1. Enhancing Cultural Diversity for Dignity and Development of Indigenous Communities in Nepal - funded by European Commission

2. Enhancing Political Participation of Marginalized Women in Nepal - funded by United Nations Democracy Fund

3. Fostering Health and Livelihoods of Conflict Affected People in Nepal - funded by European Commission

4. Supporting Marginalized Chepang Ethnic Community through Enhanced District Chepang Rights Forum - funded by Taiwan Foundation for Democracy

1. Enhancing Cultural Diversity for Dignity and Development of Indigenous Communities in Nepal:

Enhancing Cultural Diversity for Dignity and Development of Indigenous Communities in Nepal project funded by European Union. is beingimplemented since January 1, 2010 by World Vision Advocacy Forum (WVAF) Nepal, the national partner in partnership with Institute of Governance and Development (IGD), the lead and 3 national Indigenous Peoples Organizations namely, Nepal Tamang Ghedung (NTG), Gurung Tamu National Council (GTNC) and Nepal Chepang Association (NCA). The project is currently in implementation in 80 selected Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Kavrepalanchowk, Rasuwa, Dhading, Chitwan and Makwanpur in the Central Region of Nepal and Lamjung, Kaski and Gorkha in the Western Region of Nepal. WVAF Nepal as the national partner is leading the Institution and Capacity Building Component of the project. Target groups and final beneficiaries: Indigenous people particularly, the Gurungs, the Tamangs and the Chepangs, and their organizations and institutions in the selected 80 VDCs from 8 project districts (10 VDCs from each district) are target groups and final beneficiaries of the project. Other IPOs and networks at district and national level, human rights organizations, indigenous rights activists, political parties, elites, media are considered as collaborators in the project. Objective: The overall objective of the action is to contribute in protection and promotion of cultural diversity and creativity for improving wellbeing and dignity of indigenous communities in Nepal. The specific objectives of the action are: 1. Promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogues at local and national levels. 2. Promote awareness on the need of cultural diversity and conservation of cultural heritage. 3. Enhance institutional capacity and creativity in cultural products as means of livelihoods.

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2. Enhancing Political Participation of Marginalized Women in Nepal
The project entitled “Enhancing Political Participation of Marginalized Women in Nepal” aims to promote active political participation of marginalized women for strengthening democratic process by creating space for women in local politics. The project is funded by United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF). The project is planned for 24 months and is being implemented in five selected districts namely Sankhuwasabha, Kavrepalanchowk, Lamjung, Banke and Kanchanpur of Nepal in order to complement Nepal’s ongoing democracy and human rights strengthening initiatives, which is overarching objectives of UNDEF and Nepal’s post-conflict democratization process.

Project aims to:

• Improve women’s capacity to strengthen democratic process at the local level;
• Increase capacity of civil society organizations and local authority on civic empowerment and advocacy tool and techniques;
• Establish and strengthen network to take proactive steps towards creating space for women’s political participation

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3. Fostering Health and Livelihoods of Conflict Affected People in Nepal

The project entitled "Fostering Health and Livelihoods of Conflict Affected People in Nepal" is being implemented by a consortium of 14 organisations led by BNMT together with World Vision Advocacy Forum (WVAF Nepal) and ForestAction (FA) at national level and 11 NGOs at district level. The BNMT is responsible for overall management, coordination, financial and personnel administration, monitoring and reporting and also responsible for health related activities. BNMT will provide technical support on health, WVAF on institutional strengthening activities, and FA on livelihoods related activities. The district based partners will be responsible for the need prioritisation, planning and implementation of the district level activities. Similarly, BNMT will manage Khotang, Morang, Dhankuta and Panchthar districts; WVAF will manage Kavrepalanchowk, Chitwan, Kalikot and Achham districts; and FA will manage Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu and Arghakhanchi districts. This project is being implemented for a period of 24 months starting from March 2008.

This project is designed to contribute to improve socio-economic conditions of the conflict affected and vulnerable population. The project aims to develop self-esteem and trust among excluded and vulnerable communities, NGOs and CBOs; and to open new avenues and opportunities towards promoting peace, social integration, capacity building, rehabilitation, reconstruction, reintegration, inclusion, and revitalization of the health services and livelihoods opportunities. The specific objective includes increased access to essential health care services and livelihoods opportunities by vulnerable communities in the selected districts of Nepal. Project activities are focused on, firstly, improving quality essential health care services. Secondly, rural infrastructures will be renovated and equipped. Thirdly, income generation will be facilitated for accessing health and social services by the disadvantaged groups.

