In Nepal’s mountain areas, many young people leave farming to work away from home, and there is growing concern that the productivity and vitality of farming villages will decline further. The main causes are a shortage of agricultural water, low farm productivity and unstable cash income. Limited access to safe water and an education environment that is not yet in place are also cited.
FIDR concluded that “local residents and local government need to solve their own problems and raise their standard of living,” and in February 2022 it began integrated community development in Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu districts. It works across agriculture, health and sanitation, and education, and says it has valued the participation of residents and officials throughout the process.
After four and a half years, residents’ lives in the area have steadily improved, and changes have appeared in how people think and act, according to FIDR. At the meeting, the former head of the Nepal office, who led the work on site, will talk about the difficulties that were overcome, why it worked, and the value of FIDR’s integrated community development. The speaker joined FIDR in 2015, worked on rural integrated development while posted in Cambodia, and became head of the Nepal office in December 2021.
Key points
- Hear directly from the former head who led four and a half years of integrated development in Nepal’s mountains
- Join in person in Ochanomizu (about 50 seats) or online via Zoom (85 seats)
- Registration closes Monday, November 2 at 10:00 a.m.; first come, first served
Why we recommend this event
A village that had to rely on migrant work rebuilds its livelihood through the efforts of residents and local government. It is rare to hear that story straight from the person who was responsible for the project. You can learn what “integrated community development” across agriculture, health and sanitation, and education aims to do, through concrete stories from the field.
Both in-person and online options make it easy to join from far away. It is a good first step toward finding out what is happening in the field of international cooperation.
Editor's comment
At the FIDR booth at Global Festa, Ms. Nasuno told us she hopes people will first learn what is happening in the world and think about it. This meeting feels like the perfect place to do just that.
You can join in person or online. Registration closes at 10:00 a.m. on November 2, so do put it on your calendar.