NAMASTE
ADRA NEPAL NEWS
... H ope and h ealing
JUNE
2010 i n the himalayas
LeGGO Project allows Nepali women to be equipped with skills to take the initiative to fulfill needs in their communities. The team raised over US$4,000 to contribute towards the LeGGo project.
The move mountains team
Move Mountains A
The other component in ADRA Nepal’s Voluntourism program was inaugurated with David and Adele Arthur, based in Shenzen China, who spent time with ADRA’s United for Education (UFE) project. For one week they spent time in Jana Udaya Lower Secondary School supported by the UFE project, organising and building up the school library . Their visit was greatly appreciated by the students, teachers and the principal.
DRA Nepal has begun its ‘Voluntourism’ program, allowing people to be involved in volunteer projects in Nepal such as develop a school library, or doing a trek through the beautiful Himalayas to raise money. A team of ten Australians successfully walked from Lukla to Gorak Shep (5180m) and made it to Kala Patthar and Everest Base Camp, which was the last stop on their journey. The participants said it was a “fantastic but challenging trek” and an “awesome adventure”. The Move Mountains fundraising event took place from March 31st – April 13th 2010 in Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park. The journey took place to fundraise for Women’s leadership and good governance training in conjunction with the Leadership and Good Governance (LeGGo) Project, which is funded by ADRA Australia. The
David and Adele in Nepa
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Please contact ADRA Nepal for more information on getting involved in Voluntourism.
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Contents
3 Community Risk Reduction 4 Team Building Retreat 5 LeGGo Update
6 Medical Staff Accident 7 Monitoring Visits 9 Stories of Success
Keep up to date with ADRA Nepal on facebook and through our website www.adranepal.org
From the Country Director Welcome to the June 2010 edition of ADRA Nepal’s Newsletter. This is my first newsletter as I and my family arrived from Australia early in 2010. In 2010 there have been many achievements including the following: • Initiation of the ASIC project. This Action will assist in the Social Inclusion of Children affected by conflict in four districts of Mid-west region of Nepal. It is supported by ADRA UK with EC funds. ADRA will work with a new partner, Village Development and Women’s Awareness Centre (VDWAC). • Final reporting for the five year USAID family Planning project in the east of Nepal (ERFPEP), • Continuation of the two ECHO funded Reproductive Health Projects with two mobile camps held at over 30 remote sites in the mid and far west regions of Nepal. This will allow over 500 women with Uterine Prolapse to have surgery through these projects. • ADRA has also provided training on Good Governance to over 330 people who work in Local Government positions in many districts. • Literacy Training is going on in four districts, Economic Development continues with supply of Improved Cooking Stoves, kitchen garden training, community forest management training and other vocational training. ADRA Nepal is continuing to search for new opportunities to assist the vulnerable people and remote communities of Nepal. This has resulted in proposals being submitted this year in the sectors of Reproductive and Sexual Health, HIV & AIDS, Youth Empowerment, Water and Sanitation and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Preparedness. ADRA has also held team leading workshops for staff at Chitwan National Park and also in Pokhara and Bardiya National Park for those mobile health teams that could not make the first workshop due to being in some of the most remote parts of Nepal at that time. It was amazing to see most of ADRA Nepal all on the backs of elephants at the same time. ADRA also believes in building the capacity of staff and partners and so we have also held workshops on Community DRR as well as Budgeting, Financial Management and Monitoring. I hope that you enjoy this newsletter and please send us your comments either on our website (adranepal. org), our ammado or our facebook pages. Kind regards, Simon Lewis
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Meet the Lewis Family Simon and Marilyn Lewis with their daughters Tiarna (11) and Jenaya (9) come from Australia. Previously they worked with ADRA Papua New Guinea from 2007 where Simon was the Program Director and Marilyn was the National HIV & AIDS advisor for the SDA Church and ADRA in PNG. They are looking forward to exploring Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal during their time here.
Community Risk Reduction Workshop A four-day Disaster Risk Reduction workshop was successfully completed from March 8-11, 2010 in Kathmandu. The workshop was organized jointly by ADRA Nepal and ADRA New Zealand and facilitated by Mr. Robert Patton, Manager, Emergency Management of ADRA New Zealand. The workshop highlighted the concept of Disaster Risk Management, Disaster Risk Reduction and the Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment for which participants were taken into the field to practice in Khokana VDC, Lalitpur. The workshop also focused on Community Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan and Community Risk Reduction Action Plan. There were a total of 25 participants including ADRA Nepal staff and personnel from partner organizations. The participants gained and shared knowledge, skills and experiences in the field on DRR, focusing in the community level.
