One of the four objectives of our work is Humanitarian Aid. This means trying to empower people in emergency and humanitarian crises to recover, sustainably rebuild their lives and participate in overall development.
One of the four objectives of our work is Humanitarian Aid. This means trying to empower people in emergency and humanitarian crises to recover, sustainably rebuild their lives and participate in overall development.
Goal: Ginger farmers in Palpa have improved economic resilience through warehouse receipt funding model
Duration: October ,2023 to September 2024
Location: Tansen Municipality, Palpa
Beneficiaries Outreach: 200 Farmers
Funding Partner: CRS, Nepal
Background:
Tansen, Bagnashkali and Ribdikot are the key ginger pocket area of Palpa. Data shows that most of the farmers stopped planting ginger since 2015. There was a gap of 4-5 years in ginger cultivation which was reflected by ginger assessment of CRS Nepal. Data shows that the price of ginger had crashed by 2020 leaving thousands of farmers worried and disappointed. So, with the aim of motivating the farmers, CERRP has initiated its work on ginger and has been contributing to ginger farmers in terms of improved practices in ginger to marketing as well as value addition.
Even for the limited farm outputs, there was difficulty in accessing markets. In this way, farming livelihoods was negatively affected. Accordingly, Caritas Nepal has implemented the project in Palpa, supported by CRS Nepal where 600 farmers participated to pursue ginger farming were identified in coordination with three local governments. That is 275 farmers in Tansen municipality, 161 farmers in Bagnaskali RM and 164 farmers in Ribdikot RM. The project support to Ginger seed, farming tools like: spade, hoe, sickle, tarpaulin, crate, jute sack etc. Besides the inputs, on farm training, processing equipment, regular technical guidance was also provided by field technicians and linked with different market and suppliers. In addition, to help farmers obtain better price for ginger in the future, a ginger warehouse has been constructed in the coordination with Tansen municipality. Now, the ware is in a process of operation based on the ‘ Warehouse receipt fund model’. Ware house receipt fund is indeed a financial mechanism that has to gained prominence in the agricultural sector, particularly addressing challenges related to marketing ginger commodity. This mechanism helps farmers and agricultural business by providing a financial tool that leverages their stored ginger as collateral for obtaining loans and credits.
A warehouse has been constructed in Tansen Municipality with a purpose of storing the ginger produced at farmer’s field in collaboration with Tansen Municipality. The construction of ware house represents a significant milestone in the collaboration between local farmers and the government to address the ginger production in the region. This well-equipped facility is designed with the guidance and expertise of technicians from NARC and other warehouse specialists, stands as a testament to efficient agricultural management. With features such as air conditioning, semi-automatic ventilation, and pallet racks, the warehouse can accommodate up to an impressive 20,000 kg of ginger. This means that approximately 200 farmers in the community will now have a reliable and secure place to store their ginger harvests, preventing wastage and ensuring a stable income source for them. Now a management structure and mechanism for ginger storage that benefit the farmers are being put into place in coordination with the Tansen municipality, ware house management teams and ginger farmer groups. The ware house will be operated in collaboration with the warehouse management team, Tansen Municipality, and Caritas Nepal based on the concept of ‘warehouse receipt funding’ model. As, this concept is thoroughly a new concept in Nepal, the operation of warehouse would be a challenge as well a matter of interest and concern. As per the frequent coordination meeting with concerned government bodies and warehouse management team, it is concluded that a preliminary trial should be carried out this year which covers only 30% of the total capacity of warehouse i.e. preliminary trails will be done by storing 6000 kg of ginger.
This new concept of warehouse receipt funding is designed with main objective of mitigating price fluctuations in ginger by enabling farmers to store their ginger harvest in the warehouse during times of surplus and release it during periods of high demand, thereby achieving better price realization.
Our well-structured ware house, partly funded through a 50% partner-ship with the local government stands as testament to our commitment to efficient storage solutions. While the physical framework is in place, there remain essential finishing touches, including the installation of racks, ladders, storage crates, doors and jute sacks. We will continue our collaboration with local government to complete this critical phase, ensuring that our warehouse serves as a corner stone for community growth. Together, we are poised to deliver excellence in storage.
