About Us

EthVida is a non-profit organisation at the forefront of promoting a holistic healthcare approach for the management of chronic illness and longevity. Founded and led by both a patient and healthcare professional, EthVida is committed to bridging the gap between modern medicine and mindful, integrative approaches to wellbeing. Our mission is to educate, empower, and support individuals on their healing journeys through accessible, stigma-free resources.

Through our Free Educational Platform, we provide structured guidance across key areas of holistic health. We also host the Harmonia Podcast: Behind the Veil of Stigma, with a second season currently in development, and share practical, accessible wellbeing strategies through our Holistic Hacks social media series.

In addition, we offer Free Mental Health Coaching for ethnic minorities and women, providing a safe and supportive space for those who may face barriers in accessing care. (To learn more, please visit: https://www.ethvida.com/mental-health-coaching/)

We also contribute thought-provoking content to Brainz Magazine and continue to develop products and services designed to support patients in navigating and connecting with appropriate healthcare pathways.

Coming Soon:
✨ The Wellness Arena – a dynamic mindfulness workshop series
📱 HealthStyle – a mindfulness app designed to bring balance to your daily routine

The Story Behind EthVida

Berta has always adapted a holistic approach to managing her health and wellbeing, recognizing the important contribution of diet, mindset, and daily habits, to improving on ones welfare and paving a a healthier future. Supported with plant-based medicines, better information regarding their health and a plan of action to see them through their recovery and formulate a new normal… the quality of her life had drastically improved.

For patients, after years of suffering due to the lack of education, appropriate support from health services and from being too exhausted living in survival mode, often leaves people giving up on their health and wellbeing of resulting in people adapting maladaptive coping mechanisms: placing a bandage on a bullet wound. At EthVida, we say no more! bring back healthcare.

Having faced similar struggles herself, Berta was fortunate to have a background in healthcare. She used this knowledge to advocate for her own wellbeing—yet even with that advantage, the journey was incredibly difficult. She often felt isolated and unwell. After surviving a suicide attempt, Berta made a powerful vow: no one else should have to go through what she did.

This commitment led her to seek out additional healthcare options, which eventually introduced her to cannabis-based medical products. The transformation she experienced was life-changing. Inspired by this, Berta became a passionate advocate for others who are still suffering—many of whom don’t even know these treatments exist.

At EthVida, we believe that reclaiming your health means taking a holistic approach to wellbeing. We’re dedicated to keeping our educational platform up to date, offering reliable, accessible information all in one place. Our goal is to be a one-stop resource, empowering patients to take control of their health through informed self-care and holistic practices.

🌸 Introducing “My First Period” — A Guide to Understanding, Confidence, and Care

EthVida, in collaboration with Sparkle Magazine, a Pakistan-based production company committed to philanthropic and non-profit initiatives, has developed My First Period—a children’s educational book designed to promote menstrual health literacy, dignity, and empowerment.

Now published and available on Amazon, the book has been created to support communities where access to formal sex education is limited or absent. It provides age-appropriate, culturally sensitive guidance grounded in medical knowledge, helping young girls understand what a healthy menstrual cycle can look like, how to recognise potential health concerns, and when to seek appropriate support.

A key feature of My First Period is the inclusion of real-life menstrual health experiences, representing a wide range of lived realities. These narratives explore both typical cycles and conditions such as PCOS, PMDD, and endometriosis, helping to normalise variation and reinforce that menstrual pain or distress should never be dismissed or endured in silence.

Beyond biological education, the book also addresses important social and cultural challenges, including stigma, period shame, and safety risks faced by girls in developing communities. It sensitively challenges harmful narratives, including the association between menstruation and readiness for marriage, and instead advocates for autonomy, protection, and informed choice.

My First Period is ultimately a call to action—encouraging open, informed dialogue, challenging stigma, and empowering young girls to approach puberty and womanhood with knowledge, confidence, and safety.

One of EthVida’s most exciting developments this year is a newly established partnership with a women’s activist organisation to support the introduction of My First Period into schools across Pakistan. Created to address gaps in menstrual health education, the book provides medically accurate, culturally sensitive information designed to help young girls better understand their bodies and navigate conversations around reproductive health with confidence.

This partnership is the first step in EthVida’s global mission to bring trusted health education resources into schools, libraries and children’s hospitals worldwide. Our goal is to ensure that children and young people everywhere have access to the information they need to understand their health, make informed decisions and advocate for themselves with confidence. What begins with My First Period is part of a much larger vision to make health education accessible to every community, regardless of geography, culture or circumstance.

From Community Advocacy to Government Impact: Supporting Mental Health Education in Punjab, Pakistan

EthVida is proud to be collaborating with the Office of the Chief Minister of Punjab on an upcoming mental health awareness initiative. Working alongside a passionate team of professionals, educators and advocates, we are contributing to the development of an educational resource designed to improve mental health literacy, encourage open conversations around wellbeing, and make trusted mental health information more accessible to communities across Punjab.

This initiative forms part of EthVida’s wider commitment to supporting underserved communities and ethnic minorities, who often face disproportionate barriers to accessing mental health information, services and support. By helping to create culturally relevant and accessible educational resources, we hope to contribute to a future where mental health awareness is inclusive, equitable and available to all.

