One Time Project – 2017/2018
SDA has launched different one-time projects to enhance regular projects over the years. The projects such as Shangri-La Reconstruction and Development Project (SRDP), School Building Reconstruction and Education Support Project (SBRES) have supported the communities.
And, these OTP activities strengthen the existing SSLI activities in respective projects. For instance, launching the ambulance service is correlated with the Health Project of SDA.
- Ambulance
SDA felt the need for emergency transportation support for the locals of Kailash Rural Municipality. Hence, implementing this project via the buying of an ambulance is a one time project.
SDA agreed with the ambulance users committee that had members from the health post, VDC and community and designed an ambulance operation system and sustainable business plan to be fully community-driven and self-sustained without any running costs from SDA.
The intent of launching the ambulance service was
To transfer newborn babies and mothers to hospitals to receive emergency services in cases required.
To reduce infant and maternal mortality rates and promote safe delivery.
To strengthen and build network institutions in the municipalities and enhance the
involvement of local institutions in the health sector.
To promote health check-ups in good hospitals for diseases not treatable in health
posts.
To improve health behaviours and access to hospitals for all villagers even during
monsoon.
Community people and local bodies look after the operation of the ambulance and pay a nominal charge for using the ambulance; the money from it goes to operational funds and maintenance.
- Birthing Centre
The Maternal Mortality Ratio for 2015 was 258 per 100000 live births.
And, even though the maternal mortality rate has decreased in recent years, many people still practice delivery at home. Also, there are many districts in hilly areas where there are still no well-facilitated delivery centres.
Poorly equipped health posts in Kalikatar and Bharta have led to a high infant and maternal mortality rate and unsafe delivery.
The low health literacy, personal hygiene and sanitation in the Chepang Community have led to numerous children suffering from malnutrition. The health post in Kalikatar has no sufficient rooms and low hygiene to implement the national plan of safe deliveries.
The Birthing Centre provides a well-equipped place for safe delivery, initial care, post-delivery care of a mother, and training for improved nutrition of babies. Mothers who visit the birthplace receive follow-up care from SDA employees in the literacy home. The trained mothers’ groups impart knowledge and skills to other people in the communities.
Thus, SDA established a well equipped separate delivery intuition and constructed a Birthing centre in Kalikatar using the Interlocking Brick technology.
The objective of constructing a birthing centre was
To strengthen and build network institutions in the municipalities.
To reduce home delivery and maternal mortality and promote safe motherhood.
To improve health behaviours and access to primary health care for mothers and newborns.
To boost the capacities of local health workers.
To reinforce the existing health and development activities in the municipalities.
- Teachers and Social Mobilizers in two schools
There was a lack of monitoring of teachers and teaching activities which caused unnecessary holidays. The low literacy rate in the Chepang community had induced lesser participation of society in school activities. Likewise, early marriages, poor personal hygiene and sanitation, and irregular classes led to high dropout rates were some of the other identified problems.
According to the Ministry of Education, the central development region accounts for
the maximum number of teachers (101059) whilst the far-western development region accounts for the least number of 32428. On the contrary, the Eastern, Western and Mid-western development regions had 61290, 77813 and 40097 teachers.
The objectives of this project were
To increase the attendance rates of teacher and student participation.
To influence the teaching styles of teachers for the better.
To develop an improved system with the help of teachers and the community.
To grow the number of regular classes and improve the quality of education.
The activities under this project are supporting ECD classes, monitoring regular
school activities, checking up on sanitation and hygiene and coordinating with the
school management and community.
SDA employees visit the school regularly to ensure the regularity of classes and
quality of education. People from the community also visit Literacy Home from time
to time to develop their skills and knowledge. With the implementation of this OTP,
opportunities for future jobs in the same school and locality have also arisen.
- Stitching Training for Hostel Girls
The Objectives of Stitching Training for Hostel Girls were
To provide job-oriented training for the hostel girls.
To increase the skills of women in the community.
To strengthen the capacity of hostel girls.
To encourage the girls to participate in income-generating activities.
To lower the cases of early marriages.
The activities under this OTP were purchasing stitching machines, visiting and researching in 2to 3 stitching training centres for women, developing training plans (content and methods), providing stitching training, taking skill tests and offering technical skills and theoretical knowledge.
The purpose of this OTP was to create equal opportunities for all hostel girls. They practised regularly in the hostel, one day at a time. The SDA team had regular meetings with hostel girls to oversee and record their self-management skills and machine maintaining abilities. During the training and before their secondary level examination, hostel girls acquired extra training beneficial to involve in income generation activities in future.
