional hours from a hospital - a portable ultrasound meets the need for critical care. As Dr. Prasana described, "Places like this, you can't get a full-scale ultrasound. This, you can take it in the field like a thermometer. And we can teach so many people how to use it. We can even introduce it in camps [Health camps are set up in rural areas, where doctors from larger urban centers come to treat those usually without access to a specialized physician] and do a special station for heart screenings or for prenatal scans."

Since 2013, Oda Foundation clinic has been here to serve Kalikot. With an increasing patient base - now exceeding12,000 patients a year - we are grateful to all who have supported the clinic's journey. Whether it's facilitating the women's cooperatives, developing systems to support youth, or providing healthcare- with your help, we make the world a bit brighter, every day.

Raj Kumari has been working on Oda Foundation's women's empowerment staff for a year now. Her work has required her to wear many hats - from leading health trainings, to educating the community on leadership and cooperative formation, to conducting surveys on agriculture and civic rights. On December 30 of 2019, her work culminated in a meeting where the 54 members of the Mahabai Women's Cooperative were given legal, government-approved ownership of their cooperative.

Below, Sarah Helms, our volunteer Operations Coordinator, spoke with Raj Kumari to give some background on why this cooperative is a fulfillment of much of Oda Foundation's work for the past 7 years.

Raj, hi there. Let's jump in - you've told me empowerment can feel like a vague word - how do you want that defined?

Yes, this really matters to me. Empowerment means free in three respects - economically, with health, and with education. It is only after economic empowerment that a woman can confidently go to the hospital if she has uterine prolapse. If a woman doesn't have the money to take care of health, there is a feeling of inferiority and insecurity. With health and economic freedom, education can come.

And it might be helpful to add, a woman here in Oda wouldn't assume that she would be given money, from her husband, to take care of her health.

Yes, that's right. Sometimes it could be. But there is so much shame with women's bodies - maybe she doesn't want to ask, or maybe she is told no - or maybe money is spent on other things, food or clothes.

Kalikot, where Oda Foundation is based, is one of the most severely impoverished regions in Nepal. Overall, we have highest rates of malnutrition - 1 in 10 children severely malnourished; the highest rates of chaupadi practice - about 83% of women; highest rates of sexual assault and gender discrimination; high rates of poverty and ensuing women's health issues - early marriage, uterine prolapse.

So a Women's Cooperative, giving women education and economic freedom - this can change everything. 

Women's empowerment is your passion in life - you grew up in Kathmandu and then came all the way to Kalikot, which is considered Nepal's hinterland. I try to tell people in the States that this would be like someone growing up in New York City, then deciding to work in a very rural and far part of America. Why come here?  

I have always loved Kalikot! In childhood, when I was watching TV, I heard about Karnali, and then I read about it. I have always been dreaming and thinking how to serve the people there.

My family is just my mother, my sister, and me. Growing up, I saw how people respected my mom, then respected me, because we worked and made money. So, that more women can be economically strong is my lifelong goal.

But also, in my childhood, I experienced harassment and abuse myself. I was always silenced, and my mother had no idea what was happening to her kids. This happened because my family had a poor status and not enough food - we were helpless, even though I grew up in Kathmandu. So since that time I have been reflecting every moment of my life til now. This is why I am enough bold and confident to say women: you should be economically strong, and learn, and teach each other.

I counsel women: you have personal rights. You are free to do what you want to do, and you have to stand against the things which violate your rights. Please, know it is your will and your body, please speak out for your own mind. Violence and assault, early marriage, uterine prolapse, all of these issues ruin girls' bodies and minds.

The bottom line is that women need to be economically empowered. 

That is so powerful. Thank you for sharing. So can you explain all this, in terms of the new women's cooperative?

The Mahabai Women’s Cooperative meets once a month, and collects 50 rupees [~50 cents USD] from each woman. Each meeting has a specific training - women's health, menstruation, civic rights, agriculture. Now that we have government approval, we have a bank account, and we can begin ideas for micro-loans. We have spent the past year having conversations to understand the needs here, in terms of business and agriculture proposals.

Now we are actively finding places in Kathmandu where we can sell goods and agricultural products that women make here. We are investing deeply in agricultural change and learning ways to improve yields. We believe women can begin to grow enough food to have extra to sell.

High-quality trainings need to be part of the cooperative because, during my first months of research in Oda, we realized girls and women - even for all the work Oda Foundation has done - still do not know how periods happen. We still need to educate people.

It takes time. But we have a very good plan, though it still means a lot of work. It is hard to change things here, 

It is amazing. For our readers unfamiliar with Oda, can you share a bit more about women's rights here?

