Rural Development Project.

This 3-year integral project” (2020-2023) is modeled after the “learning from the best model” in Peru, a proven concept that FEMI introduced to SVSI in 2016. Through “peer learning” and competitions, the local Chepang community is encouraged to improve their own living conditions in terms of health, housing and certainly income. Following the success of the 3-year project in Siddhi, the follow-up was launched in 2020 in the nearby Kaule region, a hard-to-reach area where living conditions are even worse.

Sarbodaya Nepal, born out of the Italian foundation FRL, has been implementing integral development initiatives in the areas of income enhancement, entrepreneurship, education, food security, health care (especially WASH and SRHR), human rights protection with a focus on women’s & children’s rights and capacity development of local organizations since 2006.  In addition to projects in Kavre and Dolakha districts, a local project team “Sarbodaya Jumla” is active in the hard-to-reach, poor area of Jumla (Karnali district, western Nepal).

Gender Equality and Support of Women Farmers project Jumla

The area of Jumla is difficult to access and therefore one of the poorest areas in Nepal. The economy is characterized by small-scale subsistence farming. In recent years, efforts have been made to develop the horticultural sector. Sarbodaya Jumla has been working for years on small-scale integrated projects that focus on women’s empowerment and income improvement. As a follow-up, the various interventions of this 2-year project (2022-2023) will further empower women; increase income and thus improve living conditions. Also, a women’s cooperative will be established; marketing channels established so that horticultural products can be sold outside the district.

The Organic Valley (formerly OMF)

Founded in 2013, TOV (theorganicvalley.com/formerly OMF) aims to become Nepal’s first large, profitable organic ginger processor, offering ginger farmers fair prices and conditions. Meanwhile, TOV, with the help of HRSV and Zero-Kap, has developed into a social enterprise with hard-working, dedicated local staff. TOV buys ginger and turmaric (turmeric) from over 700 farmers who are taught to grow these products organically. In the remote area of Surkhet, TOV not only provides income for these farmers but also provides employment (and thus income) for 100+ factory workers, 80% of whom are young women.

 

TOV Foundation – “Sapana Ghar” project.

TOV Foundation is a separately established non-profit organization in which community development activities are developed and implemented. “Sapana Ghar” is a one-year project with the goal of establishing a childcare center (for 0-6 year olds) at the factory. With the 80% female, relatively young staff, this will make a huge difference for the continuity of the factory. But especially for the preservation of income and independence of these women making them less vulnerable. Moreover, this childcarecentre offers a good basic education which leads to better progression to primary education.

Small movie dec 2021:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iycJvECjg7c

SSD (Sambriddha Samaj Dang)

SSD (Sambriddha Samaj Dang) is a Community Based Network organisation (CBNO).

Its history:
SS (www.sahakarmisamaj.org/) is a medium-sized NGO founded in the 90s. The organisation’s name says it all (= Co-worker): they see themselves as a co-worker of the community and that is central to the work they do. SS focuses on local communities that want to organise themselves into CBNOs, facilitates and mentors these CBNOs in setting up and developing their organisation and helps them find their way to local government and donors. They are then helped to grow to a level where they can do their work independently based on the needs that exist within the communities in question. Since 2016, an overall programme (called COSELI, funded by the Norwegian Development Fund) has been running in this context, in which SS in Dang, Jajarkot and Bardiya (districts in Province 5) is helping to develop various CBNOs. These CBNOs (such as SSD) in turn set up Community Groups (CG) with the aim of improving the social and economic conditions of vulnerable people within the communities, helping them with/mobilising resources (both human and material), developing capacity and liaising with/lobbying local government on common issues. SSD (founded in 2016) was formally registered in Dang on 11 January 2021 and has since set up 71 Community Groups (with a total of 1474 members).

The project

The overall objective of the 5-year (2021-2025) COSELI project is to form, guide and strengthen 51 CGs, mixed groups including Dalits, indigenous people, hardcore poor, parents of children with disabilities, etc.) enabling marginalised and vulnerable households to sustainably provide for their food and income in the long term.

During our visit in 2022, it appeared that SSD had received various requests from the community who would also like to set up a CG but were not yet included in the ongoing COSELI project. In addition, there was a strong need for capacity building and expansion of the team itself. This led to the LIVE project (Livelihood Initiative for Vulnerables & Excluded), a reinforcement of the overarching COSELI project including:

– capacity building of the team with agri-technical knowledge/hiring 2 additional community educators, 1 of whom has an agricultural background)

– expanding the number of CGs with 19 additional mixed groups (the COSELI project already included 51 = 70 CGs in total)