This OTP provided financial independence to the girls through the expertise they gained with the training. The girls became capable of sharing their knowledge/skills at the community level. The girls secured technical skills to generate income, support their families, and have a say in household decisions.
- Electrification – Computers and Libraries for Four Schools
The identified problems before starting this project were the absence of electricity in 4 schools, the low computer literacy rate in the Chepang community and the lack of visual aids to enhance teaching-learning activities.
The Objectives of the OTP were
To promote the practical use of computers.
To create a teaching-learning friendly environment with visual aids.
To provide the skills and knowledge of using a computer to the school students and
teachers.
To reduce the school work of teachers through demonstration of movies,
school-related documentaries, use of computers to prepare question papers.
The activities under this OTP were
Visiting schools equipped with solar energy and computers in rural areas,
Recording rural pedagogical standards in the selection process, purchasing long-lasting computers and solar panels,
Establishing agreements with the SMC regarding use, maintenance, records and responsibilities in the school,
Providing training for using and maintenance of the solar electricity system and computer,
Handing over a certificate and toolbox to the trained people,
Conducting follow-ups in solar panel and computer rooms through regular interval
visits to the schools by the social mobilizers,
Introducing computer knowledge to the students.
The SDA team had regular meetings as per the Education DIP with the school team to discuss solar and computer issues. Then, SDA took action on supporting four schools with alternative energy and five with computers. Similarly, five school teachers received electrification and computer training.
Computer installation and electrification enhanced the ECD classes and increased the number of enrolment and regularity of classes. The school teachers who received the training integrated their knowledge and skills, helping the students learn. Teachers who have acquired the training can handle the maintenance of computers by themselves. Data recording has become quicker, and since, teachers have been able to focus more on imparting knowledge and wisdom.
- Plastic Tunnel and Chicken for Literacy Home
The traditional way of farming, weak government policies, malnutrition in the project area, low consumption of vegetables, and farmers lacking improved vegetable farming knowledge were some of the problems identified before commencing this OTP.
Nepal ranks among the most vulnerable countries to extreme climate events. In general, rural areas where the population heavily depends on agriculture are prone to climate-induced vulnerabilities. High temperature during the summer months and foggy weather combined with prolonged cold temperature spells during winter months often affect vegetable cultivations, such as tomato and onion.
The Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS), predicted to transform the farm sectors of Nepal in the face of challenges such as climate change, food price volatility, low productivity and water stress, was implemented in the fiscal year 2016-17.
The objectives of carrying out this OTP was
To strengthen and build network institutions in the municipalities, especially the
farmer groups.
To alleviate farmers’ interest in farming by using plastic tunnels and demonstrating
in local areas/clusters.
To enhance the knowledge of farmers’ groups about the benefits of off-season
farming in tunnels.
To improve the farming system and development activities in the municipalities.
To reduce malnutrition in the project area through off-season vegetables.
The activities under this OTP were
conducting research and visiting various group farming institutions, preparing plastic tunnels and selecting materials for tunnel infrastructure, supporting farmers with a business point of view to improve household income, constructing a place for chicken followed by purchasing chicken, investigating plastic tunnels by the interval visits of JTAs and agriculture social mobilizers, educating farmers for the investment in off-season vegetable farming.
The SDA Agriculture team met with the farmer team consistently to fuel the local management. Farmers trained by SDA work in the field team and clusters. Also, existing farmer groups then supported using plastic tunnels in their locality. The promotion of organic production demonstrated in the localities influenced the farmers. Furthermore, people from the community gained more ideas and knowledge on vegetable farming through practical affirmation.
Farmers’ groups who visited the SDA land received knowledge and training about vegetable farming and became competent in plastic tunnel farming. The selected stakeholders of the farmer groups acquired the role of taking care of the cluster under the supervision of the JTAs. Subsequently, they multiplied the
knowledge/skills at the community level by duplicating the methods used in the plastic tunnel in their lands.
- New Learning Centres with Interlocking Bricks
The use of relatively heavy blocks for constructing, implementation of traditional methods, absence of Interlock Block literacy in the Chepang community, and the disruption of classes in the CGI temporary learning centre by the wind and rain were the identified problems for this OTP.
The objectives of this OTP were
To introduce new technology whilst constructing houses and schools at a
comparatively lower cost.
To kick start community-driven projects for the future.
To make the TLC suitable for teaching/learning even during bad weather.
To transform the existing TLC into SDA Library.
To make use of locally available sources.