There is the general sense that women are for producing children and have to obey their husbands. When your whole family and community believes this, it is very hard to see past it, especially if you are not economically free to do anything else. If we ask women if they use birth control, they tell us they have to have their husband's permission, otherwise he may accuse her of needing it because she has been with another person, or something like that. 

Can you share some of your experiences with taboos around menstruation, in Oda?

All women here, as far as we know, practice some kind of chhaupadi, where they sleep outside, in a shed or completely outside, during menstruation. It is because of an old belief that menstruation makes a woman untouchable. Next to one house, we saw a log that provided a kind of barrier, and a tin roof, but no door or floor.

We know that sexual abuse happens when women sleep outside during menstruation, but there is a lot of taboo against saying anything - when very young women who are pregnant come to the clinic, or any signs of violence or abuse, people don't like sharing why. They really won't say.

Thank you for explaining all of this, Raj. From my perspective as an American, sharing this story from your perspective is so important, especially since we ask for people to donate to a cause that feels so distant. Maybe to wrap up, can you share the future that you envision for this cooperative, in the coming year?

This year, we will make sure women know they have rights. We can educate women about local government, and that there are women's right laws in place, and a local government budget for women's empowerment. I'm dreaming that women will have justice!

And, we have conducted in-depth surveys on economics, health, civic education, and agriculture. Questions from, what kind of vegetables do you wish you could grow, to do you vote for the person you believe is best, to do you feel you have the right to refuse intercourse with your husband. We will analyze these responses now, then after 1 year for the same questions, we can see what is better or different. We will learn from each year.

Hannah Wilson is a Master's student in City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. In her program, she has an emphasis on gender and infrastructure and has a background working with women's rural development with the photography-focused NGO Lensational. She brought her expertise to Oda in December 2019, conducting field research for our Women's Agriculture Initiative.

Hannah, I'm curious to know - what, if anything, surprised you about Oda?

It's my first time outside Kathmandu in Nepal - so everything is new. Some of my findings were surprising - some uncommon agriculture practices were more frequent whereas practices that are more prevalent globally, are not common here.

Now that your agriculture surveys with Raj Kumari [Oda Foundation Women's Empowerment Manager] are done, what impacts are you expecting?

I envision using Oda Foundation land as a test ground to show how small changes in farming practices using local, sustainable methods with readily available materials can make a large impact. These practices range from mulching, which can help retain water, to how to construct a rainwater collection system off a roof, to basic plant bed planning. Even in the Oda Foundation gardens, many of these methods for improving yields aren't being used.

For readers who haven't visited Oda, can you fill them in on the agriculture situation here?

Similarly to many parts of the world, Oda has very dramatic seasonal shifts with water availability - an extreme dry season and wet season - which make it very difficult to plant when you don't have a systematic irrigation system. People have to be smart about how they're using the land.

People are eating a lot of grains and starch (potatoes and beans), but not a lot of vegetables like squash and greens. In the cold season, people only grow two or three plants - two grains and a small plot of spinach.

There is no local food system where people buy or exchange food, only a few small shops where you buy unhealthy snacks which are brought into Oda from a neighboring village. Most families only produce half or less than half of their yearly food intake, so women must travel up to three hours to buy food at the closest market.

How does this impact people, at the family and community level?

The food scarcity problem falls disproportionately on women. Women are in charge of cooking as well as producing the food. Food scarcity is one of the factors that forces men to seek remittance work in surrounding countries, which separates families.

Yes - that is all important to say. Can you tell me a main takeaway from your work in Oda, so far?

People were complaining about the amount of water as there is hardly any yield for water-intensive crops. A challenge for us is how to address that problem when we can't easily - or cheaply - change water sources in Oda. Therefore, I am working to develop capacity-building trainings that can help women make the water they do have go further.

Yes! That said, what makes this work interesting to you? The cross-section of community planning, rural development, agriculture and poverty, and gender is pretty unique.

In the US, farming is more associated with men - when you picture a farmer, you picture a man with a pitchfork, right? In the US, many people don't realize that in most parts of the world, women are in charge of farming and agriculture

Additionally, since we might not think of the link between agriculture and gender, we don't realize that it's women that are typically closer to environmental degradation, whether that's soil, water, or pollution. Women have the most stress when these things go wrong. For example, it's typically women that are getting water for their households. Women often cannot access economic or educational opportunities due to household responsibilities such as water collection.

And that is part of why globally, there are higher rates for girls to be out of school rather than boys, because girls are expected to help with this household work before boys.

Exactly. We face the challenge that women are making sacrifices when it's a water or ag-related issue, because women are the ones responsible for that.

What was it like, though, being in the village and being aware of all of this?

First of all, it was inspiring to watch Raj Kumari work. She was outspoken with women about gender equality. It made me think about why I am not standing up for women's issues more in my own context.

