One of four objectives of our work is economic empowerment which means that communities are able to pursue sustainable livelihood options for reduced poverty. The outcome of our work in this field are enhanced nutrition and household food security, increased household income and increased investment in basic need and well-being, as well as reduced risk and vulnerabilities for improved livelihood security.
Economic Empowerment
Ongoing Projects
Goal:
Duration: January 2023- December 2024
Location: Khatyad RM, Mugu
Funding Partners: Fastenaktion and DKA Austria
Project Description
FSRP aims to address food insecurity and improve the nutritional status of 500 smallholder farmers’ households (SHFHs) in 2 wards of Khatyad rural municipality in Mugu district, Karnali province. The project focuses on female farmers, who form the majority of the target group.
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Vibrant, strong, and influential communities realize basic human rights, the right to development, and reduce disaster risk: The project recognizes the importance of food security as a basic human right and an essential element of community development. It also aims to enhance the resilience of communities by implementing practices that reduce the risk of food insecurity during disasters or adverse events.
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Communities pursue sustainable livelihood options for reduced poverty: By enhancing food security and improving the agricultural practices of smallholder farmers, the project aims to provide sustainable livelihood options. This will contribute to reducing poverty among the targeted households and the broader community.
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It aligns with 1st and 3rd organization’s strategic objectives:
The project’s implementation period spans from January 2023 to December 2024, and it specifically targets the most vulnerable households within the selected wards. By focusing on improving food security and nutrition for smallholder farmers, particularly women, the project aims to uplift the livelihoods of these communities, reduce poverty, and enhance their resilience to future challenges
Achievements
- Smallholder farmers groups were established, comprising 18 groups with 30-40 members each. These groups conduct regular meetings to address topics such as climate change, food security, good agricultural practices, and agroecology.
- Bean cultivation support was provided to 100 farmers through the distribution of bean seeds and training. The project plans to expand this support in the future.
- Community volunteers were trained in agroecology and good agricultural practices, with a total of 10 volunteers undergoing the training.
- Several awareness events focusing on nutrition and balanced diets were organized in different schools, totaling three events.
- Three on-job trainees are currently documenting findings on Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and locally available food resources from the jungle during the NTFPs exploration.
Goal: “Vulnerable farming households and communities realize improved social well-being and resilience”
Duration: July 2023- June 2028
Location: Nepal – 6 provinces (Koshi, Bagmati, Lumbini, Gandaki, Karnali, Sudurpaschim)
Expected Beneficiaries Outreach: 10640 adults (65% female) direct participants and 2300 indirect participants. 30 agriculture/multipurpsoe cooperatives. 1,500 children (about 50% boys and 50% girls) in child clubs as direct participants, and an additional 1,000 children as indirect participants.
Funding Partner: Australian Aid, Caritas Australia
Implementing Partner: NEEDs Nepal in Kanchanpur, SOSEC in Dailekh
The Situation (Background): The project aims to enhance the well-being and resilience of vulnerable farming households and communities. It focuses on three areas: improving food security and climate resilience, increasing household incomes through cooperative support, and enhancing social protection and child rights with women and children’s active participation. The project involves training smallholder farmers in homestead production, integrated farming, and enterprise skills. It aims to extend farming seasons, increase incomes by at least $50 monthly, and prevent a return to poverty. Additionally, the initiative works on strengthening local cooperatives, enabling them to provide financial services and contribute to economic development. Lastly, the project emphasizes social protection and child rights through training, advocacy, and capacity building, promoting the active involvement of women and children in community initiatives.
Approach (Strategies) : “demonstration-based learning by doing approaches” will be used to build capacity of targeted households and communities to increase crop and livestock diversity and productivity to increase food production in homesteads. During this, the following measures will be taken:
- Training for smallholder farmers in homestead farming.
- Grants to support expansion of homestead activities based on new plans.
- Training in diversified kitchen gardening, livestock and poultry raising, integrated pest management, and climate-adaptive practices.
- Field demonstrations and Farmer Field Schools for practical learning.
