One step at a time, Tika, an experienced nurse and MSI Lady, climbs mountains in the Nepal’s Sindhuli District to reach communities nestled among peaks and hilltops. Tika supports the women here, who have no other access to sexual health and family planning services. This is what happens when MSI’s mission meets mountains.
Each morning, Tika dons a heavy backpack that carries up to 60L and holds all her essential supplies – she used to find this quite tough but has become used to it. On foot, she travels from one mountain village to another with a clear purpose in mind: to support women with family planning and reproductive care.
Tika: “I go door to door, and people also call to book a service. MSI organises informational sessions about all the available options because there are many misconceptions. Some believe using family planning prevents future pregnancies permanently, or that abortion is a sin. We counsel these communities and help them understand the facts and their rights. Then I let women choose what’s right for them and provide free services.
If I didn’t travel here, the women would have to go three hours or more to access care, often not finding what they want when they arrive. I’ve seen many local women who couldn’t get the services they were looking for and had to return home disappointed.”
In the cold, fresh mountain air, Tika keeps busy, serving around 20 women each day with a range of healthcare options. The demand for her services is high.
27-year-old Srijana thanks her lucky stars that she crossed paths with Tika. Already a mother of two, Srijana doesn’t want any more children. She has endured two difficult caesarean births and her health was waning. She’s also set on making sure her two children have opportunities in education and life, and she feels that would be difficult if she had to spread her family’s limited resources further.
When she fell pregnant for a third time, she didn’t know what to do.
She wanted an abortion. But a traumatic incident in her past gave her pause: her aunt had an unsafe abortion and on the way to the hospital she had died. Srijana was terrified the same would happen to her.
Srijana: “I taught at a school nearby. One of the other teachers told me about Tika ma’am from MSI who provides safe services locally. I went to her and she treated me very kindly.
When I had the abortion, Tika stayed awake all night, checking on me. She helped me properly and I did not even have to spend a single rupee.
Now, I am still teaching at a school, and my focus is my children. To see them happy, healthy, and educated – that is my dream. My abortion allowed me to continue working and taking care of my children.
I feel like I have a new life. Tika saved me. I’m truly grateful.”
During the rainy season Tika walks for hours or days to reach some places. Determined not to let anyone miss out on these services.
They say the best view comes after the hardest climb. Tika’s view might be the best one of all: she sees women whose lives continue on, who are happy, relieved, and in control.
“I feel very proud and grateful to be able to provide lifesaving services free of charge,” she says humbly.