Mental health advocacy has always been at the heart of my work, making this project particularly meaningful. Following the development and publication of My First Period, I am excited to apply and further develop my editorial skills while contributing to a resource that has the potential to create lasting impact at scale. The opportunity to work alongside a dedicated team on a government-supported initiative reflects EthVida’s continued commitment to advancing health equity through education, advocacy and meaningful partnerships.

I particularly like the sentence:

“This initiative forms part of EthVida’s wider commitment to supporting underserved communities and ethnic minorities…”

because it reminds readers that you’re not just working on a government project—you’re doing it as part of a broader mission around health equity, which is exactly what the Global Recognition Award recognised you for.

🌿 Honoured and Grateful 🌿

Nominations

We are honoured to be nominated for Social Enterprise of the Year at the 2025 UK Start-Up Awards and the nomination for Rising Star at the 2025 and 2026 Business of Cannabis Europe – a recognition that fuels our passion to keep breaking barriers in holistic care.

Awards

I’m truly honoured to be recognised with the CREA Global Award 2025 by Brainz Magazine and Pakistan Pride Awards 2025, for my contributions in empowering women and girls and the Women’s Leadership Diamond Award 2026, in recognition of EthVida’s selfless contributions to the Health Department.

Global Recognition Awards 2026 – Start-Up of the Year

We are honored to announce that EthVida has been named Start-Up of the Year by the Global Recognition Awards 2026.

Selected from over 15,000 annual applicants, with only 5.8% receiving recognition, EthVida was recognized for “building a health equity platform that has achieved international policy influence, published educational resources, and government-level partnerships within less than two years of its founding.”

The award highlights EthVida’s unique approach to healthcare equity, bringing together modern medicine, holistic wellbeing, mental health support, and patient-centered education into a single accessible model serving communities across multiple countries.

In their assessment, the judging panel noted that EthVida has moved “from a grassroots health advocacy platform to a body with government contracts, published educational materials, and international award recognition” while maintaining a clear focus on underserved communities.

A spokesperson for the Global Recognition Awards commented:

“EthVida reflects the kind of startup leadership we look for—an organization that identified a genuine gap in health equity and women’s education, built a credible, multi-sector response to it, and achieved governmental and international recognition before most organizations have finished writing their first strategic plan.”

This recognition acknowledges the impact of our work in health literacy, women’s health, mental wellbeing, and health equity advocacy. It also reflects the trust placed in us by our partners, communities, and supporters around the world.

As we continue to grow, this award strengthens our commitment to ensuring that healthcare education, support, and opportunities are accessible to those who need them most.

From Fighting for Her Own Health to Fighting for Health Equity Worldwide: Your Founders Journey!

Not long ago, our founder, Berta Kaguako, faced some of life’s most profound challenges. Living with complex chronic illness, disability and severe daily health struggles, there was a time when being bed-bound made the future feel uncertain and the possibility of living a full and meaningful life seemed out of reach.

But Berta’s story did not end there.

Through resilience, determination, holistic healing and an unwavering refusal to give up, she began the extraordinary journey of rebuilding her life. What once felt like unimaginable hardship became the foundation for a mission dedicated to improving health equity, empowering underserved communities and creating meaningful change on a global scale.

Inspired by her own experiences navigating healthcare systems and health inequalities, Berta founded EthVida to provide accessible health education, mental health support, women’s health advocacy and holistic wellbeing resources. What began as a personal mission has evolved into an internationally recognised organisation working to address some of the most pressing health challenges facing communities today.

In less than two years, EthVida has achieved significant milestones, including the publication of My First Period, a menstrual health literacy resource designed to improve reproductive health education and tackle stigma surrounding women’s health. The organisation has also secured a partnership with a women’s activist organisation in Pakistan, marking the first step towards EthVida’s long-term vision of placing health education resources in schools, libraries and children’s hospitals worldwide.

EthVida’s impact continues to grow through its collaboration with the Office of the Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan, on a mental health awareness initiative aimed at improving mental health literacy and creating accessible educational resources for communities across the region. This work forms part of EthVida’s wider commitment to supporting underserved populations and ethnic minorities through education, advocacy and equitable access to health information.

In recognition of these achievements, EthVida was awarded the Global Recognition Award 2026 – Start-Up of the Year, an honour awarded to only a small percentage of applicants worldwide. The award recognised EthVida’s international policy influence, educational initiatives, government-level partnerships and commitment to advancing health equity through innovative and community-led solutions.

Alongside her work with EthVida, Berta was proudly crowned Ms Ireland – Universe International® 2026/2027, using her platform to advocate for chronic illness awareness, disability inclusion, women’s health and holistic healing. For Berta, the title represents far more than a personal achievement; it is a symbol of resilience and a reminder that chronic illness does not define a person’s future.

Today, Berta continues to champion a simple but powerful message: there is life beyond survival. Through education, advocacy and meaningful partnerships, she is helping to create a future where health information is accessible, inclusive and empowering for all.

Her journey is proof that adversity can become purpose, and that one person’s story has the power to spark change far beyond themselves.