Building Block 1 Field Research & User Insights: Understanding Menstrual Product Access and Preferences in Nepal

This building block outlines the findings and methodology of a nationwide field study conducted in 2022, which informed the Sparśa Pad Project. The research examined menstrual product usage, access, stigma, and user preferences among 820 Nepali women and adolescent girls in 14 districts across all seven provinces.

Using a structured face-to-face interview approach, the team employed ethically approved questionnaires administered by culturally rooted female research assistants. This method ensured trust, context sensitivity, and accurate data collection across diverse communities. The interviewers were trained in ethical protocols and worked in their own or nearby communities, thereby strengthening rapport and enhancing their understanding of local norms, power relations, and languages.

Key findings revealed a high reliance on disposable pads (75.7%) and ongoing use of cloth (44.4%), with product preferences strongly shaped by income, education, and geography. Respondents prioritized absorbency, softness, and size in menstrual products. While 59% were unfamiliar with the term “biodegradable,” those who understood it expressed a strong preference for compostable options, over 90%. Importantly, 73% of participants followed at least one menstrual restriction, yet 57% expressed positive feelings about them, seeing them as tradition rather than purely discriminatory.

These findings directly shaped the design of Sparśa’s compostable pads, informed the user testing protocols, and guided the development of targeted awareness campaigns. The accompanying link and PDFs include a peer-reviewed research article co-authored by the team and supervised by Universidade Fernando Pessoa (Porto, Portugal), as well as informed consent forms, a statement of confidentiality, and a research questionnaire. These documents are provided for practitioners' reference or replication purposes.

Why this is useful for others:

For Nepali organizations and local governments:

  • The study provides representative national data to inform product design, pricing strategies, and outreach campaigns.
  • It reveals regional, ethnic, and generational differences in attitudes that are essential for localized intervention planning.
  • The questionnaire is available in Nepali and can be adapted for school surveys, municipal assessments, or NGO projects.

For international actors:

  • The research demonstrates a replicable, ethical field methodology that balances qualitative insight with statistically relevant sampling.
  • It offers a template for conducting culturally sensitive research in diverse, low-income settings.
  • Key insights can guide similar product development, health education, and behavior change interventions globally.

Instructions for practitioners:

  • Use the attached PDFs as templates for conducting your own baseline studies.
  • Adapt the questions to reflect your region’s cultural and product context.
  • Leverage the findings to avoid common pitfalls, such as overestimating awareness of biodegradable products or underestimating positive views on restrictions.
  • Use the structure to co-design products and testing tools that truly reflect end-user needs.

 



 

  • Long-term engagement of NIDISI, a NGO with operational presence in Nepal, enabled trust-based access to diverse communities across the country.
  • Partnerships with local NGOs in regions where NIDISI does not operate directly were essential to extend geographic reach. In Humla, one of Nepal’s most remote districts, the entire research process was carried out by a trusted partner organization.
  • Pre-research networking and stakeholder consultations helped NIDISI refine research tools, adapt to local realities, and align with the expectations of communities and local actors.
  • Research assistants were female community members selected through NIDISI’s existing grassroots networks and recommendations from NGO partners, ensuring cultural sensitivity, linguistic fluency, and local acceptance.
  • Field research relied on ethically approved, pre-tested questionnaires, with interviews conducted in multiple local languages to ensure inclusivity and clarity.
  • Interviews were conducted face-to-face and door-to-door, prioritizing trust and participant comfort in culturally appropriate ways.
  • The study included a demographically diverse sample, representing various ethnic, educational, religious, and economic groups, strengthening the representativeness and replicability of the findings.
  • Academic collaboration with Universidade Fernando Pessoa (Portugal), where the research formed part of a Master's thesis by a NIDISI team member, ensuring methodological rigor and peer-reviewed oversight.
  • Language and cultural barriers can compromise data accuracy; working with local female facilitators from the same communities was essential to ensure comprehension, trust, and openness.
  • Social desirability bias limited the honesty of some responses around menstrual stigma. Conducting interviews privately and individually helped mitigate this, especially when discussing taboos or product usage.
  • The combination of quantitative surveys with qualitative methods (open-ended questions, observations, respondent quotes) enriched the dataset and provided both measurable and narrative insights.
  • Flexibility in logistics was crucial. Travel difficulties, seasonal factors, and participant availability—especially in rural and remote areas—required adaptable timelines and contingency planning.
  • Respecting local customs and religious norms throughout the research process was vital for ethical engagement and long-term acceptance of the project.
  • Training research assistants thoroughly not only on tools, but also on the ethical handling of sensitive topics, significantly improved the reliability and consistency of data collected.
  • Some communities initially associated the topic of menstruation with shame or discomfort, and pre-engagement through trusted local NGOs helped build the trust necessary for participation.
  • Pilot-testing the questionnaire revealed linguistic ambiguities and culturally inappropriate phrasing, which were corrected before full deployment—this step proved indispensable.
  • Remote district such as Humla required alternative model: relying fully on local NGO partners for data collection proved both effective and necessary for reaching hard-to-access populations without extensive budget burden.
  • Participant fatigue occasionally affected the quality of responses in longer interviews; reducing the number of questions and improving flow would significantly improve participant engagement.
  • Engaging with younger respondents, especially adolescents, required different communication strategies and levels of explanation than with older adults. Age-sensitive adaptation improved both participation and data depth.
  • Documentation and data organization during fieldwork (e.g. daily debriefs, note-taking, photo documentation, secure backups) was essential for maintaining data quality and enabling follow-up analysis.
Strengthen Communication and Advocacy for Women's Health and Rights.

