
For many years, Nepal has had one of the highest rates of maternity mortality in Asia. Friends of Nepal Pariwar Foundation, for the past 3 years, has provided assistance for salaries of five nurse-midwives in four rural clinics in Nepal, and for in-service training and transportation expenses for the nurse-midwives, through the Friends' partner organization in Nepal, BBP-Pariwar. With the $10,000 of grants from the AllPeopleBeHappy foundation, Friends has 1) added 3 nurse-midwives in 3 of the clinics so to allow for 24-hour birthing service, and 2) upgraded the in-patient delivery facilities in one of the clinic and upgrading another. Each nurse-midwife provides reproductive health services to an average of 1400 persons per year, so the addition of 3 nurse-midwives strongly impacts the community.