Utah-based international nonprofit CHOICE Humanitarian and doTERRA International, the world leader in the sourcing and distribution of singular-quality essential oils, are rolling out a new partnership to benefit the earthquake-torn country of Nepal.

Through this partnership, doTERRA is working with rural Nepal villages in conjunction with its Co-Impact Sourcing^® initiative. In Nepal, rural villagers living in extreme poverty survive on less than $2 a day. The doTERRA partnership provides critical economic opportunities, particularly in rural areas where they are most needed. It also provides a better standard of living through improved access to clean water, education and medical services. This work addresses many of the Millennium Development Goals, including gender equality.

Historically, Nepalese harvesters and farmers have been at the mercy of middlemen who may only buy a portion of their crops, and the farmers usually receive unpredictable and unfair compensation. With doTERRA Co-Impact Sourcing, producers receive long-term sourcing contracts, as well as fair and on-time payments impacting everyone along the value chain. This has already empowered hundreds of families to lift themselves out of extreme poverty and enabled them to afford food, school supplies and clothing.

"Through our Co-Impact Sourcing initiative, an estimated 1,075 jobs have already been created in Nepal," said Tim Valentiner, Director of Strategic Sourcing for doTERRA. "By 2017, we estimate 2,800 jobs will be supported, impacting more than 14,000 people."

CHOICE Humanitarian is working with rural communities to ensure sustainable harvesting practices are understood and followed. Additionally, CHOICE Humanitarian will work with the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation on projects that focus on rebuilding Nepal following the CHOICE Humanitarian Leadership Model.

Since the April 25 and May 12, 2015 earthquakes in Nepal, relief support from the Healing Hands Foundation to CHOICE Humanitarian have included: $100,000 donation for immediate relief (blankets, tarps, hygiene kits) and food supplies, and an additional $293,000 donation to build 200 temporary homes, 15 tent schools, 500 tent classrooms, and repair 20 essential oil distilleries and build four new distilleries. “People have been finding shelter from the monsoons under tarps, living with cattle and doing whatever they can to survive. They are working to put the pieces back together, but have so little to work with. The loss is overwhelming, and our goal is to bring hope back to these areas that were so devastated,” said Emily Wright, executive vice president of leadership development at doTERRA International.

CHOICE Humanitarian is in the process of training village council members on accessing, determining and identifying sources of funding and support for their communities. "Village councils that have been trained responded to the earthquake in an inspiring way," said Dr. James Mayfield, CHOICE Humanitarian co-founder. "They taught villagers to clean up, look forward and begin the process of reconstruction, even before governments arrived to help."

"I applaud doTERRA for its commitment to international social good by empowering people, providing economic opportunities and teaching sustainable practices," said CHOICE Humanitarian CEO Leah Barker. "The doTERRA team is dedicated to providing economic opportunities in remote areas, where they are usually limited and much needed. We are grateful to partner with such a committed and inspiring company."

"Ultimately, if you want to change the world, you have to empower people," said Emily Wright, doTERRA Founding Executive. "We are committed to providing economic opportunities to the rural areas and particularly women of Nepal, so they can help lift their families out of extreme poverty."