The overall objective of the proposed action is to contribute to improved socio-economic conditions of the vulnerable population resulting in reduced conflict potential in Nepal. This project has formulated the specific objective ‘Increased access to essential health care services and livelihoods opportunities by vulnerable communities in the selected districts of Nepal’. This objective will be achieved with the following major expected results:

Improved quality essential health care services targeting at vulnerable communities with special focus on the conflict affected people

• Capacitating health workers through training programmes to ensure the delivery of quality health services,
• Providing mental health and psychosocial counselling training, material assistance and seed money to mentally and Physically affected people by conflict to empower them to lead dignified life, and
• Building organisational capacity of partners and local stakeholders to ensure the target groups’ participation, and replication and sustainability of the project,
• Increasing capacity of local stakeholders to deliver services in transparent, responsive, accountable, participatory and equitable manner, and
• Supply essential drugs and establish revolving drug scheme for the continuous supply of essential drugs and medical supplies

Renovated and equipped rural infrastructure for the improved health and other social services

• Renovating health institutions in remote areas and providing drugs, small equipments and basic logistic support to run these institutions so as to deliver timely health services,
• Reconstructing and renovating rural small scale infrastructures such as school buildings, farmer managed irrigation systems and provision of drinking water schemes.
• Provide logistics and equipment support to partner organisations
• Supply of small equipments and furniture for storing medicines and documents
• Support to disadvantaged groups for managing safe drinking water

Increased income of the most vulnerable groups

• Support to women to establish small scale enterprises (retail shop and Duna-tapari mass production)
• Assisting Dalits and ultra poor families to raise livestock for income generation
• Providing vocational trainings for better livelihoods options to conflict affected youths and support occupational caste groups to modernise their traditional skills, 
• Helping excluded and marginalized communities to initiate agro-forestry based small scale enterprises and develop appropriate market linkages

Empowered and capacitated vulnerable groups for access to services and resources

• Improving health of vulnerable communities through life skill based peer education, child to child approach and patient-referral system by trained traditional healers.
• Training and mobilizing disadvantaged youths through life skill based peer education programme
• Training and mobilizing Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) and women on participatory learning and action approach on basic health and sanitation
• Training and mobilizing school children on child to child approach to health and wellbeing
• Establishment of a system of patient-referral to health institutions by trained traditional healers
• Conducting home-based counselling and rehabilitation support for conflicted traumatized children, women and family members
• Training users committees on participatory project management and inclusion of disadvantaged groups in the committees

Documented and disseminated good practices and lessons learnt

• Enhancing networking with government, non-government and private organisations to link resources and promote synergy
• Organise dissemination workshops at various levels based on the findings of rapid need assessment
• Visibility actions
• Evaluation of the project in the third year and disseminate the findings with concerned stakeholders

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4. Supporting Marginalized Chepang Ethnic Community through Enhanced District Chepang Rights Forum

The Chepang is one of the highly marginalized indigenous groups in Nepal. The major Chepang settlements are found in nine districts in Nepal and they are comparatively high in population in Dhading, Gorkha, Makwanpur and Chitwan accounted 19%, 6%, 37% and 38% respectively (CBS 2001). The land, forest and the river are the primary sources of livelihoods of the Chepang although they are matter of serious concern. The Chepangs are raising their voices on rights to land and rights to citizenship.

Mass illiteracy, extreme poverty, primitive agriculture, lack of food, high incidence of malnutrition, landlessness and living in the vicinity of the dense forest in the isolated rugged Mahabharat range are the major problems faced by the Chepang community. Landlessness and denial of citizenship certificate has become a major problem among the Chepang community. Many of the Chepang people are landless (62%) and about 85% of them do not have citizenship (Sixth National Chepang Assembly, Chitwan Declaration, September 2005). People those who are landless and do not have citizenship certificate (father and grand father) are denied of citizenship certificate. Denial of citizenship certificate means no rights to get jobs even in private corporation and can not get government and bank supports. They do not have rights to purchase land and house, and right to vote and afford protection from the state. Thus the project helps make them critically aware on these issues in an organized voice through capacity building initiatives.

Overall goal of the project

• Support highly marginalized Chepang communities to fully participate in the affairs of local government and constitution making process.  

Immediate objectives (direct purpose of the project)

• raising public awareness for equal rights and treatment based on ethnicity;
• sensitizing political parties leadership to strengthen Chepang Communities’ involvement in democratic process;
• building local capacities to exercise for the promotion and protection of human rights through District Chepang Rights Forum (DCRFs)

This project “Supporting Marginalized Chepang Ethnic Community through Enhanced District Chepang Rights Forum” is being implemented in Chitwan and Makawanpur districts with financial assistance from The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD). WVAF Nepal has implemented this project in partnership with Nepal Chepang Association (NCA), Kathmandu and Academy for Inclusive Democracy and Development (AIDD) Chitwan. This project is being implemented for the period of 10 months starting from March 2009.

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