This building block is about making sure your message reaches the right people in the right way and that it inspires them to care, support, and take action. Women's health and rights are deeply personal, but they are also deeply political and systemic. That’s why strong, thoughtful communication and advocacy are key to creating real, lasting change.

It starts with speaking differently to different groups. Government officials need to see how your work connects with national priorities and policies. Partner organizations want to know how they can collaborate and share resources. Schools need messaging that is fun and engaging for students, while funders want to see clear impact and long-term potential. By tailoring your message using tools like videos, presentations, brochures, or social media, you can meet each group where they are.

At the same time, it’s important to frame your work as part of something bigger. When you show how your project fits into Nepal’s broader development goals, like improving education, gender equality, or access to healthcare you help national leaders and donors see that your work matters not just locally, but nationally. It has become part of the country’s shared progress.

This building block is not just about communication, it's about connection. It helps turn good work into powerful stories, builds trust across communities and institutions, and brings more people into the movement for women’s health and rights.

  1. Trust and Credibility: Building genuine relationships with local communities and organizations is key. Trust allows smoother collaboration and deeper engagement.

 

  1. Clear Communication: Open, respectful, and regular communication helps avoid misunderstandings and aligns goals across different partners.

 

  1. Shared Vision: All partners should have a common understanding of the social impact goals to ensure coordinated action.

 

  1. Willingness to Collaborate:  A spirit of partnership and mutual support among NGOs, government bodies, and networks is essential.
  2. Strong Local Presence: Having team members or allies embedded in the local community helps maintain long-term relationships and ensures cultural relevance.
  1. Tailor Your Communication Style to Different Stakeholders
    We learned early on that not all partners respond to the same style of communication. While youth-focused institutions like schools and colleges appreciate creative, interactive approaches, formal stakeholders such as municipalities or NGOs expect a more professional tone. Presenting our mission and vision differently depending on the audience has helped us build stronger relationships and establish credibility.
  2. Clarity in Mission and Vision Is Key
    Having a clear, consistent explanation of our mission and goals has been vital in aligning with potential partners. People want to know not only what we do but why we do it. A strong narrative helps partners connect emotionally and practically with our work.
  3. Start with Trusted Local Connections
    Collaborating with NGOs or leaders who are already trusted in the community helped us gain quicker access and acceptance. These local allies often became our biggest advocates, especially in areas where we were newcomers.
  4. Informal Visits Go a Long Way
    Not everything has to be a formal meeting. Some of the most meaningful conversations happened during informal visits, community events, or quick tea breaks. These moments-built trust and allowed us to learn about the deeper dynamics in the community.
  5. Partnerships Are Strongest When Both Sides Benefit
    We realized that partnerships only thrive when there’s a win-win. While we may benefit from a partner’s network or community trust, they must also see value—whether it’s shared knowledge, increased visibility, or support for their goals.
  6. Always Research Before Reaching Out
    Before approaching any organization, we made sure to understand their goals and existing work. When we entered with tailored ideas or offers that aligned with their mission, the response was almost always positive.
  7. Be Flexible and Patient
    Collaboration doesn’t happen overnight. Some partnerships take time to develop, and not every connection will lead to long-term cooperation. Keeping an open mind and staying persistent helped us navigate these ups and downs.
  8. Hire Local, It Makes a Big Difference
    Employing local people brought unexpected advantages. They knew the area, the government personnel, and the community’s needs. Their presence helped smooth day-to-day operations and build goodwill.
  9. Know Your Neighborhood and Accessibility
    Pay attention to your factory’s surroundings. A peaceful and safe neighborhood is crucial, and good road access can save enormous time and cost when transporting materials and products.
  10. Women’s Organizations Bring Legitimacy and Reach
    Partnering with women-led and women-focused NGOs added both credibility and depth to our outreach. They not only helped with community access but also aligned with our gender empowerment goals.
Collaborative Partnerships for Grassroots Impact

