Author: Pratistha Dhakal

Education Is Health Through Aarambha Foundation, I’ve seen how education lifts entire families—especially girls. Attendance improves nutrition, vaccination uptake, and agency. What Volunteering Gives Me Perspective. Proximity. Patience. I’m reminded that progress is built in after-school rooms, not only in conference halls. Closing I volunteer to stay honest about why I work in health: people…

Why Findings Stall Great studies die in PDFs. The bridge to impact is translation—briefs for decision-makers, infographics for communities, and scripts for facilitators. My Translation Toolkit Closing Evidence is an invitation to act. If no action follows, we produced information, not impact.

The Window of Greatest Return The perinatal period concentrates risk—and opportunity. Strengthening antenatal counseling, skilled birth attendance, and immediate postnatal care saves the most lives. Where Systems Help Most Supporting Frontlines Health workers need mentorship, not just training. Shadowing, case reviews, and non-punitive feedback create confidence. Closing Saving newborns is not a mystery; it’s disciplined…

Listening as Method Programs stick when people recognize themselves in them. That begins with listening—household visits, key informant chats, and community mapping. What Builds Trust Adoption Signals When communities adapt materials on their own (translate, re-order, simplify), you’re onto something. That’s ownership, not “buy-in.” Closing Communities aren’t “hard to reach.” Institutions are often hard to…

Beyond Checkboxes Gender isn’t a paragraph in a proposal; it’s a design choice that shows up in clinic hours, privacy, signage, complaint mechanisms, and staff training. What I Learned at OCMC Care must be trauma-informed: privacy, informed consent, non-judgmental counseling, and safe referrals. Small details communicate respect. Practical Embeds Closing Equity is built in the…

Make It Useful or Don’t Do It MEL is not about filling templates; it’s about changing behavior. If data doesn’t provoke a decision, it’s vanity. My MEL Principles A Simple MEL Cadence Closing Good MEL is a habit, not a report. When teams see decisions change because of their data, they become believers.

Why Youth Matter Young people aren’t a “beneficiary group”—they’re co-designers. In Youth Leadership toward Gender Justice in Nepal, we saw youth lead dialogues on consent, mental health, and access to services. What Worked Lessons I Carry Forward Closing Investing in youth isn’t optional; it’s how we future-proof equity.

The Slow Emergency Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) creeps quietly—until it doesn’t. Routine infections become life-threatening; costs rise; trust erodes. AMR is fueled by over-prescription, non-prescription sales, self-medication, and poor infection prevention. What I Learned Through COSTAR In workshops with providers, we emphasized: We also supported community awareness: antibiotics don’t cure viral infections; adherence matters; pharmacies must…

What Resilience Really Means Resilience isn’t “bouncing back.” It’s bouncing forward—absorbing shocks and emerging stronger. In Nepal, earthquakes, floods, and pandemics stress our system. The R4R work taught me to operationalize resilience in everyday decisions. Three Anchors of System Resilience My Role and Reflections I supported design sessions with provincial stakeholders, documented local innovations, and…

Why I Left the Bedside I began as a clinical nurse—focused, precise, deeply human. In the operating theater and emergency rooms, I learned speed and teamwork. At the One-Stop Crisis Management Center (OCMC), I met survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) whose needs extended far beyond clinical protocols. That was my turning point. I could treat…