An operation and maintenance guidelines is being developed and will be implemented in coordination with local government. Support will be provided to local government in development of operation and maintenance plans and guidelines of ware house, revolving fund will be developed for management procedure of ware house for the sustainability which can be use as recover fund in there is any loss in the trial phase. Also, technical support will be provided in documentation and record keeping and other safety measures.
Our strategy is multifaceted and community focused. We are committed to enhance the skills of ginger farmers through field-based training, covering essential aspects such as seed selection, grading, plant protection and post-harvest management. We prioritize community sensitization and awareness by utilizing informative IEC materials. Additionally, for those in need, we will extend input support. To ensure seamless collaboration, we will facilitate regular interaction and coordination meetings among farmers, stakeholders, and our warehouse management teams.
Capacity building of cooperatives, agriculture extension staffs, and agro vendors through training on value chain, supply chain management, quality control, marketing strategies, consumer relation, digital technology, market trends and adaptations as well as exposure visit for sustainability.
Achievements:
Completed Activities:
The 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake in Jajarkot and West Rukum districts in the Karnali province on November 3, 2023, left a trail of devastation, claiming 154 lives and injuring 366 people.
The earthquake not only caused significant loss of life but also inflicted severe damage to infrastructure, including residential buildings, educational institutions, health service centers, and administrative structures.
In response to this crisis, relief efforts were initiated to provide immediate assistance to the affected communities.
Following the earthquake, a thorough needs assessment was conducted by the project team, identifying immediate support required in the form of food items for the affected populations.
The relief distribution process involved various stages, from the preliminary study to the actual distribution of items.
A total of 1,500 households in the most affected areas of Jajarkot and West Rukum received relief items, including 25 kg of rice, 5 kg of dal, 1 kg of salt, 1 liter of consumable oil, 3 kg of soybean (Nutrela), 1 soap, 20-liter bucket, and 1 mug.
The distribution was strategically organized across different wards and municipalities to ensure equitable coverage with the project named Jajarkot Earthquake Recovery Project (JERP) with an implementing partner Youth Awareness Raising Center Nepal (YARCN).
Recognizing the impact of cold weather on children’s health, a winterization package was distributed specifically tailored for children aged 0 to 12.
The process involved site selection, needs assessment, data collection, and the preparation of a comprehensive checklist.
The packages are geared towards providing warmth and protection to vulnerable children during harsh weather conditions.
The project targeted 880 households for the distribution of nutritious food and clothes for lactating mothers.
Data collection has been completed, and the procurement process is underway to address the specific needs of this vulnerable group.
Watch video of lactating mothers Mahima Sharma and Shamjhana BK an earthquake survivor. They with their 3 toddlers were rescued from the rubble after an hour.
In areas where electricity access was compromised, solar lights were distributed to alleviate the challenges faced by communities enduring prolonged periods of darkness.
The selection criteria included earthquake-affected community status, vulnerability of households, and lack of electricity access.
The distribution of solar lights aims to provide essential relief to households in need, addressing both their immediate need for light and their vulnerability due to the lack of electricity.
The project is planning to repair and maintain water schemes damaged by the earthquake, ensuring access to clean water for the affected communities. The target is to restore three water schemes in the project implementation areas.
A critical aspect of the relief efforts involved the construction of temporary shelters and toilets for 200 households.
The selection criteria for beneficiaries included fully damaged houses, houses that could not be lived in, and the most vulnerable families, such as disabled individuals, single-headed households, senior citizens, and marginalized communities.
The construction process followed a detailed step-by-step approach, emphasizing local resources, community financial injection, cash-for-work programs, and group-based construction.
From emergency food relief support to 1500 HHs now we are getting all set to protect them from this harsh cold through shelter reconstruction and warm clothes distribution under the project entitled ‘Earthquake Response and Early Recovery Program Karnali Province 2023″ in collaboration with the Jajarkot district.
As of 1/12/2024 construction work has been completed for 39 temporary shelters out of the targeted 67 households in Kalpata, Nalagad Municipality-1.
