Community space in Okhaldhunga, Nepal
We were approached by the community at Okhaldhunga to build a new community hall for them. Their current hall is damaged by the 2015 earthquake with large cracks and deemed unsafe for use. Okhaldhunga is a very poor community and the hall is the only place where the community gathers for a variety of purposes from birth, marriage registration, livelihood skills training and community events.
OHF is building a new earthquake-resistant hall so that the community can continue their activities. Please help us by making a donation to the building of this much-needed community hall!
The Okhaldhunga Community Hall helps to:
Ensures a safe and conducive place to run skills equipping programmes for villagers.
Host a variety of official events and other activities.
THE NEW OKLADHUNGHA COMMUNITY HALL
How the people of Okhaldhunga district benefits from a new community hall:
Goat Farming Training
Goat farming is a key opportunity to boost food security and the local economy. But the common problem faced by rural goat farmers is the lack of knowledge on commercial goat farming, livestock diseases and treatments, food and nutrients, as well as breeding and sanitation.
When the opportunity to learn and improve their goat farming business arose, selected goat farmers were enthusiastic to register! Those who have attended the goat farming training programme have improved their goat farming business, increased their income and are working towards a better quality of life.
As the goat farming trainings are conducted in groups, the Ward Office has been the only suitable community space to accommodate the programme participants. The ward committee looks forward to welcoming upcoming trainees in their new community hall space!
Tailoring Training
40% of Nepalese girls are married before their 18th birthday and 7% are married before the age of 15, due to the lack of education and poverty faced by rural families.
With the tailoring training programme held in Okhaldgunha, many of the young girls were glad to be part of the training programmes as it is very rare to have such skills training opportunities in remote areas. More than 40 young and poor women and girls were trained in tailoring and those who have graduated from the course started their tailoring business while others took up tailoring jobs to earn their own income.
Investing in girls and giving them the opportunity to develop a skill helps them to become confident and have control of their own fate. Being able to generate their income empowers them to make decisions on marriage matters. The ability to provide for themselves and their family members increases respect given to them, giving them greater dignity.
Villagers’ Gathering
Families, couples and support groups frequently convene at a community space for various purposes. The Okhaldhunga Community Hall will serve as the marriage registry location for couples, birth registry venue for newborns and support group meetings for mothers.
The village development committee organises talks such as awareness of child marriage, and updates on social and national policy matters. These talks will be held at the new space.
We see the opportunity to provide a safe space for family and community ties to be strengthened, family conflicts to be address and resolved, and social and economic engagement to take place for the villagers.
Make a donation of any amount for the people of Okhaldhunga district to benefit from a community space that serves generations.
The fundraising goal is $21,500!
Success stories from the field
Radhika Nepali
The lack of education in rural communities leads to a higher rate of unemployment, and Radhika was part of the unemployment group. The future seems bleak for her as she could not access to any new skills in her village. It was only when the basic tailoring training was organised for marginalised and unskilled Nepali woman, Radhika could see light in the midst of her plight. She attended the class and the villagers in her community noticed that she is skilful in tailoring.
They encouraged her to start a small business to meet the tailoring needs in the community. This greatly encourages Radhika and she is expectant that the new skill will forge a brighter future ahead for her.
Guna Bishwakarma
Married at 16 years old, Guna now has an 8-year old daughter and was kicked out from her in-laws’ place because her husband does not earn a lot of money in a foreign country. When she was in a state of confusion and hopelessness, she heard about the basic tailoring course conducted by a not-for-profit organisation and offered right in her district. She decided to pick up a new skill in the hopes of improving her family’s life.
Although she struggled in the tailoring classes, she perseveres through and finally graduated from the tailoring course! She started a small tailoring business with her old machine in the village and is earning around USD$2-4 per day. With a new skill under her belt, Guna is hopeful about her family’s future.
