When Ramuna reached her local health post in the throes of a dangerous delivery, the skilled nurses and renovated birthing center waiting for her were the lasting result of a partnership that has since put Sankhuwasabha's care in local hands.

In the remote villages of Dolpa, where the nearest hospital can be nine hours away, One Heart Worldwide and the local government are working to bring safer births within reach of mothers who have long faced the journey alone.

As one of the youngest members of One Heart Worldwide's Nepal team, nurse and field supervisor Nikita Chaudhary spends her days helping government nurses in rural Sarlahi sharpen the skills that keep mothers and babies safe.

Newly arrived as One Heart Worldwide's coordinator in Rukum West, Lok Mani Giri is finding that the surest path to trust runs through local partners who know the community as their own.

A new birthing center brings safer deliveries within reach in a hard-to-reach corner of Kavrepalanchok, and carries the name of a colleague the One Heart Worldwide team still holds dear.

As One Heart Worldwide begins its work in Nepal's Madhesh Province, District Coordinator Amrendra Ray sees both hard challenges and real opportunity in partnering with local governments to make maternal care a priority.