The remaining targeted 200 shelters construction work is still ongoing in several locations.
The shelters provided by the project, utilizing local resources, have proven more effective than self-made shelters using non-local materials.
The community-led shelters, constructed with a focus on local materials, offer more spacious living areas and mitigate potential health concerns associated with extreme temperatures.
This approach ensures sustainable living environments for the community members.
To ensure the well-being and protection of individuals involved in construction activities, the project supported safety materials and tools to community reconstruction committees, including helmets, gloves, masks, and first aid boxes.
The project extended socio-technical support to 350 vulnerable households that received shelter grant funds from the Government of Nepal.
This support covers labor wages, transportation costs, and guidance in shelter design, ensuring that those lacking resources and capacity can effectively utilize the grant funds for shelter construction.
Efforts to improve the well-being of affected families include mass communications through radio jingles and psychosocial counseling.
The project also established children’s recreational centers/temporary learning centers to provide a supportive and educational environment for students in earthquake-affected areas.
The comprehensive relief efforts undertaken in Jajarkot and West Rukum demonstrate the importance of coordinated and community-driven responses in the aftermath of natural disasters.
While challenges persist, the progress made in providing immediate relief, rebuilding infrastructure, and addressing the diverse needs of affected populations paints a hopeful picture of recovery.
The success stories from individuals and communities attest to the positive impact of these efforts, reinforcing the importance of continued support and collaboration in the long journey toward full recovery.
Our donors for this generous cause are Misereor, Caritas Austria, Caritas Australia, CRS, Caritas Macau, Caritas Germany and Cartitas Newzealand.
Goal: Improve the living standard and reduce vulnerability of the poorest of the poor and revive their livelihoods through improved irrigation canal, vocational training, introduce the modern technology, local infrastructure including WASH facility.
Location: Nuwakot, (Tadi ward no 4, Kispang ward 2 and 5)
Period: July 2018 to June 2020
Outreach: 758
The Project entitled Strengthening people action for WASH and Sustainable Livelihood in Nuwakot.”(1-AS-NPL-0000007542 ) is two years Project funded by Caritas Espanola which has aimed to improve the living standard and to reduce vulnerability of the poorest of the poor and revived their livelihoods through improved irrigation canal, vocational training, introduce to modern technology, local infrastructure including WASH facility.
The specific objectives of the project are:
The project has designed to reduce the poverty and increase the food security of targeted families where precipitation deficits, decreasing soil fertility, water source dry up and rudimentary capacity problems are becoming significant threats to agricultural production and productivity and the primary beneficiaries of the project are poorest of the poor i.e. food insecurity especially earthquake affected households, child and female headed households, socially back warded household, disabled and elderly persons, ethnic minorities, micro enterprises families and poor households who are prone to vulnerability.
Goal
To facilitate farmers with modern farming tools for achieving sustainable production amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duration
August to November 2020
Location
Targeted Beneficiaries
20000 households
Funding Partner
Swiss Agency for Development Corporation (SDC)
Implementing Partner
Caritas Nepal field offices and sub office
The Situation (Background)
On 24 March 2020, the Nepal Government imposed a complete ‘lock-down’ of the country including business closures and restrictions on all movements within the country to maintain COVID-19 health safety measures. Thousands of people have been affected economically, socially and psychologically as the rate of deprivation in the mass population increased dramatically within 2 months of the lockdown. With the continued situation of the lockdown, the agriculture input market has been disrupted significantly affecting the large farming communities in Nepal including the communities in province one. The disruption of supply chain in peak farming seasons of summer and monsoon has led to a situation where farmers either have to delay the initiation of farming, and/or are not able to ensure good crop health and yields due to lack of agriculture inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. Agriculture is mainstay of economy of Nepal and majority of the rural households depend on it for food security, nutrition and incomes. Given this situation, the plan of SDC will enable the smaller holder farmers to access agriculture inputs, realize timely farming of various crops, and contribute to their food security and incomes in time of the COVID 19 Pandemic.
Approach (Strategies)
Achievements
Goal
To address the safety and dignity of the most vulnerable households affected by COVID-19 pandemic in Tansen municipality, Palpa district.
