Bodhi Tree Foundation
OUR MISSION is to support and promote community based programs that focus on maternal and child health in the remote district of Humla, Nepal.
Humla is one of the most remote and poverty stricken districts in Nepal. It is located in the northwest corner of the Mid-Western region bordering Tibet. The district is isolated and accesible only by foot, animal or airplane due to rugged mountain terrain, deep gorges and inclement weather. Simikot, the district headquaters, lies at 2,900 meters and the rest of Humla varies between 1,500 and 7,300 meters. Humla is 5,655 sq.kms of which only 2% is cultivated. This lack of cultivatable lans leads to food deficits for up to six months a in many of the villages.
Of the 75 districts in Nepal, Humla ranks 74th on the Overall Development index. It ranks 73rd in poverty and deprivation index and 72nd in the Women's Empowerment index. Literacy rates in Humla are 27% for men and 5% for women. There is limited health care available due to the lack of funds and personnel.
98% of Humli women give birth in unsanitary conditions such as the cowshed. Often the only people there to help are the mother-in-law or another woman from the village. Only 2% of the population has a trained birth attendant at their labor.