This building block emphasizes the importance of building strong, collaborative partnerships to create meaningful and sustainable grassroots impact. The success of any social enterprise, especially one focused on menstrual health or community wellbeing, depends not only on the product but also on the strength of the networks that support it.

First, by working closely with local partners—such as municipalities, local NGOs, girls' schools, colleges, hostels, and health centers—you can directly engage with the community. These partners help spread awareness about your product, support outreach activities, and even assist in distribution or sales. They also help ensure that the solutions are tailored to the specific cultural, geographic, and economic needs of the area.

Second, being active in national networks, such as the Menstrual Health Management Partner Alliance (MHMPA) Nepal, allows your project to stay aligned with national goals and current discussions. These networks provide a platform for advocacy, peer learning, joint campaigns, and collective problem-solving, helping you scale your impact beyond your immediate locality.

Third, building global partnerships opens the door to shared learning and innovation. For example, learning from other initiatives like the banana fiber pad project in Cameroon can help you avoid common mistakes, adopt better technology, and improve your operations through exposure to diverse approaches.

Finally, teaming up with women’s rights organizations is crucial, especially when working on issues like menstrual health. These organizations already have strong community relationships, experience in gender-based advocacy, and a trusted presence in the field. Collaborating with them helps you access the right audiences more effectively and gives your work greater legitimacy.

Together, these partnerships enable your enterprise to grow stronger, gain trust, improve outreach, and build long-term sustainability.

  • Trust and Credibility: Building genuine relationships with local communities and organizations is key. Trust allows smoother collaboration and deeper engagement.
  • Clear Communication: Open, respectful, and regular communication helps avoid misunderstandings and aligns goals across different partners.
  • Shared Vision: All partners should have a common understanding of the social impact goals to ensure coordinated action.
  • Willingness to Collaborate: A spirit of partnership and mutual support among NGOs, government bodies, and networks is essential.
  • Strong Local Presence: Having team members or allies embedded in the local community helps maintain long-term relationships and ensures cultural relevance.
  • Access to Networks: Being part of national and global alliances enhances visibility, learning, and access to resources.
  • Supportive Legal Environment: A regulatory framework that allows partnerships between social enterprises, NGOs, and local governments makes collaboration smoother.
  1. Partnerships Multiply Impact
    Collaborating with local NGOs, municipalities, schools, and health centers significantly increases reach and relevance. These partners understand the community and are instrumental in spreading awareness, supporting distribution, and tailoring interventions to local needs.
  2. Trust Takes Time, But Pays Off
    Genuine, long-term relationships with community-based partners build credibility and smooth the path for deeper engagement. Projects that invest in trust-building see more community participation and sustainability.
  3. It’s Hard to Earn Trust Without a Market-Ready Product
    When a product is still in development or hasn’t yet entered the market, it becomes difficult to gain trust from partners and beneficiaries. Transparency, prototypes, and pilot testing with early adopters help bridge this gap.
  4. Clear Communication Prevents Conflict
    Misunderstandings can derail well-intentioned collaborations. Regular, transparent, and respectful communication ensures alignment, especially when working across different organizational cultures or goals.
  5. National Networks Are Catalysts for Alignment
    Being active in national alliances like MHMPA Nepal keeps the project in sync with broader policy trends and creates opportunities for collective advocacy and learning.
  6. Global Peer Learning Sparks Innovation
    Exposure to global best practices—such as the banana fiber pad project in Cameroon—helps avoid duplication of effort and accelerates learning. Adopting ideas from similar initiatives allows you to leapfrog common challenges.
  7. Shared Vision Ensures Cohesion
    Without a unified sense of purpose, partnerships can become fragmented. Aligning all stakeholders around common impact goals ensures more strategic and effective collaboration.
  8. Local Presence Anchors the Work
    Teams rooted in the community can navigate cultural nuances better, respond faster to issues, and build more resilient relationships. This local grounding is crucial for grassroots success.
Green Platform for Green Opportunities

Grasshopper Technologies has further identified a lack of coordination in terms of where Green Jobs are posted in South Africa. The Green Jobs Connect Platform was therefore built to help Green Graduates as well as Green SMMEs to apply for opportunities within the conservation sector in the country. The platform is made up of the 3 main components:

  1. Green MSMEs looking for opportunities
  2. Clients looking at appointing Green and vetted MSMEs and Graduates
  3. Graduates looking for work opportunities

The platform is managed by Grasshopper and is free for all and it seek to connect the three components above. 