I also took note that it is normal and common for women to breastfeed in public. We in the US rarely see this in part because women's bodies are highly sexualized and stigmatized. It made me think about how different cultures have different stigmas around women's bodies and their damaging, relative, and artificial nature.

What have you been happy about with this work?

Agriculture is aligning directly with the Women's Cooperative! These are my passions. I'm excited about that taking shape here!!

It was in China, working with an NGO that focused on photography and women’s empowerment, that I first saw the ways that infrastructure, water and women’s rights aligned. Wanting to help with this is why I went back to school. When this opportunity to work with the Oda Foundation came, it was perfect. This was also the first time I got to do my own fieldwork, and that's personally exciting.

Any other thoughts?

I'm happy when I think back to my first time visiting Nepal three years ago, and then I'm here now, realizing that this part of the world is still part of my life. I want to give what I can, always.

From the ground in Oda, Karan manages our Nepal-side operations - the Nepali staff, our American fellows, government relationships, assessing growth, and providing continual insight into the community and the Kalikot District.

Speaking with Health and Operations Fellow Sarah Helms below, Karan shares his amazing story:

S: What was it like when you and John [Christopher, Oda Foundation Founder] first started?  

K: At my old house, we cleaned out a cowshed, put down a tarp, and set up our medical. We converted the kitchen to a patient room. 5 volunteers slept in one room, and John and his brother, Bobby, slept next door because there wasn't more room. Everything was small. We just wanted to help.

S: And why does Oda need help?

K: It is because we don't have access to health or education. Nepal, we are a developing country. Even with the clinic, people walk 2 hours, 3 hours for medicines from us. Other parts of Nepal, they have a good school, or they have a hospital, but not in Kalikot.

S: What led you to help start the Oda Foundation, then?

K: When my father died, and no work here in Oda, and no good schools, for my family, our life was blocked by a big wall. I didn't have shoes, we couldn't buy clothes or a school bag. There were no medicines for my dad. That is what life was like here. I had to go to India to make money. My life was hard, and that is what made me want to help.

S: How did your journey end up leading to meeting John [Christopher, Oda Foundation Founder]? Or feeling like you could start an organization?

K: My first job, I was a dishwasher in India. But I was very lucky - I met people, I got to know other cultures, and I got a tourism job at a hotel and ended up becoming a manager. I had the luxury life - a nice apartment, the hotel gave me a car, I had two phones - but I was always asking if anybody was interested in helping Kalikot. I always thought, I have to go back. It has always been my dream.

S: And then how did you meet John?

K: There are other NGOs in Surkhet, in Kathmandu, and I got know people there because I wanted Oda to get help from these NGOs. Because there were no NGOs only for Kalikot. I always said, if you meet someone who wants to go to Kalikot, who wants to help, please tell me. Then one day a friend called me and said, 'Hey, there is this guy John, he wants to see Kalikot, he wants to help.' The next day, I told my boss at the hotel in India, I am sorry, it is short notice, I have to go back to Nepal. This might be my dream.

S: That's amazing.

K: Yeah, I took the overnight bus, and when I showed up the next day, they said, woah, you are already here! I was so nervous to talk to him. And then when he came to Oda with me, he actually got very sick, because the water was not filtered. We had to carry him down to Padma [a steep hour and a half walk down two stretches of mountain], and the treatment there was very expensive. He said, what do people do here when they get sick? How do they support their parents if they get sick? And I said, we can't do anything.

S: So that was where the idea for a medical clinic started?

K: Yes, well, and he fell in love with Kalikot and with the people here. And then, basically, that was when we got started with everything. 

S: So tell me about the Oda Foundation now, and what you do.

K: I am always thinking of all the tiny things - when we need new medicine, reporting to governments, meeting the government in other villages, keeping things clean. Talking with the community, if people are really getting benefits or not. Supplies, managing our volunteers, staff meetings and payments. Choosing new staff. All of these things.

S: What is your relationship with the community like?

K: This is my heart. I donated my father's land so that we had a place to build. I said to other people, please donate land. And they donate because of my connection, but it is not for me - it is because they want a better future, too. Our community wants to be happy and healthy.

S: Can you tell me about how you work with the government, and why that is so important?

K: To do anything, you have to get permission from the government - a health clinic, starting a new school like our nursery school, or getting support from the government. And then, when we work well with the government, we can have more partnerships with them, and with other NGOs. They trust us.

S: What do you mean that they trust us?

K: We work in these remote areas - few others are doing these things and making this impact. I am able to talk with government leaders, and make relationships the Nepali way - like recently, when a past Prime Minister came to visit, I hosted him at my house and talked with him, and now he believes in the work we are doing and will help in the future.

S: When you are meeting new people, how do you tell them about the Oda Foundation?