- Establishment of community nurseries for vegetable and horticulture promotion.
- Smallholder farmers review climate change’s impacts and adopt adaptive practices.
- Homestead groups registered in the municipality for advocacy and resource access.
- Project aims to extend farming seasons, increase production diversity, and improve food security by 2-3 months.
- Training for low-income farming households in business planning and marketing.
- Enterprise grants for enterprising farmers.
- Improved knowledge and skills for enhanced productivity and reduced production costs.
- Market review and development of marketing plans.
- Enterprise groups registered for advocacy.
- Cooperatives provide additional capital, credit, and support collective bargaining.
- Expansion of enterprises, increased efficiency, and improved market access for greater household income.
- Past success in promoting high-value enterprises and strengthening cooperatives.
- Training for cooperative leaders on leadership and social protection.
- Development of social protection policies for cooperatives, addressing gender and social concerns.
- Establishment of Help Desks and sensitization of Mediation Centers for social violation cases.
- Cooperatives organize events to advocate for social protection.
- Feedback mechanisms and Help Desks in cooperatives for reporting social concerns.
- Training for children in children’s clubs to manage and lead activities.
- Child clubs promote awareness and advocacy on child rights.
- Teachers are trained to facilitate child clubs and enforce child protection guidelines.
- Improved child rights situation achieved through active participation and support mechanisms.
Visit NLRP II Website : NEPAL LIVELIHOODS AND RESILIENCE PROGRAMME(NLRP II)
Integrated Pest Management
Achievements
- All 56 farmers from five follow-up groups supported the cultivation of high quality vegetables and 80% of the farmers achieved a net profit of NPR 123,434 this year.
- 61 farmers from ten community groups operating a high-quality enterprise (agriculture and livestock) managed to improve their budgetary profit (NPR 53,857 on average) and their nutritional status.
- In total, 43 farmers in Jhapa, Nawalpur, Dhading, Kanchanpur, Kaski and Lalitpur earned around 0.7 million NPR from livestock farms.
- The net profit of MALH averages 79,710 NPR per person (79 participants). 23 people earned about 4,902,675 NPR through homestays, 11 farmers generated 1,480,900 NPR through HVC operations, and 24 earned around 2,241,935 NPR from livestock farms such as poultry, bees and goats. 2 persons earned 30,330 NPR and 12,380 NPR respectively in high-tech agriculture and organic laboratories.
- Ten disabled farmers who benefited from the promotion of quality enterprises were able to earn about 15,684 NPR on average.
- The food security and nutritional status of 4,992 smallholders in a total of 200 groups in 18 districts has been improved through the extension of the IPM FFS for rice and vegetables.
- Rice production increased by 27.99% due to the introduction of IPM practices.
- 434 farmers were trained in 16 “Farmer Field Schools” and recorded an average increase in vegetable yields of 54.25%.
- 28 training courses for kitchen gardeners and organic farmers were successfully carried out at 23 locations. Farmers who received training have been able to produce fresh and healthy vegetables for their own consumption, and the sale of their surplus products has improved their nutritional status.
- 786 farmers were trained in 28 Farmer Field Schools and demonstrated at least 32.5% increase in rice yields.
- 793 formerly trained smallholder farmers assisted in the launch of IPM in rice production were able to increase their rice yields by 27.99%.
- 290 small farmers were directly involved in the demonstration of rice cake trials. 70% of farmers are now able to differentiate different types of rice based on their characteristics and recognize diseases, pest resistance and high productivity.
- 347 smallholders were directly involved in the demonstration of maize and wheat trials. Farmers can now select suitable maize and wheat varieties based on their characteristics that are disease and pest resistant.
Agro-Eco Tourism Learning Center and Homestay
Achievements
- Caritas Nepal has managed to convince farmers to grow organic vegetables through IPM technologies. This helped them to produce healthy food and massively increase their production rate.
- A total of 279 smallholder farmers of HVE groups and Machhapuchchhre Agro-ecotourism Learning center and Homestay (MALH) were able to increase their household income. 30 people established two new homestays.