This helps coordinate green opportunities in the sector.

This Solution was recently launched therefore not a lot of lessons learned yet.

Material and machine specification, maintenance, and safety protocols

hehehhe

Group training photo
West and Central Africa
Dickarmien Alvis
Deemie
Group training photo
West and Central Africa
Dickarmien Alvis
Deemie
De l'inventaire à la disponibilité des données : l'atlas en ligne de la faune et de la flore du parc national des Écrins

L'atlas en ligne de la faune et de la flore du parc national des Écrins met à disposition l'ensemble des données collectées par ses agents depuis plus de 40 ans.

Biodiv'Ecrins illustre et décrit l'ensemble des espèces emblématiques ou rares du massif mais aussi toute la richesse d'une biodiversité cachée et souvent méconnue.

Il ne s'agit pas d'un inventaire exhaustif ni d'une répartition précise des espèces sur le territoire mais d'un partage des observations réalisées depuis 1973 dans le parc national des Écrins et mises à jour en temps réel.

Chaque espèce possède sa propre fiche d'identité, avec :

  • - de magnifiques photographies permettant d'identifier l'espèce
  • - la carte des observations sur le parc national
  • - des éléments de reconnaissance de l'espèce, son milieu privilégié, sa répartition mondiale
  • - les périodes et altitudes d'observation
  • - des compléments vidéo, audio, des articles, rapports, extraits de livres pour approfondir sa connaissance de l'espèce.

A l'échelle de chaque commune, il est possible de visualiser l'ensemble des espèces observées avec leur localisation, leurs statuts et les liens avec les fiches « espèce ».

Une grande galerie d'images donne à voir la richesse de la biodiversité du massif, avec la possibilité de trier les images par groupes d'espèces. Les photographies sont réalisées principalement par les agents du Parc national lors de leurs missions de terrain.

L'ensemble des observations est déjà disponible. La rédaction et l'illustration des espèces sont encore en cours. Les inventaires cités contribuent à cette collecte.

Outil de valorisation des données à l'échelle du territoire des Écrins, Biodiv'Ecrins s'inscrit dans une démarche de longue date de mise à disposition des données publiques, organisée au plan national par le Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (MNHN) dont les référentiels permettent notamment d'alimenter l'Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel (INPN).

Ces données contribuent aux réseaux d'échanges développés par les services de l’État avec ses partenaires institutionnels et associatifs. Dans le cadre de ces Systèmes d’Information sur la Nature et les Paysages (SINP), les données sont agglomérées et archivées, permettant d’organiser la connaissance à différentes échelles. Des échanges sont également organisés avec les partenaires associatifs qui animent les démarches participatives.

Ces réseaux d'observation et les complémentarités territoriales donnent un sens à la collecte et à la diffusion des données.

Biodiv'Ecrins utilise l'outil opensource GeoNature-atlas développé par le Parc national des Écrins. Il est ainsi transférable librement à d'autres structures qui souhaitent partager leurs observations naturalistes en se basant sur les référentiels nationaux de l'INPN.

Il fait partie d'un ensemble d'outils développés par le Parc national et ses partenaires, pour pouvoir saisir, gérer, traiter et partager les données des différents protocoles.

http://geonature.fr
https://github.com/PnEcrins/GeoNature-atlas

Depuis une dizaine d'années, le Parc national des Écrins favorise les transferts d’expériences en matière de développement numérique, le travail collaboratif et la publication des outils développés sous licence libre.

Building Block 3: Integrating Lemur Conservation into Education and Community Outreach through Schools and Festivals

Learning about the importance of Conservation has no age limit, and schools are a powerful entry point for long-term impact. In Fierenana, the BIOPAMA Project worked with 27 public and private primary and secondary schools to integrate lemur conservation into teaching practices. Through a series of workshops, 144 teachers were trained to incorporate environmental protection and sustainable resource management into their curricula, with a special focus on lemurs. CI also collaborated with the Ministry of National Education to embed lemur conservation into the national environmental education framework.