Duration
May to August 2020
Location
Tansen municipality, Palpa District
Beneficiaries Outreach
100 households
Funding Partner
Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Implementing Partner
Caritas Nepal field office, Tansen
The Situation (Background)
In the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic country’s health system has been affected and slowing down the major sectors of the economy affecting Nepal’s most vulnerable and food insecure households. Daily wage workers, small farmers, elderly, single mothers and large families with children living below poverty line have been severely affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, thousands of migrant workers are coming back to the country and they are soon going to be without work and income.
Approach (Strategies)
Achievements
Goal
Provide emergency relief and contribute to early recovery through support to resilience of the livelihoods of Tornado affected families and enhance their resilience to future disaster.
Duration
1st April 2019 to 30th Feb, 2020
Location
Mahagadhimai Municipality and Devatal Rural Municipality, Bara
Beneficiaries Outreach
412 households
Funding Partner
Caritas Australia, Missio, Caritas Italiana, Caritas Japan
Implementing Partner
Jan Jagaran Youth Club (JJYC), Bara
The Situation (Background)
March 2019 southern Nepal tornado. On 31 March 2019, a powerful “rainstorm” swept across two districts of southern Nepal killing at least 28 and injuring more than 1,100 people. It was later identified as the first confirmed case of a tornado in Nepal.
Approach (Strategies)
Contributed to recover and uplift livelihood of tornado affected marginalized and poor families by providing crop seeds, enhancing their capacity and providing seed money support. A total of 9 vegetable farming groups of 249 poor and marginalized farmers were formed, trained on improved vegetable farming practices and provided 36 spray tank, fertilizer (DAP 6221 KG, Urea 4116 KG, Potash 1257 KG, Safaya/Fungicide 38 Packets, potato 9050 KG and more than 500 packets of different vegetable seeds. A total of 241 beneficiaries planted vegetable in 23-10-00 land and secured income of NPR 23, 12,200 with the average income of each HH NPR 9, 286 up to February 2020. Further, 214 HH are benefiting the irrigation facility of newly installed 8 shallow boring and one deep boring. Additionally, 10 beneficiaries started micro-enterprise with small support of seed money NPR 10,000 to each and they started to secured financial income NPR 300 to 1000 per day. This project supported 1822 cemented tiles to 65 beneficiaries to repair their damaged house and further each beneficiary got NPR 3250 as cash for work. The beneficiaries have utilized their income in children schooling/education, cloth, and routine household expenses. Further, 20 beneficiaries trained on mobile repairing and the best five trainees received seed money NPR 20,000 to start their own business. On the side of sanitation and hygiene, 536 people from community and school involved in hygiene promotion campaign and 206 WASH kit and 206 sweaters were provided to school students of affected areas. Regarding disaster preparedness, LDCRP including VCA of eleven wards of Mahagadhimai municipality and DPRP of Bara district has been drafted.
Achievements
Goal
To facilitate the formal education program for Bhutanese refugee children in refugee camps and admission to a community school.
Duration
Jan 2018 to Dec 2019
Location
Pathari Sanischare Municipality, Damak Municipality, District Education office, Jhapa and Morang
Beneficiaries Outreach
Bhutanese Refugee children and families
Funding Partner
Implementing Partner
UNHCR
The Situation (Background)
In the early 1990s, tensions between the Bhutanese government and the “Lhotshampas” (Bhutanese inhabitants of Nepalese descent) increased more and more. Fear and persecution led many Lhotshampas to flee to Nepal. In the early 1990s, the bank of the Maidhar River in eastern Nepal was temporarily occupied by thousands of refugees from Bhutan seeking asylum in Nepal.
The Bhutanese families were unable to return home and subsequently settled in third countries such as the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe. There used to be seven refugee camps, but today there are only two: Beldangi in the Jhapa district and Sanischare in the Morang district. There are currently 6,809 refugees in the two remaining camps and the total number of resettled refugees is 1.12.966. Caritas Nepal continues to provide services to ensure refugee children’s right to education.
