"We are not just the future, but the change-makers of the present"

“After I was selected to attend the One Young World Summit in Bogotá, Colombia, as an OFID-sponsored delegate, I received a message from Nischal Baskota, a young Nepali social entrepreneur based in the US. Nischal is the owner of a tea company—Nepal Tea LLC—and had read about my work in a blog post shared on the One Young World Facebook page. He told me he was very impressed with my Nutribeads idea and wanted to get involved.

At that time, our youth volunteers network SOCHAI was running a fundraising campaign to support pregnant and lactating mothers affected by the recent disastrous flood in the Terai region of Nepal. By collaborating with Nepal Tea LLC, we were able to provide counseling and nutritious food packages to women and children who were living with hunger and poverty in the disaster-affected areas.

Attending the One Young World Summit gave me a platform to share my story with people around the world. Not only did the experience make sure my voice was heard; it also helped me connect with other young leaders who were already making a difference.

By providing an opportunity to a young woman like me, OFID is creating a ‘ripple’ effect and inspiring a lot of other young people to take a step forward and make a difference. I want to thank OFID and One Young World for believing in the power of young people. We are not just the future, but the change-makers of the present. Together we lead the change!”

Bonita Sharma from Nepal, 25, formed a network of young health workers dedicated to improving maternal and child health in disaster-affected areas. She introduced an innovative tool called #Nutribeads—a colorful bracelet developed in partnership with local craftspeople that helps educate mothers about proper feeding practices during the first two years of a child’s life.

Find out how it all started and how Bonita set herself the goal to “break the vicious cycle of poverty and malnutrition through the economic empowerment of women.”