A highlight of this initiative was also the use of public events to raise awareness about lemur conservation. This took place thorugh the annual Lemur Festival, organized as part of the CAZ4Lemur project. The first two editions attracted 1,200 and 1,500 participants respectively. Led by the mayor and supported by local authorities, COBAs, school representatives, and community members, the festival featured a carnival, official ceremonies, and creative activities such as poetry, theatre, and dance. Children wore lemur masks, colored themed sheets, and participated in workshops. The slogan, “Varika: tsy fiompy, tsy fihinana, fa haingo ary mampaharitra ny ala” (“The lemur is not a pet, nor food, but a beauty that preserves the forest”), captured the spirit of the event. The festival concluded with a documentary screening on lemurs and environmental protection.

Complementary activities included law enforcement training for patrollers and pre/post-festival workshops for teachers. 

The success of this initiative was made possible through inclusive collaboration. The project partnered with the Ministry of National Education, specifically the Globe Program and the Directorate of Mass Education and Civics (DEMC), to develop educational modules on environmental conservation.

Fierenana’s 27 schools are supported by two ZAP (Administrative and Educational Zone) heads, who helped coordinate the cascade training model. Selected teachers were trained on lemur and habitat conservation and then tasked with training their peers. The CISCO office in Moramanga ensured alignment with national pedagogical standards. The project also worked alongside other NGOs and associations to reinforce conservation messaging across different platforms.

Educational tools such as game cards, signs, coloring pages, and lemur photos proved highly effective in sparking students’ interest in nature. However, broader distribution of these materials is needed to ensure all teachers are equipped, especially when teaching schedules overlap.

Although environmental themes are officially part of the national curriculum, integrating lemur-specific content required thoughtful preparation of tailored teaching materials. Documentary screenings also proved impactful, drawing strong interest from both students and parents.

Finally, collaboration between teachers and patrollers during field visits or nature outings greatly enhanced mutual learning. Knowledge exchanges should flow both ways—between educators, patrollers, and families—to build a stronger, more informed conservation community.

Building Block 2: Capacity Building in Environmental Law

Due to a lack of knowledge and/or application of existing laws related to biodiversity conservation efforts in the CAZ region, the CAZ4Lemur Project focused on building legal awareness and capacity among key stakeholders. This included training members of COBAs, judicial police officers (mayors, forestry agents, gendarmes), and senior judicial officers (judges) on environmental and protected area legislation.

Through participatory workshops in Fierenana, participants learned how to identify, report, and follow up on environmental offenses. Training covered legal responsibilities, reporting procedures, and the use of tools like the ALOE app (Accès aux LOis Environnementales), which provides digital access to environmental laws. Practical simulations and case studies reinforced learning, and participants were introduced to a free hotline (#512) for reporting offenses or seeking legal guidance.

The project benefited from strong collaboration with the Moramanga CIREF, whose technical officers co-led sessions on biodiversity law and protected area management. Monthly reports from patrollers to CIREF include biodiversity data and threats, though delays in legal action remained a challenge. To address this, COBAs proposed applying “Dina”, a traditional community regulation associated with community self-governance of natural resources in Malagasy society—for minor offenses—allowing for immediate, locally accepted sanctions. This approach, documented in a jointly signed responsibility charter, helps maintain order while reducing administrative delays. Serious offenses were escalated to CIREF or the courts. For high-risk missions, collaboration with military or gendarmerie units was recommended to ensure safety and authority.

The success of this initiative was supported by several enabling factors. First, participants were given access to environmental law resources in both digital and printed formats, including the ALOE app, which allowed them to consult legal texts on mobile devices and computers. Second, the workshops fostered strong multi-stakeholder engagement by bringing together COBAs, women’s organizations, patrollers, local authorities, and law enforcement, encouraging collaboration and shared understanding. Finally, the involvement of CIREF in both training delivery and project oversight ensured technical accuracy and alignment with national conservation priorities, reinforcing the credibility and effectiveness of the initiative.

Several important lessons emerged from the implementation of this solution. First, the use of local enforcement mechanisms such as the “Dina” proved essential for addressing minor offenses quickly and in a way that is accepted by the community, thereby reducing the burden on formal legal institutions. However, delays in legal action from authorities were found to undermine the motivation of patrollers and community members, highlighting the need for timely and consistent enforcement. Lastly, for high-risk missions, the involvement of military or gendarmerie units was seen as crucial to ensure the safety of patrollers and to reinforce the legitimacy of enforcement actions.