DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

Rural Programme Nepal

Rationale of the Project

The main rationale behind the project is to improve the socio-economic status and quality of life of poor and marginal people of the project VDCs by enhancing their access on natural resources and develop the capacity of beneficiaries networking with local development and service delivery organizations. The program aims at improving the access of short term employment and long term income opportunities of the selected VDCs.

General Objective

The development objective of the program is to improve the socio-economic status and quality of life of the poor marginal farmers of the project VDCs.

Specific Objectives

• To establish self help groups for their empowerment
  
• To conduct training on different income generating activities
  
• To promote social mobilization to empower the community
  

Beneficiaries

Achievements and beneficiaries of the project

Results

Social Mobilization and promotion of Self-help organization (SHO) and Cooperatives have played crucial role to unify the communities for their own development. They have now established relationship, linkage/coordination among all local development stakeholders and private sectors. Their capacities have been upgraded on the organization management, leadership development, mobilization of saving and credit, needs/problem analysis and resolution in communities/groups/CBOs. CBOs and cooperatives are now well functioning and services are being provided to their members. They conducted need assessment, participatory annual planning, veterinary clinic, saving/ credit collection and mobilization, records/book keeping, training services by their own capacity/resource persons. Single crop farmers are now harvesting 2 to 3 crops. It has helped the farmers in getting familiar with the new crops (cash/high value crops). This has increased the income of the farmers. Water harvesting pond irrigation has provided to be innovative and success irrigation project for the vegetable farming even in those areas where there are no water sources around the farm.

Income generation of the beneficiaries increased due to the on farm activities like kitchen gardening to semi-commercial vegetable production. In an average they have been able to earn NRs 20,000 to 50,000 per year. Landless people, porters or small farmers have also been able to generate their livelihood through vendoring business. Dalits have also started their livelihood through the promotion of indigenous occupation eg iron works, sewing, etc.

This project has also been successful in improving health and sanitation status of the community. After implementation of DWS there is no water supply shortages and has been used properly in the toilet and cleaning of other room inside the household. DWS projects have also helped to reduce the drudgery of women and improved the health and sanitation status of community people. Introduction of improved Cooking Stove have also brought an improvement in the health of women and have reduced pressure on the community forestry for collecting fire wood to some extent.