The Lewis Family, Simon, Marilyn, Jenaya, Tiarna ants
Workshop particip
The Social Welfare Council (SWC) is the focal point for international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that ADRA Nepal works with. Here are some of the events that have taken place in conjunction with the SWC: • • •
Project evaluations for the Sustainable Women’s Economic Development Projects (SWED), Community Based Organization Strengthening Project (CBOs) and Sub Health Post Construction Support Project (SHPSP). Mid-term evaluation for Integrated Economic Development Project for Vulnerable Communities (IDP) Project. Project Advisory Committee Meeting with representatives from the SWC and ADRA Nepal to review projects.
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Board Meeting Held ADRA Nepal Board met at the ADRA Nepal office on May 25. Reports on the various projects, financial year to date, personnel changes, security policy and guidelines, 2009 Annual Report, and other topics were presented. The board members were very impressed with the scope of the current projects as well as the planning for the future with project proposals being written and submitted regularly to donors. The next board meeting will be in September 2010.
nd invitees
Board members a
Country Director Visit to Hosur, India ADRA Nepal Country Director, Simon Lewis, visited Hosur (near Bangalore) India from May 13 to 20, 2010. This visit was the first time that the majority of the ADRA Nepal board members based at the Southern Asia Division (SUD) of the SDA Church had a chance to meet and discuss with Mr. Lewis. A summary of the ADRA Nepal activities was also presented to the SUD Executive Committee During this time two members of the ADRA Asia Regional office (based in Bangkok), Mr. Daniel Dos Santos (Regional Director) and Mr. Jair Parada (Regional Finance Director), conducted the ADRA Nepal Country Office Review. This review is conducted to provide advice and recommendations to ADRA Nepal in order to continue to provide quality service for the support of projects and sustainable actions undertaken by ADRA Nepal administration.
Team Building Retreat To boost team spirit, as in previous years, ADRA Nepal organized the Team Building Workshop from 24-26 February 2010 in Chitwan for staff. There were a total 73 participants for this workshop as staff were encouraged to bring their family members. The mobile RH health camp teams were not able to join the workshop due to their fixed schedule so we organized a similar team building workshop for them in Pokhara and Bardiya National Park In the three Team Building Workshops, the team participated in many adventurous activities including teambuilding activities which were fun and informative and that we can relate to our day-to-day work in the office. Overall both
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L to R Jair Par a, Pr R John, Daniel Dos Sanad tos, Simon Lewis
ctivity
Team building a
workshops were refreshing, energizing and effective in bringing the ADRA Nepal family together, sharing and knowing about the organization and each other, and strengthening ADRA Nepal’s team spirit.
LeGGo: 18 Challenge Projects created To increase the capacities of Village level women’s leadership skills, the second phase of Leadership and Good Governance (LeGGo) project is being launched in Sarsyukharka, Saramthali, Boldephediche, Thuloparsel and Chapakhori VDC’s of Kavre district. The project is implemented in partnership with the Women Development Office of Kavre. Community level orientation and the participant’s selection program were completed and after the 3 days of training, participants selected 18 challenge projects in different subjects like: Local cooperative strengthening, community water resource maintenance, income generation through goat raising, cooperative education for the villagers, women’s rights and violence against women orientation meeting, poultry farming training and so on. Challenge projects are need based and are completed with the mobilization of local resources. They have identified the local and district level stakeholders to accomplish their challenge projects.
LeGGo activity
Bringing Local Resources Together ADRA Nepal implemented the Leadership Development Program (LDP), which is an organizational process that develops people at all levels to learn leadership and management practices. The training was conducted in Rukum, Salyan and Rolpa, Kailali and Bardiya districts with the aims to capacitate the leading and managerial roles of local level major stakeholders and prepare a common understanding towards addressing local gaps in reproductive health, population & environment and education issues. One hundred and fifty participants from different district level stakeholders from three projects, partners such as, SMNF Board, NGO Federation, BASE board members and staff, the project team and development partners who are working in health, education and the forest sector were trained and 20 challenge projects were developed. It also enhanced the skills and knowledge of local level leaders and managers to have excellent performance in all official work. This approach to leadership development differs from traditional leadership training programs. This training focuses on achieving real organizational results. All stakeholders showed their commitment to accomplish their challenge projects with special preference without the financial support from external development partners.
