The Government of Nepal started the Female Community Health Volunteer Program in 1988 with support from USAID, UNICEF and UNFPA. In its 25 years, the country now proudly boasts a cadre of 52,000 women who work in every district in Nepal and hail from diverse ethnic backgrounds. These ordinary women perform the extraordinary task of bringing health education and outreach services to Nepali families throughout the country, despite the country’s poor infrastructure and geographical challenges.

Today, Nepal is among the few countries on track to meet the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, related to maternal health and child mortality — an achievement that would not be possible without the special, dedicated Female Community Health Volunteers of Nepal.