The Ward Office in Okhaldhunga district, Nepal, is the only office that serves the entire ward. It is used for official events, and is the venue for conducting skills training sessions. The stone and mud building became badly cracked from the 2015 earthquake, but for lack of an alternate venue, it continues to be used by the people of Okhaldhunga district. Because of the risk of collapse, mass gatherings are held outside of the building.

The people of  Okhaldhunga district is in need of a new community space to replace their cracked building.

We are raising $21,500 to build a new earthquake-resistant community hall, using similar technique for our rice bag houses.

Birth and marriage registration

Meeting point for Mothers’ support group, Microfinance group, village development committee gatherings, awareness talks such as child marriage

Livelihood skills training venue

We make hope real. We help them start new businesses and learn new skills.

GOAT FARMING

Families are identified and 7-10 goats are given to each family. Each female goat can have two pregnancies a year with two to 3 kids per pregnancy. The family can sell the kids as soon as they are born or rear them for several months before selling them. One wife was so happy that her husband no longer had to go overseas to work as they get a good income from the goat business. Besides the goats, we provide one month supply of feed and provide technical training on goat husbandry.

POULTRY FARMING

Selected families are given 200 to 400 chicks together with a one month supply of feed. They are given technical training on poultry farming. The chicks are sold after 50 to 60 days for a decent profit. The additional income has improved the villagers’ lifestyle and some have enlarged the chicken coop from the initial 200 chicks to 1,500 chicks.  The business gives them pride and hope for a much better future!

TAILOR TRAINING

Young women in rural areas with low education are desperate to increase their income. Equipped with a sewing machine and tailoring skills, the women have an opportunity to supplement the family income, thereby increasing her status within the family. We met one woman who started her tailoring shop and she was ecstatic that in her first three days she earned US$15! A certified instructor teaches a class of women sewing techniques over 3-4 months, allowing them to sew 30-40 items at the end of the course.

COMPUTER TRAINING

Computer knowledge is a must for everyone without any exemption. Computer classes are not available in rural villagers and it is costly and time consuming for them to take bus to attend the classes. This project will provide computer basics to 500 rural underprivileged school children and young adults. Most importantly, the classes are held near where they lived making it convenient for them to attend.  This opportunity to learn computer skills opens the doors to a decent job.

SOAP TRAINING

Soap is used by everyone. Teaching the villagers to make organic soaps from vegetable oils, we create local soap making businesses to provide jobs. As our soaps are handmade and uses vegetable oils, 25% of the soap contains glycerine which is a moisturiser. Working under the sun, our  soap helps protect the skin. Making and selling soaps means villages becomes more self sustaining and do not need to buy soaps made in another country and shipped and transported to their villages.

MEDICAL CAMP

A team of local doctors, nurses and volunteers conduct a 2 days medical camp in a remote area providing free medical checks and medications when needed. The importance of these medical camps can be seen in just some statistics. In 2017, child mortality rate for Nepal was 33.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. Compare this to Singapore mortality rate of 2.5.  The lifespan for men in Nepal s 68.8 years as compared to 80.8 years in Singapore.

Effective programmes can turn villagers into small business owners. Meet our successful beneficiaries.

Mina, Tailoring course beneficiary

Mina and her husband struggled to have a consistent source of income. Her troubles added in 2015 when her house collapsed in the 2015 earthquake.  With 2 daughters to feed, they decided that Mina’s husband should find work overseas, and he worked in Dubai for a time before returning due to health problems. With income flow disrupted, Mina’s hope was raised when she registered and was accepted for the tailoring course to learn sewing skills. She is a passionate student, and even though the course has not yet ended, she is already putting her skills to use! Every day after the course, she sews clothes for the community members, charging 100-200 rupees (SG$1.22 – $2.44) per item. Mina excitedly shared that she earned 5,000 rupees (SG$61) last month!

Chicken Farming Training Beneficiary

“I was ostracised by my community because I am from the lower caste. It did not feel good. Things got worse for me when my husband left home to work overseas because there were little job opportunities for my husband and I in the village. Without him, I fell into depression. An organisation spoke to me and asked if I wanted to be trained in chicken farming. They said that they would also help me get started with hundreds of chicks, and there will be a community of other beneficiaries to work with. I agreed to join the project and told my husband to return to work on this project because we could yield high profit from selling chicken. We started with 300 chicks, kept them healthy and bred them. We made a sale of 1,000 chicken! We are thankful to be chosen because we learnt a lot and can farm with success now.

Pratigya & Chitra, Father and Daughter Computer Training Beneficiaries

When Pratigya Thing, 10 years old, arrived home after her first computer class, she was so excited and shared her feelings with her father Chitra. She didn’t imagine what an influence it would have on her parent. Chitra, 36 years old, a former development worker, who struggles to make a better living for his family of six, immediately recognized the opportunities that computer classes could bring for him too. Pratigya is one of the children out of 30 who came to the computer lab. “I come to the lab to learn. When I grow up, all the jobs will require a high level of computer knowledge,” says Pratigya.

Chitra started a saving and credit cooperative after he lost his previous job and competition for other jobs was tough. Soon he realized that he lacked knowledge in computer that needs in cooperative management. When there was a chance, he attended a five-month computer training course. “I discontinued my education because of poverty. Now I have a chance to catch up through computer classes. I don’t want to migrate but stay with my family and struggle for a better living,” says Chitra.