Leadership challenge project
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Medical Camp Staff in Vehicle Accident A vehicle accident occurred in Accham district of Western Nepal involving ADRA Nepal Reproductive Health camp staff on May 11, 2010. A team consisting of four staff working under the project entitled, “Reproductive Health (RH) Services through Outreach Medical Clinics to Remote, Vulnerable and Conflict Affected Populations of Nepal” were in a rented Four Wheel Drive that plunged 150 meters down a hillside. They were returning after concluding preparation of a medical camp to be held the next day. The ADRA staff involved; Pasang Sherpa (Assistant to Driver), Amar Bahadur Sunar (Drug Dispenser), Hari Lal Khadka (Lab Technician), and Dipendra Singh Thakuri (Health Educator) and the driver were evacuated by helicopter to Nepalgunj for treatment. They all miraculously survived which was due to the excellent immediate treatment from fellow medical camp staff members who were nearby. We wish them all a speedy recovery, and continue to encourage all our staff to practice care whilst driving on the roads.
Leadership Training Best Practice ADRA Nepal Economic Development Program Team Leader, Mr. Ashok Shrestha was invited by ADRA International and the Management Sciences for Health, Washington D.C. to present Nepal’s experience of Leadership Development Program lessons learned. The Leadership, Management and Sustainability (LMS) Program was implemented by ADRA Nepal in 2006 and ADRA has extended and replicated the best practices of the LMS program at community level which has had remarkable results. In the seminar conducted on May 17, ADRA Nepal jointly shared the results of the LDP program with the ADRA network with a special focus on Nepal. In the seminar, a short video was presented on the Leadership and Good Governance project funded by ADRA Australia.
L to R Dr. Naomi Mille r (ADRA), Ashok Shrestha (ADRA Nepa l), Tim Allen (MSH), Mark Webster (ADRA )
ADRA International Visit Mr. Julio Munoz, Bureau Chief - Marketing and Development Bureau of ADRA International and Mr. Daniel Weber of the International Adventist Church visited the ADRA Nepal offices in Kathmandu and Banepa. His visit was focused on filming activities of woman’s economic and social empowerment, woman leadership and good governance. During their visit they visited Patlekhet, Kushadevi and Nala villages and met the ADRA beneficiaries and observed their work and visualized their socio-economic improvement and sustainable changes seen in the community. Mr. Munoz also distributed the completion of training certificates to the women’s saving and credit group facilitators at the ADRA training center.
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handing Mr. Julio Munoz out certificates
VCP Project Handovers the SHP of Khungri ADRA Nepal / VCP Project handed over a newly constructed Sub-health post building in Khungri, Rolpa to the Health Facility Operation Management Committee (HFOMC) on April 7, 2010, one of 15 constructed. The team leader of ADRA Nepal, Ms. Chandeshwari Tamrakar and President of Safe Motherhood Network Federation (SMNF), Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba jointly handed over the document to Mr. Prem Shingh Dhami (a member of HFOMC Khungri SHP) in the presence of Dr. Yubraj Pokharel, District Health Office of Rolpa, political leaders and community people. Speaking at the program, the District Health officer of Rolpa Mr. Yuva Raj Pokharel and represenSub health post, hand over tatives of political parties expressed that there are rare locations where sub health posts have their own building. This is a very good opportunity to have this building in this community and the community people, health personals of sub-health post; HFOMC members expressed their happiness with the project team. ADRA Nepal has constructed 15 new Sub-health posts in Rukum, Rolpa and Salyan districts through the VCP Project, and 13 buildings have already been handed over to HFOMC.
Monitoring Visits Project Delivering Reproductive Health Service through Out-reach Medical Clinics to Remote, Vulnerable and Conflict Affected Populations of Nepal Agency SWC, MoHP, FHD and ADRA Nepal Location Santada VDC, Accham district Date April 4-11, 2010 Participants Representatives from the Social Welfare
Council (SWC), Ministry of Health and Population and Family Health Division and news reporters from Kantipur, The Kathmandu Post, and Nepal Television.
Findings Through on the spot observations, strengths identified during the visit include quality of the camps, behavior of the medical team, needs based program for community people, coordination with the local stakeholders, mobilization and participation of local people, community acceptance, use of quality IEC materials, quality of surgeries at well-equipped hospitals and follow up of the clients.
