Leading by example

Kanchanpur, Nepal – In a quiet village in Kanchanpur District in Nepal’s far west, few caregivers were aware of positive parenting practices, especially when it came to the earliest years of their children’s lives. Deeply-rooted traditions often limited what these parents were doing: infants were kept indoors for most of the day, fathers were largely absent from caregiving, and healthy feeding habits rarely followed – all leading to adverse impacts on children’s well-being.

Sunita Rana grew up in a home shaped by these same norms. After she became a mother herself, she was determined to raise her children differently, giving them a better start in life.

So, when an opportunity came to join a local early childhood development (ECD) initiative, she seized it.

After completing a 14-day training organised by Seto Gurans National Child Development Services with support from UNICEF and the local government, Sunita was selected to be a Child Development Coordinator under the municipal government.

According to Sunita, the training opened her eyes to the importance of the early years of a child’s life. She learned how small, everyday interactions — talking, playing, responding to a baby’s cues — can shape children’s cognitive and emotional growth. She also gained practical knowledge about health, nutrition, hygiene, and immunization, and how all these can influence a child’s development, starting from the mother’s pregnancy through early childhood. 

“Before the training, I thought a child’s learning started in school,” Sunita said. “I didn’t realise how much begins at home — from the womb, even. How we talk to our children, what we feed them, how we care for them…these things set the foundation for their development and future.”

As a Child Development Coordinator, Sunita provides sustained and integrated support for early childhood development across her municipality. Her work involves more than just coordination. She actively advocates for the implementation of the Nurturing Care Framework, which focuses on five key areas: good health, nutrition, early learning, security and safety, and responsive caregiving. In doing so, she serves as a strong voice for the youngest members of her community.

This is one part  of a broader push to strengthen early childhood development across Nepal, with support from the Nepal Government, UNICEF, Seto Gurans, and generous contributions from the Swiss National Committee for UNICEF. 

Sunita is among 26 Child Development Coordinators working in some of the country’s most underserved communities, helping families adopt more nurturing and informed parenting practices.

But Sunita’s role quickly grew beyond her job description. She became a visible leader in her community, someone people listened to. Under her leadership, parenting education sessions were introduced in all six wards of the municipality. She trained 28 preschool teachers, equipping them to promote positive parenting practices, and move away from harmful, outdated beliefs.

She visited mothers in their homes. Organised workshops. Shared what she was learning. Slowly, perspectives began to shift.

Some parents who once dismissed vaccinations due to misconceptions started prioritizing their children’s healthcare. Others began engaging with their young ones through stories, songs and play—simple acts that opened up new ways of bonding.

One father’s words stayed with her.

“He said, ‘I never talked to my baby before because I didn’t think he understood anything. Now I speak to him every day, and he laughs and reacts. I feel like we really have a connection now.’ That was when I realised we were making a real difference,” Sunita says.

The change reached her own home, too. Her husband began challenging cultural expectations by taking an active role in caring for their baby daughter. Her mother-in-law, Mulia, who once believed in raising children the “old way,” also came around.

“At first, I wasn’t sure,” Mulia said. “But after the parenting sessions, I saw how much better things could be with just a few small changes. Now, I help Sunita to take care of my granddaughter however I can.”

Sunita continues to work with families across the municipality, helping children get the best possible start.

“I want every child to be loved and cared for, the way my daughter is,” she said. “This is just the beginning.”