Bonita Sharma Explained

Bonita Sharma is a Nepali health and nutrition activist. She runs Social Changemakers and Innovators (SOCHAI) and in 2019 was listed as one of the BBC's 100 Women.

Early life

Sharma was born in Nepal. She studied for a BA in Public Health at Purbanchal University and took a master's degree in Nutrition from Tribhuvan University.[1]

Career

Bonita Sharma founded Social Changemakers and Innovators (SOCHAI) in 2017.[2] It is a non-profit organization which aims to eradicate malnutrition and to encourage good health, particularly for women and children.[3] In order to reduce child deaths from malnutrition, she introduced a bracelet called Nutribeads (Poshan Maala) which helps mothers to plan meals for their children.[4] In 2016, Nutribeads won the Asia Pacific Youth Innovation Challenge. With the profits raised from selling the bracelets, SOCHAI was able to provide aid to mothers and children affected by disaster in the Morang district of eastern Nepal.

SOCHAI is also producing Red Cycle bracelets with 28 beads so that women can plan their menstrual cycle using different colours.[5] Sharma writes on issues affecting women such as nutrition, abortion and COVID-19.[6] [7] Sharma's name was announced on the BBC's 100 Women list in 2019 and she is a UNESCO Female Champion as part of the Malala Fund for Girls’ Right to Education. She also won the Zero Hunger category award of the Lead 2030 Challenge presented by One Young World, which gave her $50,000. Bonita is also awarded the Goalkeeper Global Goals Progress Award 2020 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[8] [9]

Notes and References

  1. News: Rijal . Ajita . The Rising Nepal: Bonita, latest inspiration to Nepali youth . 8 September 2020 . The Rising Nepal . 8 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200908204351/http://therisingnepal.org.np/news/32039 . live .
  2. Web site: Bonita, a young change-maker inspires girls and women in Nepal through education . UNESCO . 8 September 2020 . en . 23 January 2019 . 11 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200611121615/https://en.unesco.org/news/bonita-young-change-maker-inspires-girls-and-women-nepal-through-education . live .
  3. News: Bonita Sharma in 'BBC 100 women 2019' list . 8 September 2020 . My City . 16 October 2019 . en . 9 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191209180356/https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/mycity/news/bonita-sharma-in-bbc-100-women-2019-list . live .
  4. News: BBC 100 Women 2019: Who is on the list? . 8 September 2020 . BBC News . 16 October 2019 . In a bid to tackle child deaths to malnutrition, she designed Nutribeads, a bracelet for new mums with different coloured beads to remind them what to feed their babies..
  5. Web site: Accelerating mission nutrition, Bonita Sharma . TNM . 8 September 2020 . 7 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200607005722/http://tnm.com.np/accelerating-mission-nutrition-bonita-sharma-2/ . live .
  6. News: Sharma . Bonita . How about stepping into our shoes? – September 28 Campaign . 8 September 2020 . September 28 . 28 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191228081700/http://www.september28.org/how-about-stepping-into-our-shoes/ . live .
  7. News: Sharma . Bonita . Stop the spread of fake news . 8 September 2020 . Kathmandu Post . 18 March 2020 . English . 9 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200809042947/https://kathmandupost.com/columns/2020/03/18/stop-the-spread-of-fake-news . live .
  8. Web site: We Are Goalkeepers. 2020-10-05. www.gatesfoundation.org.
  9. Web site: 2 OYW Ambassadors named Goalkeepers Award Winners. 2020-10-05. www.oneyoungworld.com. en.

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