EDITORS MESSAGE In May 2012, I was awarded the F.

Grainger Marburg travel scholarship that allowed me to complete research work on the effectiveness of hygiene practices in rural communities in nepal. My research ndings concluded that visuals and communication messages, used in Nepal at that time, were not effective as they were built on humiliation and shame. I then researched and developed a series of more appropriate communication messages directed towards improving hygiene practices. My hypothesis was that a tangible impact on change in personal hygiene behavior would be more likely to occur when visual messages were built on cultural norms, values and rituals. I pretested the visuals, received feedback from local communities and revised the communication messages making them culturally appropriate within the Nepalese context. According to the wisdom of Ayurveda, true beauty is what naturally arises from simple acts of reverent self-care. Yet good hygiene is often neglected, seldom practiced and difcult to promote. Good hygiene refers to the practice of keeping oneself and surroundings clean, particularly with regard to preventing illness and the spread of disease. Practicing good hygiene and sanitation breaks the chain of infection transmission. The purpose of the zine is to address key questions asked by community memebers and Nepalese organizations during my research work.