To empower the women to be involved in the making of interlock bricks.
To provide an income-generating option for women cooperatives who received the
machines.
The project activities were
selecting and purchasing the Interlocking Brick Machine,
visiting and researching two to three interlocking brick construction sites,
producing low-cost blocks,
transporting the machines to Kalikatar and then to a construction site in Dekhari,
turning the TLC built by SRDP into a library of SDA,
providing skill training, running tests and distributing certificates,
following up with women’s cooperatives regarding the use of machines,
equipping women group and 3 to 4 masons from previous SDA construction projects
with IB Machine training for making the Interlock block and using it for earthquake
resistance house to multiply skills,
empowering the women to engage in brick production training for repair and
maintenance of the machine.
Building the new learning centre ensured the enhancement of the ECD classes with a
larger space. The meetings of the SDA team with the school management team get
held in the centre. The community now has a better knowledge of the interlocking
brick construction concept. Moreover, SDA has a permanent building, which became
a better place for hostel girls to study.
The inclusion of traditional block makers in the project guaranteed the sustaining of new technology. Women cooperatives own the interlock machine and have shared their knowledge and skills with the community. The constructions were community-driven. Besides, the school has more space now, and the school management is responsible for maintenance.
An existing school made during the SBRES project can be a technology display centre. Additionally, the SDA Literacy home can be referred to as a technology park because it has structures made out of different materials. The kitchen with stones and mud, the office and girls’ hostel blocks with bricks, and the library from interlocking blocks.
- Women Cooperative House
The identified problem was the lack of a complete women’s cooperative house, which
made it difficult for the women to meet and plan.
The objectives for this OTP were
To support women’s cooperatives to complete their house.
To provide choices for the construction model and support with materials.
To empower the women to involve in interlocking bricks making through
coordination with women’s groups.
To offer an income-generating option to women by handing them the machines.
Major Activities
The activities under this OTP were
Re-checking the existing structure and decisions regarding completing the
construction of the Women Cooperative house,
Handing over the interlocking block machine with knowledge of its use, rent process
and maintenance (sustainable microfinance plan)
Providing IB Machine training for women and 3-4 masons of previous SDA
constructions to multiply skills,
Following up with women cooperative in the use of machines
Empowering the women to engage in brick production and training them for repair
and maintenance of the machine
Encouraging women groups and villagers to acquire IB machine training
Improving community literacy regarding the interlocking brick construction concept
Women’s cooperative group owns the machine. They have multiplied the
knowledge/skills at the community level. The existing network of women’s
cooperatives has benefitted launch of various SDA activities.
The building of a women’s cooperative is a place for women to come together and plan. Women’s groups are always ready to partner with the government and the I/NGOs for community development. SDA has been coordinating with the group for health awareness and to reach the community level (Implementation of Health Plan 2.0).
- VDC Full Immunisation Program
Identified Problems
The neighbouring VDC of Kalikatar had NGOs and funds that had declared it immune, but our VDC was far from getting full immunisation. Many children were suffering from various diseases since the health post in Kalikatar did not have enough funds for immunisation. The low health literacy rate and poor personal hygiene and sanitation in the Chepang community were also the identified problems for this OTP.
Project Objectives
To strengthen and build network institutions in the municipalities.
To promote immunisation, and reduce infant mortality.
Improve health behaviours, especially immunisation of infants.
To boost the capacity of local health care workers.
To reinforce the existing health and development activities in the municipalities
Major Activities under this OTP were
Health post agreed to support the process of declaring the VDC as fully immunised
Purchased materials required for the program in coordination with health post
Followed up with the program through vaccination records from the health post
SDA health staff involvement gave access to various government data on
immunisation.
Supported five schools with health check-ups
Provided personal hygiene and dental training for 400 students
Newborn babies and mothers started to receive immunisation regularly post
declaration.
Sustainability and Multiplication
The cooperation with local stakeholders is strong now. The VDC is fully immunised,
and there has been a decrease in the number of childhood diseases. Development of
the theme of immunizations to be followed among the community.
- Boer Goat
Identified Problems
The traditional way of goat farming did not make it an adequate breeding support
service. In addition, the historically weak livestock practices and poor government
policies were also the cause for the commencing of Boer Goat as an OTP.
Moreover, there was a lack of proper breeding, poor road conditions, cases of malnourishment in goats where local goats gain only 30-40 kg of weight and a low
reproductive capacity of local goats.
Primarily, goat is the second most popular source of meat in Nepal.
