Community Health and Development (CHD)

INF Nepal’s Livelihood and Resilience programme enhances well-being, food security, and livelihoods in vulnerable communities by boosting agricultural productivity, reducing poverty, and promoting indigenous crops, knowledge, and sustainable practices. Through targeted initiatives, INF supports sustainable agriculture, skill development, entrepreneurship, and health and nutrition improvements, while also addressing disaster risk and income generation. By equipping communities with these tools, the programme enables them to build resilient, self-sustaining futures and improve quality of life within inclusive, empowered communities that drive their own development.

Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction

INF Nepal builds community resilience through Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience programmes, focusing on Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM). By training communities in preparedness, response, and recovery, INF equips them with vital resources such as response teams, early warning systems, and stockpiled supplies. Efforts also include supporting income generation, climate-resilient agriculture, and infrastructure improvements like disaster-resilient housing and health facilities. Advocacy shapes policies for vulnerable communities, while climate considerations and indigenous practices are integrated into risk assessments, collectively reducing disaster risks and promoting safer, more resilient communities.

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion

INF Nepal is committed to advancing gender equality by empowering women and elevating their status within communities. Through its projects, INF Nepal promotes women’s leadership and active participation in local organisations and governance, with a clear focus on enhancing women’s rights both within INF and in the wider community. Social inclusion is prioritised across all initiatives, ensuring that both genders have equal voice and representation. This approach fosters inclusive, gender-friendly communities where everyone can contribute and thrive.

Health and Disability Inclusion

Persons with disabilities in Nepal are among the most vulnerable, often facing stigma, discrimination, and limited access to essential services. INF Nepal addresses these challenges through community development programmes that empower individuals at the grassroots level. By forming and supporting self-help groups, and working closely with local partners and government agencies, INF Nepal promotes meaningful inclusion, advocates for accessibility, and opens pathways to healthcare, education, and employment for people with disabilities.

Maternal and Neonatal Child Health

The MNCH project, aligned with Nepal’s constitutional right to safe motherhood and reproductive health, focuses on improving reproductive health, combating child marriage, and promoting gender equality. By empowering adolescent girls and women with essential health services and reproductive rights, the project aims to reduce child marriage, keep adolescents in school, and foster healthier futures. Through community-led, evidence-based activities, MNCH addresses gender-based violence, supports gender-responsive health services, and integrates health and education systems for lasting change.

Surkhet: The Gateway to Karnali

Surkhet, located between the terai plains and foothills, is a crucial hub for Karnali’s remote districts. INF Nepal began work here in 1977 with a leprosy clinic, later expanding to tuberculosis treatment and the 25-bed Shining Hospital Surkhet (SH-IS) in Birendranagar, providing essential care for leprosy, disability, and spinal injuries. Since 2009, INF has also held fistula camps, supporting over 200 women, and in 2018 opened a 17-bed Fistula Centre, now a government-run women’s health resource.

Jumla: Journeying the Jumla

Jumla, a remote area in Karnali Province, relies heavily on agriculture and animal husbandry for survival, with limited access to healthcare and resources. Since 1978, INF has worked in Jumla, beginning with leprosy and tuberculosis care. INF’s programmes now focus on community health, nutrition, and development, helping marginalised groups overcome poverty and social exclusion.

Dang: The Valley of Healing and Hope

In Dang District, located in Nepal’s mid-west, INF has been active since 1973, establishing clinics for leprosy and tuberculosis. Now, Dang is home to various INF projects, including community-based rehabilitation, self-help groups, and health initiatives addressing HIV, disability, and maternal care, making a profound impact on the region’s health landscape.

Banke: The Vibrant City

Bordering India, Banke District hosts the 25-bed Shining Hospital in Janaki Rural Municipality, offering leprosy services to Nepal and neighbouring India. Established in 1995, INF’s presence has expanded to include community health, disability rehabilitation, and women’s empowerment through self-help groups, fostering social reintegration and dignity for leprosy-affected individuals.

Mugu: Majestic Mugu - The Himalayan District

Mugu, a remote and ecologically vulnerable district in Karnali Province, faces extreme hardships with limited infrastructure and high poverty. INF began work in Mugu in 2001, addressing food scarcity, healthcare, and development needs in one of Nepal’s most isolated areas, empowering locals through community health, education, and livelihood support.

Kapilvastu: From the Mountains to the Plains

Kapilvastu, the birthplace of Buddha, faces many challenges, including poverty, gender inequality, and inadequate sanitation. INF has been active here since 2007, implementing projects to empower women, reduce gender-based violence, and improve sanitation and economic opportunities, aiming to uplift marginalised communities.

Bajura: Beauty in the Wilderness

INF began working in Bajura in 2013, focusing on women’s empowerment and community resilience in one of Nepal’s most climate-vulnerable regions. By establishing self-help and forest user groups, INF has strengthened local leadership and provided training in agriculture, health, and climate adaptation, supporting lasting change in Bajura’s remote communities.

Rolpa: Resilient Rolpa

In Rolpa, a hilly district marked by poverty and conflict, INF has offered leprosy and health services since 1974. INF’s community development projects, launched in 2013, focus on strengthening resilience through livelihoods, disaster preparedness, and women’s empowerment, with a particular emphasis on supporting vulnerable groups like girls and people with disabilities.

Kalikot: Calling Towards Kalikot

Kalikot, one of Nepal’s most underdeveloped districts, struggles with climate vulnerability, food scarcity, and traditional practices like chhaupadi. INF began work in Kalikot in 2016, implementing community health and resilience programmes aimed at empowering girls and women, addressing malnutrition, and promoting sustainable livelihoods and WASH initiatives.

Pokhara, Kaski: Where it All Began

INF’s journey began in Pokhara in 1952, establishing Shining Hospital in Pokhara and later establishing Green Pastures Hospital (GPH) in 1957 first as a leprosarium that has since grown into a multispecialty facility offering spinal cord injury care, physiotherapy, reconstructive surgery, and palliative care. With Pokhara as its headquarters, INF has played a vital role in Nepal’s health services, supporting local and national health initiatives and building a legacy of care and community development.