The UN Millennium Development Goal #5 challenges the world to reduce maternal mortality by 75% by 2015, and to make maternal healthcare accessible to all. When female heads of households survive childbirth and are free from debilitating reproductive disease: their children are more likely to go to school; their daughters are less likely to be sold into slavery; they may be empowered to influence and contribute to the growth of their communities, impacting national productivity, which is inextricably linked to global economics.

Our Mission

MAHENDI’s mission is to promote maternal health in the Himalayas.

Nepal has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world: 529 women die per every 100,000 live births. One in ten women surviving childbirth suffer a reproductive disability, subjecting them to years--or a life-time--of physical, social, and emotional hardship.

Almost as tragic as the death and disability itself, is the simple fact that most instances are preventable. Women survive childbirth and minimize their risk of reproductive disabilities when they are educated to prevent and respond to dangerous complications of pregnancy, when basic health services are accessible, and when communities are empowered to sustain the mechanisms that bring this education and these services to their communities.

With the UN benchmark fast approaching, MAHENDI’s mission has never been more urgent. There is an urgent need to develop and implement programs designed to reduce maternal mortality and reproductive disability--programs that provide immediate relief now, and that provide long-term solutions for developing nations in the future. Working through partnerships of co-investment with women, communities, and government offices, MAHENDI is mandated to eliminate poverty--one woman at a time.

The Meaning of "Mahendi"

The word “Mahendi” refers to the traditional paint used by women throughout Southeast Asia to adorn their face, hands, and ankles during times of celebration. Inspired by the meaning of mahendi, and by the strength of the women we serve, MAHENDI is committed to replacing a woman’s fear of dying or becoming disabled during childbirth--with a sense of joy.