According to MOAC statistics (2011/12)
There were about 9512958 goats during 2011/12 in Nepal. The annual growth was 4 per cent per annum which was very healthy compared to other livestock. During 2011/12, the produced meat was around 53956 metric tons with a growth rate of 3.6 per cent per annum.
There is a lack of rural infrastructures for farm to market movement of agricultural products. The devolution of agriculture and livestock extension is ineffective due to the absence of an elected body at the district level to facilitate devolved functions.
Develop Livestock Resource Centres through public, cooperative, and private partnerships for systematic production and distribution of high breeds cows, buffalos, goats and others.
Implement an integrated program by establishing resource centres in each province to make the country self-reliant in animal products within two years.
Provide farmers with concessional loans under livestock development programs for employment and income generation.
Project Objectives
To nourish and build network institutions in the municipalities, especially the farmer
groups.
To promote farmers’ interest in Boer goats.
To promote and demonstrate hybrid breeding in SDA farmland.
To inform farmers’ groups about livestock and its benefits.
To improve the goat farming system and reduce malnutrition in the project area.
To reinforce the existing goat farms and development activities in the municipalities.
Major Activities
The activities under this OTP were
Research and visit of Boer breed goat farms,
Meet with experts to discuss sustainability,
Preparing the place for goats,
Purchase and vaccinate the goat,
Distribute criteria and system for the goat multiplication
Make farmers aware of the benefits of investment in goat farming
Support farmers with a business point of view to improve household income and
provide training to goat farmers
The SDA agriculture team meets with the goat farmer team to strengthen local management monthly. The breeding service centre supports the existing farmer groups in their locality. Importantly, rearing goats produces organic fertiliser, which is perfect for the high production of vegetables and crops.
Farmers’ groups who visit the SDA land received knowledge and training in inbreeding from SDA employees on the SDA farmland and the farmer groups. Traditional farmers who had participated also gained knowledge and skills in goat farming. Farmer groups, equipped with training and skills for breeding and SALT2 technology, have formed in the community.
Modernity and commerce can lift agriculture to a dignified, safe place with respect. Thus, this was one of my attempts by SDA to develop a collective and cooperative agriculture system to encourage the mechanism of agriculture.
One Time Project – 2019/2020
Drinking-Water Project
There was only one tap for proper drinking water in the Health Post. And, heavy rainfall during monsoon intensified the trouble with the scarcity of drinking water since there was no reserve tank. Little children used to struggle to fetch water from the same tap.
The lack of water distribution added to the preexisting poor personal hygiene and sanitation. It became too time-consuming for people, but they had no choice other than fetching the same contaminated water for drinking from one tap.
Project Objectives
Regular drinking water in the community and Literacy home
Increased sanitation and personal hygiene of people
Provision of clean drinking water for school students in Kalikatar
Creating awareness of the importance of safe drinking water in daily life.
Major Activities
Monitoring of activities, sanitation and hygiene
Coordination with the local government and community
Ensuring quality, transparency and completion of the project
The Drinking Water OTP Improved hygiene and sanitation, made the construction of child-friendly water taps possible, ensured the distribution of safe drinking water to households and entailed WASH Training for schools, FCHVs and mother groups.
The locals felt ownership since the project was for the community. The plan for the Drinking water Project was according to the DIP of the government. Thus, the local government acquired the responsibility for the operation, monitoring and
maintenance of the drinking water project. More taps got added after building the reservoir tank according to the population and the capacity of the tank.
Cow Purchase
Cow farming is an ancient farming system practised traditionally in most parts of Nepal, including Kailash Rural Municipality. But, the government had weak policies concerning the modernity of livestock farming.
Since SDA has been implementing demonstrative agriculture projects on its land, the purchase and the rearing of cows there seemed necessary since many families practice it in the community.
Rearing cows in SDA land was to provide in-hand knowledge on how to carry out the same activity scientifically utilising the resources from the cows.
Likewise, the locals were not fully aware of the possibility of cows in agriculture or organic farming. And for those who indeed were aware had been following the traditional ways of farming. The existing cowsheds had no hint of the systematic build. Given the wildly pervasive cases of malnutrition in the project area, locals were less aware of the benefits of cow milk.
National Facts
According to MOAC statistics (2011/12), there were about 7244944 cows during 2011/12 in Nepal. The annual growth was 0.4 during 2011/12. Even though cows are reared comparatively in higher numbers, the annual growth rate is minimal. During 2011/12, the population of milking cows was about 998960, with a growth rate of 1.8 % per annum. Cow milk was produced in about 468913 metric tons with an annual growth rate of 3 % during 2011/12.
