Baudikali Rural Municipality
Nawalparasi, Nepal
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted daily life across the globe, exposing vulnerabilities and amplifying the struggles of underserved communities. One such community was Baudikali Rural Municipality in the Nawalparasi district of central Nepal. Home to a predominantly farming population, the area already faced significant challenges due to a lack of infrastructure, including access to education and healthcare.
As COVID-19 spread, it underscored the critical importance of basic hygiene practices like hand-washing and wearing face masks. However, in Baudikali, limited awareness and education around these practices left families vulnerable, putting both themselves and their community at greater risk of infection.
Recognizing this need, Books of Joy partnered with CASD Nepal to distribute hygiene kits to 200 households in Baudikali. These kits included essentials like buckets, mugs, soaps, face masks, and stickers that served as visual reminders of hygiene practices. The initiative aimed to provide both resources and education to empower families to protect themselves against COVID-19.
Though this effort differed from Books of Joy’s usual school-based education projects, health-focused education is equally important. By educating communities with good health and hygiene practices, while providing proper resources, this initiative took an important step toward ensuring that children in rural communities like Baudikali can focus on learning and building a healthier and brighter future.