Approach (Strategies)
Caritas Nepal was the first organization to provide the refugees with food and supplies. Later, when many other institutions also provided funds to meet basic needs, Caritas Nepal focused on the education program for refugee children from Bhutan.
Refugee children have been taught in the camps since 1991. Since 1993, there has been a formal program for the primary education of refugee children. In the course of this, donations were also collected in order to finance a secondary education. These activities continue until today.
Given the declining population of the camp and successful resettlements, Caritas’s strategy is to find a permanent alternative solution to guarantee access to education for refugee children. In the future, public and private schools will expectedly take over the education of the children.
Achievements
Goal: Earthquake affected households are living safe and dignified lives.
Period: January 2016 to June 2019.
Nepal Earthquake Recovery Programme (NERP) is enabling earthquake affected 9409 households (46,640/- people) to realize a holistic recovery. Social and economic recovery services in shelter, WASH, livelihood, DRR, social protection and psychosocial support have been provided to the households affected by the major earthquakes of 2015.
Documents for Download:
Goal
To restore and strengthen the resilience of people affected by the earthquake.
Duration
January 2018 to December 2019
Location
Sindhupalchowk
Beneficiaries Outreach
2415 marginalized ethnic, 398 socially excluded and 1312 in general
Funding Partner
Caritas Germany
Implementing Partner
Janahit Gramin Sewa Samittee (JGSS)
The Situation (Background)
The devastating earthquake of 2015 caused enormous damage throughout the country. Sindhupalchowk, however, is one of the worst affected districts.
Approach (Strategies)
The main areas of intervention for this project are:
Achievements
Livelihood
WASH
DDR
Goal: Rebuild completely damaged and most vulnerable households through enhanced capacity of vulnerable individual, household and community to strengthen, protect and access resources and enable recovery from the current disaster and enhance preparedness and response mechanisms to absorb in the future.
Location: Gulariya Municipality, 1,3,4,5,8,10 and 12, Bardiya
Period: March 2018 to October 2018
Caritas Nepal, through its regional office Kohalpur, Banke, has successfully completed the project “Disaster Recovery and Resilience Development for the Vulnerable Flood Affected Population in Bardiya district”. The project has been implemented in the co-partnership modalities with the financial and technical support of World Renew.
2107 families of Bardia were displaced after the massive flood occurred on August 2017. During the flood, Caritas Nepal distributed the relief items relief support. As the affected families could not rebuild their houses and were staying in temporary shelters. World Renew and Caritas Nepal took the initiation to rebuild the disaster resistant houses of 103 completely damaged houses which is now regarded as the “Demo Village (Namuna Basti)”.
Goal: To support the partner organization in strengthening capacities at strategic and operational level in Humanitarian action
Location: Jhapa, Udaypur, Mohottari, Dhanusha, Saptari, Chitwan, Sindhupalchowk, Sindhuli, Rupendehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Pyuthan, Banke, Mugu/Jumla, Kanchanpur and Doti
European Asian Partnership for Building Capacities in Humanitarian Action (PEACH) is a EU funded project of Caritas Organizations’ consortium of EU-Asia. Caritas Consortium consists of 10 Caritas member organizations led by Caritas Austria, two more organizations from Europe (Caritas Czech Republic & Caritas Romania) and seven from Asia (CN, Caritas India, Caritas Pakistan Caritas Myanmar, Caritas Philippines, Caritas Bangladesh and Caritas Asia).
Issues covered by capacity building training provided: Basic Principle and Standards in Humanitarian Aid: Humanitarian service delivery using CI Guideline / Tool Kit; Cash transfer in times of emergency; Volunteer Management; Needs Assessment for emergency response.
Goal: Earthquake affected households in Gorkha Municipality re-build their lives and are more resilient to disasters.
Location: Gorkha Municipality (all 1-15 wards) People reached: 6,789
Period: October 2017 to September 2019
The 2015 earthquake epicenter Gorkha was devastated with all the possible losses i.e. with hundreds of casualties and with millions of worth of physical damage. The district faced scarcity of everything, lack of cash, resources, knowledge on earthquake resistant shelter techniques, skills in WASH and livelihoods to rebuild their home, recover their livelihood needs and maintain hygiene and sanitation. All these scarcity made impossible for Gorkha to get back to normal.