K: I tell my story first. I tell them how I came from here, and how my father passed away. And now, my whole heart is here in Oda. I live with my mom and my family, next to the same house where I grew up. I get to see my dream every day, that all the people here in Kalikot will have health and education in the future.

S: Are people ever amazed that you left what you had in India?

K: You know, they are. And I tell them, I remember how I grew up - I remember not having shoes, and not going to school, and wondering about if only my father had medicine. I know these families. All these things sit in my heart and I said, I need to do something. That's why I returned. Now we have a school, a clinic, we have our new nursery school, and we are still so new, only four years old. I am always ready to do more.

While interning in our pharmacy, Kalasha is preparing to go to medical school. After school, Kalasha will return to Oda to work for six months, repaying the scholarship "in-kind" by giving back to the community. But college was never a certainty in her life. Here is her story:

S: How many years have you been involved with the Oda Foundation?
K: I have been with the Oda Foundation 4 years.

S: Can you tell me about your family?
K: My family is my brother, me and my mother. Before we worked at our house, and there was so much work - I cooked, I cut grass, I looked after the cow. Sometimes I went to school, sometimes I didn't. Only my brother was going to school. After John came, and Oda Foundation told my mother she could cook, and she cooks for all the people there. Now my brother and I live in a different house, and we are going to school. My mother lives at Oda Foundation and cooks
(Kalasha's mom is Tulki Singh, who has now worked for Oda Foundation as our Head Cook for over four years).

S: And how old are you now? And how old were you, before the Oda Foundation?
K: Now? I am 17 years old. Before, I was working at my house until... 12 or 13 years old.

S: When you worked so much, were you thinking about college?
K: No, not thinking about college at all.

S: When did you start to think about college? Or why?
K: When I started coming to Oda Foundation school, and government school every day, I was learning so much. So much reading. But I was thinking, 'I am learning, wow I am so happy.' I was thinking, 'maybe I can go to college if I learn.'

S: In Nepal, what does it take to go to college?
K: You have to pass the SLC, after tenth grade. It is so much studying. Many people, after the SLC, they just work in the field or they get married. And money, my mother does not have much money, for college.

S: But you passed the SLC, right? And you took the Oda Foundation SLC class?
K: Yes, I passed! I was taking the SLC tuition class with Purna Singh (Oda Foundation teacher).

S: And you have a scholarship from the Oda Foundation? Can you tell me about it?
K: I will go to nursing school in Nepalganj, and after school is finished I will come
here and work here at the Oda Foundation medical.

S: Why do you want to be a nurse?
K: There are so many sick patients. When I am a nurse, I can help them, and help poor people. I like helping sick people and poor people, and there are so many in Nepal.

S: Right, you are interning in the Oda Foundation clinic. Can you tell me about what
you do there? How long are you there?
K: Yes I go to the clinic six days a week. I help in the pharmacy, I write patient names, diagnoses, and medicine in our logbook. I organize medicine and find the right medicines to give to the patients, or I make patient appointments.

S: What do you learn during your internship?
K: Narendra, Mim, Tanka, Sarita (Oda Foundation clinicians), they all teach me. Tanka shows me this medicine is used for this, this medicine for that. They teach me how to do check-ups - how to look, and for what to look.

S: Outside the Oda Foundation clinic, do people learn about health?
K: No. I don't know. No hand-washing, not eating different kinds of food, there is so much work. Before, when I worked at my house, I was very dirty always, I did not wash my hands, if we are sick we keep working.

S: What did people do before there was the medical facility here?
K: So many people die. So many people sick.

S: What did they die from?
K: Fever, diarrhea, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), common cold, so many. It is very hard here, and there was not medicine.

S: Yeah, it is really hard, a hard way to live. Can you tell me about other things you help with at the Oda Foundation? You've been helping me with the Health Classes in Tuition, and you are helping with the Women's Health Groups.
K: Yes, I help. Because people here, they do not always know health. Dudhkala and Karma [two young women who help with the Community Health Groups] teach very good things - what is the reusable maxi-pad, how to use it, how to wash it and let it dry in the sun, no sleeping in the cow house (most women in Oda practice chauppadi, a practice where women are considered impure the first days of their period and sleep in separate places, often a cow shed. Women here do not understand, and they only wear pants, no underwear, like my mother, so learning this is very important.

S: So for medical school, are you excited?
K: Yes, I am so excited. I will learn more. I will help sick people. Thank you John, thank you Oda Foundation.

S: Well you do a lot of work too, and you have worked hard. It is so good. Anything else you want to share, about your life, or the Oda Foundation? Maybe, is there anything you want people in America to know?
K: I am not sure... now... now my life is so much better. I am happy, and my family is happy. Life is much better, I think.