The monitoring team being
welcomed
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Project Emergency Reproductive Health (RH) Services through Mobile RH Outreach Services to Conflict Affected and Vulnerable Populations in Mugu and Salyan districts in Mid Western Region and Bajhang district in Far Western Region of Nepal Agency UNFPA, Family Health Division and ADRA Nepal Location Salyan District Date February 9-12, 2010 Participants Mrs Sushma Baidwar (Family Health Division,
Government of Nepal); Mrs. Chandeshwari Tamrakar (ADRA Nepal); Ms Manju Karmacharya (UNFPA Nepal) and Mr. Jeeban Ghimire (ADRA Nepal)
Findings The team monitored the RH mobile camp at Chorpani of Tharmare with local stakeholders and participated in the meeting with Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital regarding hospital referrals of surgical correction for 3rd degree prolapse of Uterine Prolapse.
Drama for Reproductive Healt
h Camp
Project Emergency Reproductive Health (RH) Services through Mobile RH Outreach Services to Conflict Affected and Vulnerable Populations Agency UNFPA and ADRA Nepal Location Mugu District Date June 8-11, 2010 Participants Ms. Ugochi Daniels (UNFPA); Mrs. Bidya Ma-
hat (ADRA Nepal); Mr. Puspa Basnet (UNFPA Dang Office); Ms. Vandhana Shrestha (UNFPA) and Mr. Jeeban Ghimire (ADRA Nepal Nepalgunj office).
Findings The monitoring team observed the overall services of the RH mobile camp project at Gamgadi, Mugu and visited the Nepalgunj Medical College and met with the hospital director, patients and their families about the effectiveness of the management system for referred clients.
Reproductive health camp Project Emergency Reproductive Health (RH) Services through Mobile RH Outreach Services to Conflict Affected and Vulnerable Populations Agency ECHO, UNFPA, ADRA Nepal Location Bhajang District Date March 22-25, 2010 Participants Mr. Luc Verna (ECHO); Mr. Ian McFarlane
(UNFPA); Mr. Simon Lewis (ADRA Nepal); Mr. Sathya Doraiswamy (UNFPA); Ms. Chandeshowari Tamrakar (ADRA Nepal); Ms Manju Karmacharya (ECHO/UNFPA) and Mr. Jeeban Ghimire (ADRA Nepal).
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Ms. Ugochi Daniels visiting Mu
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Findings A debriefing meeting was conducted at the UNFPA office at Dadeldhura and discussed the strengths, opportunities and gaps of the project and provided feedback and recommendations for further improvement.
Success Stories A Little Encouragement Goes a Long Way Sixty-year-old Mangala Budhamagar lives in the district of Accham in mid far west Nepal. In November 2009, she heard that a health camp was going to be conducted at Mangalsen Bazaar, particularly for women suffering from uterine prolapse. Mangala had been suffering from prolapse for 15 years, and could not treat her problem due to her family’s poor financial situation. One day, Mangala heard through a FM radio station that an organisation called ADRA was going to be conducting reproductive health check ups, at no cost. The news spread rapidly about the visiting health camp to the nearby village of Mangalsen, and Mangala encouraged women who had the same problem to visit the health camp. Most of the women have hard living conditions, having to stay home doing some work and looking after their children, they were apprehensive to visit the health camp despite desiring to go. But after some discussion and encouragement from Mangala they decided to go to Mangalsen one day before the camp started. After a detailed check up, the doctor advised Mangala to go to Kohlapur Hospital for further treatment. Some women Mangala’s age were reluctant to go so far from their familiar environments, but Mangala encouraged them in the positive difference this operation could make in their lives. ADRA Nepal provided all the costs of transportation, operation, medicines and foods for all of the women, including their carer or companion. On December 16, 2009 the operation was successful, and Mangala returned home after one of week rest. Now it has been 4 months since the operation and Mangala is feeling much relief. Mangala says, “I am very happy today, my body is now healed and I have more respect. I could not give anything back to ADRA Nepal, but only help encourage others like me. I would like to say from my heart, thanks a lot ADRA.”