During this time, at the verge of absolute nothing, Caritas initiated to rebuild lives of affected people in Gorkha. Though the beginning was difficult, however, with a clear vision and good team members, Caritas launched the project in 15 wards of Gorkha municipality to provide safe, adequate, sustainable and sanitary environment, to make access of safe drinking water, appropriate sanitation and healthy environment for the affected. Caritas Nepal is implementing earthquake recovery activities in shelter, WASH and livelihood sectors at Gorkha Municipality. The project recover their livelihoods through various trainings and related support. Livelihood practices will be improved and proactive participation in and influence of recovery activities.
The objectives of the programs are:
Objective 1: Earthquake affected households are living in safe and adequate earthquake resistant shelters.
Objective 2: To ensure that the earthquake affected households are using appropriate WASH facilities, Caritas Nepal repaired or constructed drinking water supply systems, oriented and mobilized people to improve hygiene and sanitation situation at the household and community levels.
Objective 3: To ensure increased livelihood security for the people affected by the earthquake.
Objective 4: To ensure earthquake affected communities have access to safe, dignified and accessible Programmes that increase their physical and mental well-being.
Objective 5: To increase resilience of earthquake affected communities to disaster risks.
The programme is being implemented in 16 ward locations as per the new Municipality or Rural Municipality structure. These locations are in 4 of the 14 most earthquake affected districts of Nepal.
Locations (District and villages):
Goal: Provide relief to address immediate life-saving needs of flood and landslide-affected men, women, and children.
Location: 36 wards of 13 Municipality/Rural Municipality in 7 Districts
Period: July 2017 to November 2017
Due to the continuous heavy rainfall in many parts of Nepal in June to August period of 2017, 35 out of 75 districts of Nepal were affected by landslides and/or floods. 1.7 million people were reported to be affected (Reliefweb – August, 2017). Caritas Nepal provided emergency relief to the affected people.
The relief assistance has helped the floods and landslides affected people to meet their immediate lifesaving need. However, there is an urgent need of recovery activities especially Livelihood, resettlement and reconstruction of shelter for the safe return of the affected population to normality.
Document for Download: Nepal Flood Response and Early Recovery Programme (NFRER) 2017-2018 – Good Practices and Stories of Change
Goal: Contribute to the recovery of flood-affected families to live a dignified life and enhance their resilience.
Locations: Saptari, Nawalparash, Bardiya, Banke, Jhapa, Sunsari, and Dhanusha; 48 Wards of 8 Rural Municipalities , 4 Municipalities and 1 Sub Metropolitan Location.
Period: November 2017 to October 2018
The heavy rainfall in many parts of the country in early Monsoon period of 2017 resulted in more than 1.7 million people being affected by flood and landslide. Caritas Nepal first undertook relief operations and later supported the recovery activities with the support of Caritas Internationalis.
With the objective to enhance livelihood of flood affected households, Caritas Nepal conducted various livelihood related training and support activities (such as livestock trainings, agricultural input supports, and cash for work activities). Additional activities included disinfection of hand-pumps, hygiene awareness, and health camps to ensure good health of the people affected by the disaster.
Goal: To help the Nepali people who have returned from Europe to be reintegrated in Nepal and pursue a dignified life.
Period: April 2017 to March 2020
Europe has been a destination of choice for many Nepalese seeking economic opportunities and a better life. The main push factor for migration from Nepal is due to lack of employment opportunities in Nepal. The European Union and national governments of European countries have put in place strong policies and measures to prevent illegal migrants to stay and work in their countries. Migration for economic purposes is strongly discouraged.
Still there are many Nepalese who have ended up in Europe in one way or other. From 2007 onwards, Caritas Internationalist and European Union have been helping these people to return to Nepal voluntarily and be re-integrated here with the STAVR project. Those who have returned are provided counseling, guidance and fund support for income generation (based on business plans), and linkage support for reconciliation with family by Caritas Nepal. Each returnee is monitored by Caritas Nepal for some time and guided to be effectively reintegrated.