Project Objectives
To introduce the systemic cow farming system.
To promote the benefits of cow farming in organic farming because manure from
cows is the best choice.
To increase knowledge among farmers about livestock and its benefits.
To inform farmers about how cow farming can be an income-generating option.
To encourage a new system of cow farming among farmers.
To transfer modern technologies to the people at the grassroots level and create more
employment opportunities.
To develop an integrated organic agriculture farm at the community level.
Major Activities
Visited existing commercial and small scale farms to expand knowledge and get ideas
about modern farming.
Prepared cow shed, selected, vaccinated, purchased, placed and insured the cow.
Discussion on the sustainability of this project with experts
Regular follow up with the veterinarian by the SDA Agriculture team for better health
of the cow.
Demonstrate and train local farmers on systematic cow farming by SDA in the
farmers’ meeting
Promotion of organic production as a byproduct of cow farming
Farmers’ groups who visit the SDA land received knowledge and training in cow
farming from SDA employees on the SDA farmland and the farmer groups.
Farmers’ groups who visited the SDA land gained knowledge and training in organic farming and agroforestry technology. Regular meetings started being held at the community level to share knowledge/skills as one of the outcomes of this OTP. Similarly, modern and modified cowsheds in SDA land encouraged the farmers to start in their community.
The purchase of a cow fulfilled the need for manure to a certain extent, subsequently impacting project sustainability and financing directly. The milk of cows consumed in the Literacy home helps in the nutritional needs of the girls in the Literacy Home. Interested farmers get to buy off-springs of the cow at an affordable rate which helps in the multiplication and financing sustainability of the project.
Covid 19 Food Relief Distribution
Kailash rural municipality is one of the backward municipalities in the Makwanpur district. Most of the households belong to the ethnic group Chepang whose livelihoods predominantly depend on agricultural activities and physical labour to the nearest markets and towns.
The Covid – 19 ensued lockdown compelled many people to lose their daily wage job and return to their villages. Schools had been closed for more than six months, and that’s when the Executive Committee of SDA and the management team decided to provide food relief from the surplus budget for mid-day meals before the Dashain festival, one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Nepali Society.
Following the country lockdown presidential directive resulting from the COVID-19, SDA planned a relief food distribution campaign on the 26th of December 2020 in coordination with the local government.
Objectives of COVID-19 Food Relief Distribution
To support poor, needy, and single women with an immediate food supplement.
To distribute relief items to 317 affected families.
To provide food to school children and make children free from hunger during the
pandemic.
To inform the community about the importance of wearing a mask and washing
hands.
To help families meet the food demand at the time of Dashain to mitigate the impact
induced by the pandemic.
Once settled on plans and the dates, the SDA field team informed the local stakeholders, ward chairperson, and resource person regarding the relief distribution.
Afterwards, SDA sat for an informational meeting with Kailash rural municipality’s respective ward chairpersons about the concept of relief distribution.
The successful completion of the distribution program was a challenging one. More or less, everyone’s daily lives were being affected, and the situation of the whole country was critical, to be precise.
Thus, to ease the distribution, SDA gave the responsibility of selecting 100 households to the ward chairpersons from their respective wards. The food relief program began only after the ward chairpersons provided the household name lists. Chairpersons had to manage any discussion or issue that arose during the distribution. SDA staff worked on lessening the confusion and handling the crowd.
SDA released relief items from its prepositioned stocks of Rice 9510 kg, Cereals 1585
kg, Daal 634 kg, oil 6347 litres, washing soap 634 pieces, bathing soap 634 pieces, salt 634 kg, masala 317 packets.
The Covid 19 Food Relief Distribution lasted for four days, and altogether, 315 households received the relief packages. Among them, 105 houses were from ward no 3, 103 from 4, and 107 from 7.
Although the food relief distribution was for limited households, the chairperson had
helped select needy families of the community. SDA ensured involving the government offices and ward chairpersons for a durable impact of the relief distribution.
Teamwork is one of the success factors for completing any targeted program. Good communication, respectful cooperation, commitment, and team-building measures contributed to this. The SDA staff proved their good management skills and past experiences in emergency operations. Overall, everyone showed great enthusiasm with their participation. From the ward chairperson to people/volunteers were actively involved in different tasks during the relief distribution program.
“Once again, the SDA team has come up with a great idea to support the needy and poor with relief packages. I thank them for their continuous support in this critical time,” Sukumaya Thing, then Vice-Chairperson for Kailash Rural Municipality.