Capable Because of ADRA Nepal Ram Bahadur Tamang lives in the Kavre district of Nepal. He is one of 4 children, and his family do not have any sources of income except agriculture, as his parents both work on farms. The lack of fertility in the lands that they work in means that the supply of produce is very little. Not only is Ram Bahadur burdened by poverty, he is now also suffering from a disability: he was in an accident in a flour mill, and his right arm had to be amputated. This tragic accident prevented the then-9th grader from continuing school. However, now, having recovered from the accident, he is able to attend school again, and thanks to ADRA Nepal, this is at no financial burden to his parents through ADRA’s United for Education program. At 22, and after having suffered a horrendous accident, Ram Bahadur has shown immense strength of character by finishing the
Ram Bahadur Tama
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9th grade with the highest marks in the class. Ram Bahadur has shown interest and potential in a field of study that would be difficult for his already poor parents to fund: graphic design. Having finished basic computer courses, he aims to finish his degree in graphic design. “The children in my school and community want to learn how to read and write. But because of poverty, they are unable to go to school. But the scholarship program of ADRA Nepal has helped those who want to do better and learn. This inspires them to read and write. This makes me very happy I passed the School Leaving Certificate (S.L.C.) exam at the top of my class. This shows that I can work hard, and your support can help me to continue into the 11th grade. I would not be able to do that without your help. I have already received help from ADRA, but if you continue to help me, I can continue my studies and receive higher education. Thank you”
good production. But she sold the cabbage, cauliflower and cucumber and earned US$650. Shushila says, “Now I am so happy and satisfied with my income because I can solve and manage various domestic problems like health care, children’s education and put savings into the co-operative. Before, I was unable to manage my problems and I had to take loans with high interest from a local moneylender.” She says, “I am very happy because this co-operative and ADRA Nepal has provided me with the opportunity to improve our economic status. Also the co-operative has helped me make my dream become a reality and I’ve become a professional vegetable farmer.”
Roots to Relief Sushila Acharya is lives in Kusadevi Village Development Committee (VDC) with her husband and three children. Sushila is a shareholder member of Jharana Saving and Credit Co-operative Limited promoted by ADRA Nepal’s Sustainable Women’s Economic Development Project, funded by ADRA Australia. Her occupation is in agriculture and they are dependant on its limited income. One year ago, ADRA Nepal organized vegetable farming training under ADRA International Gift Catalogue fund for Sushila and her group members. During the training ADRA Nepal provided different types of vegetable seeds like radish, cauliflower, cabbage and long beans. Shushila started off-season tomato farming by adopting new methods she learned from ADRA and built a plastic green house. Shushila sold tomatoes valued at US$100 and also produced vegetables of cabbage, cauliflower and cucumber. This year, however the monsoon was not good therefore she did not get a
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Sushila Acharya with her toma
toes
Changing Turbulent Lifestyles in Nepal Parwati Chaudhary, is an ethnic Tharu woman of Gajehada VDC in the district of Kapilvastu. Parwati had an unfortunate economic condition and was socially excluded. Her family was illiterate and engaged in labour work regularly to fulfill their daily needs. Her husband was cruel to her because of his lack of education and often visited brothels and had unsafe sex. Parwati Chaudhary learned lots of things from participating in the Integrated Economic Development Project for Vulnerable Communities
(IDP) project, not only in the literacy but also health, hygiene and sanitation sector. She made the decision to be checked for HIV/AIDS in the clinic, and invited her husband to go. He always refused; yet she always encouraged him. She eventually succeeded in convincing her husband to use a condom. ADRA and the local partner, Indreni, helped her by conducting this project, especially the literacy component. Parwati says, “The IDP project changed my life and attitudes. I’m very happy to acquire sufficient knowledge, skills and attitudes on health, hygiene and sanitation related awareness that is guiding me to be self-dependent.”
Honey Makes Money Yamnath Acharya is lives in Kusadevi, Kavre. He is a shareholder member of Jharana Saving and Credit Co-operative. He is actively involved in agriculture. Two years ago, the co-operative organized a community based beekeeping and management training. ADRA Nepal provided financial support to co-operatives from ADRA International funding. Yamnath gained commercial bee keeping and management related knowledge and skills from this training. After this training, the co-operative distributed one beehive to each participant. Yamnath managed his beehives well and divided it into two, then to three and now he has 9 beehives. Yamnath collected 10kg honey from the first hive and sold the honey for US$100. He says “Now I have earned about US$600 which is a good amount of money for this year. I’m not only getting money from beekeeping, but also from a good vegetable production from natural pollination.” ng honey Yamnath Acharya, maki
What is ADRA ? The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is an independent humanitarian agency established by the Seventh Day Adventist Church for the purpose of providing individual and community development and disaster relief. Locally registered with the SWC, ADRA serves people without regard to their religious association. It simply helps people in need, especially those most vulnerable such as women, children and the elderly.
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Contact Us ADRA Nepal P.O. Box 4481 Kathmandu, Nepal Ph +977-1-5555913 +977-1-5555914 Fax +977-1-5554251 info@adranepal.org www.adranepal.org
Information contained in this newsletter reflects the views of ADRA Nepal and does not necessarily express the views of EC, UNFPA or any other of ADRA Nepal's donors or partners.