Today – the 26th March 2021, PHASE Worldwide is launching its national Start Strong Appeal. The appeal is raising money to support a thousand women and their children in Nepal.

Until the 25th of June 2021, all donations made towards the Start Strong Appeal will be matched by the UK Government, allowing PHASE Worldwide to double their impact. The appeal will fund a three-year project, starting in October 2021, which will improve maternal healthcare and increase the availability of high value foods, ensuring that all children, no matter where they were born, are given a strong start in life.

Life in Nepal is truly beautiful, but it is one of the most challenging places to give birth and raise your children safely. In Nepal women are the cornerstone of family life, responsible for both their family and land. Due to a patriarchal society in rural areas, women tend to be excluded from training and resources.

In remote areas of Nepal low funding, weak healthcare structures and operational challenges has meant that women receive limited support throughout their pregnancy. In certain areas nearly 50% of women are not receiving Antenatal Care visits, and 84% are giving birth at home with no health worker present.

With access to child and maternal health services and training of mothers, the Start Strong Project will ensure that every child, regardless of where they are born, has an equal opportunity to a healthy and happy life.

In the Far West of Nepal many people do not have access to safe, nutritious food throughout the year. This is caused by challenging farming conditions, unsuitable production methods and limited access to income generation opportunities This in turn is contributing to malnutrition in children.

The Start Strong project will promote self-sufficiency and independence, leading to increased resilience and long-term solutions to both malnutrition and food security. Through the project agricultural activities will increase access to training and materials, promoting more diverse production methods which will increase the availability of new foods and improve the sustainability of crops throughout the year. Women will be given the opportunity to improve their knowledge and confidence of agricultural production, enabling them to play an active role in providing high-value foods for their families.

Rates of global acute malnutrition (GAM) above 10% are considered as a high concern. The area in which the Start Strong Project is based experiences rates of 19%. In order to prevent malnutrition in the future, the Start Strong Project will provide training on good nutritional practices to the wider community. Community-led activities will raise awareness of diet diversification and traditional healers will be provided with training on how to identify, treat and prevent malnutrition. Strengthening the role of women in the community is crucial in supporting mothers to give their children a strong start in life. Therefore, women will be provided with training and materials that will allow them to improve food security for their family’s future.

If you are interested in getting involved please visit the PHASE Worldwide website.