Cooperative Development and Enterprise Promotion
Achievements
- Caritas Nepal has established and / or strengthened more than 150 cooperatives to date.
- 161 leaders trained on animation and social action, cooperative account keeping, cooperative & financial management, cooperative business plan and loan management. This has supported cooperatives to maintain transparency, good governance and provide better services to their members resulting in increased membership.
- 1,259 new members joined cooperatives only in this reporting year; 82.13% of all total members are women.
- 71.82% of female presence in cooperative committees out of 433 people, 311 are women leaders working to strengthen their organization and provide services to the community.
- NPR 235,240,000 in micro-credit managed members of the 24 cooperatives have access to financial services and 4,886 cooperative members received credit, 86% of which for the productive sector. Out of 367 cooperative members involved in small enterprises, 78% are female.
- 1,985 people oriented on DRR, Cooperatives are promoting awareness programmes to protect the environment and reduce disaster risks.
Children and Youth Empowerment
Promotion of Women's Empowerment and Rights Targeting Rural Women
Nepal Livelihoods and Resilience Programme (NLRP)
Goal: Ensuring food and nutritional security of 1800 Smallholder farmers in Nawalparasi in the context of climate change
Duration: January 2023- December 2025
Location: Devchuli Municipality, Kawasoti Municipality, Madhyabindu Municipality and Hupsekot Rural Municipality, Nawalparasi
Funding Partners: Caritas Austria (In collaboration with Caritas Finland)
Project Description
This project aims to achieve several objectives in Nepal, including enhancing food security, improving nutritional status, and building climate and disaster-resilient farming communities in the face of climate change. To address climate change issues directly, the project will collectivize and engage communities to find environmentally friendly local solutions.
To increase food production, the project will implement various approaches, such as promoting improved agricultural practices for climate-resilient crops and varieties. Farmers will be involved in on-farm action research on climate change adaptation. Access to water will be facilitated through small-scale irrigation schemes. Multi-stakeholder partnerships will also be established to support the project’s objectives. Local government bodies will be closely involved in developing climate resilience plans and policies.
Emphasizing inclusivity, the project will ensure the active participation of women farmers, with special consideration given to single women, households with children below 5 years, adolescent girls (below 14 years), households with pregnant and lactating women, households with differently-abled members, and socially and economically marginalized smallholder farmers who own less than 0.8 hectares of land.
The successful practices identified during the project’s implementation will be scaled up to cover a larger area and extended to more farmers’ households in the future.
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 main ginger-growing areas in Palpa. Since 2015, most farmers stopped planting ginger, causing a 4-5 year cultivation gap. By 2020, ginger prices had crashed, leaving many farmers disappointed. To motivate them, CERRP began helping with improved farming practices and marketing.
Access to markets was difficult, affecting livelihoods. Caritas Nepal, with CRS Nepal’s support, launched a project in Palpa, involving 600 farmers: 275 in Tansen, 161 in Bagnaskali, and 164 in Ribdikot. The project provided ginger seeds, tools, training, processing equipment, and market links.
A ginger warehouse was built in Tansen Municipality, in collaboration with local authorities, to store up to 20,000 kg of ginger. This facility, designed with NARC’s expertise, aims to stabilize farmers’ incomes. Operated under the ‘warehouse receipt funding’ model, it allows farmers to use stored ginger as collateral for loans, aiming to mitigate price fluctuations and enhance market access.
Approach (Strategies):
Budget leverage with local government and stakeholders:
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.
Strengthening of ware house management committee:
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.
Community mobilization and sensitization :
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 and training:
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:
- Operation and maintenance Guideline Developed for Ginger Warehouse Receipt Funding Model
- Different training conducted among the ginger farmers
Three days long Value-chain Strengthening Training on Ginger
One day Training on Warehouse Receipt Funding Model and
Documentation to Ware House Management teams
One day orientation among ginger farmers about the ware house receipt
funding model
One day training on seed selection, seed treatment/soil treatment, and grading
One day Bio-pesticides preparation training
Total number of participants: 182
- A total of 4940 kg of ginger has been stored in the Ware house and the details of the participants are:
Total number of participants: 39
Total number of females: 20
Total number of males: 19
- A total of NPR 116,000 loan has been provided among the ginger farmers at 12% interest rate
- The ginger farmers made a net profit of 36% from the storage of ginger in the ware house is 36%
- Distribution of inputs ( Plastic vegetable crates, Jute Sacks, Kodalo, Effective microorganism, Plastic drums for bio-pesticides preparation and bruni harvesting equipment) among the 75 ginger farmers
- IEC materials related to the good practices of ginger cultivation, post-harvest handling and storage, bio-pesticides preparation, and has been developed, printed and distributed among the ginger farmers for community sensitization
Completed Projects
Visit Our Site : NEPAL LIVELIHOODS AND RESILIENCE PROGRAMME(NLRP)
Goal
To improve the living situation of marginalized and vulnerable people through introducing sustainable agriculture, cooperative development, enterprise development and the creation of additional income and employment opportunities.
Duration
July 2018 to June 2021
Location
Jhapa, Dhanusa, Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Dhading, Chitwan; Nawalpur, Kaski,Lamjung; Dang, Pyuthan, Banke, Bardiya, Palpa, Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajjarkot; Kailali, Kanchanpur, Baitadi
Beneficiaries Outreach
37941 direct participants, among them 24,908 are female
Funding Partner
Caritas Australia, Australian Aid
The Situation (Background)
NLRP is a program consisting of three ongoing individual projects, namely Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Cooperative Development and Enterprise Promotion Program (CDEPP) and Children and Youth Empowerment Program (CYEP). NLRP supports communities in the fight against poverty, promotes social and economic development through diversified livelihoods to achieve sustainable prosperity.
Approach (Strategies)
The project seeks to improve human, social, natural, financial and physical capacities. In the course of this, the following measures will be taken:
- Promotion of biological practices and control.
- Support for an efficient and effective use of local resources.
- Training of agricultural students for the IPM extension.
- Encouraging farmers, foreigners and students to visit the Agro-Eco Tourism Learning Centre and Homestay to learn about eco-friendly farming practices and technologies.
- Raising awareness about child policies and rights among the pupils by offering extracurricular activities in schools.
- Increasing safety at school so that children always feel safe and comfortable.
- Motivating children to get involved in school-based clubs in order to strengthen their team spirit. In this way, children of different castes, religions and faiths are brought together which increases the acceptance of students among themselves.
- Launching campaigns to reduce child marriage and drug use.
- Integrating adolescents into vocational training and financially supporting them so that they can start their own businesses.
Goal
To stop hunger and to promote food security through sustainable agriculture. To adapt to climate change in South Asia
Duration
April 2018 to March 2022
Location
Nawalparasi, Bardia, Banke and Surkhet
Beneficiaries Outreach
783 marginalized ethnic, 126 socially excluded and 266 in general
Funding Partner
Caritas Austria
Implementing Partner
Various Caritas organisations
The Situation (Background)
In the districts of Nepal mentioned above, many families continue to suffer from famine, low food security, short-term agriculture and, more recently, the effects of climate change.
Approach (Strategies)
The project therefore motivates smallholders to reach the goal of sustainable agriculture. This is achieved by improving their strategies for production, marketing, consumption and risk mitigation with regard to climate change.
Other measures include agricultural activities to adapt to climate change and increase agricultural production, “On Farm Action Research” led by farmers, strengthening resilience to climate change, improving food and nutrition security and supporting advocacy to influence national policy.
Achievements
- Farmers are aware of the opportunities and gaps in the different farming systems. Farmers are more aware of climate change.
- Farmers use more locally available resources such as farmyard manure, compost and pesticides than before
- Farmers are able to conduct simple agricultural action research on rice and other crops, which will ultimately help them to strengthen resilience to climate change and other natural disasters.
- Farmers, including schoolchildren, pay more attention to health, nutrition, nutrition and hygiene.
- Tree planting was carried out on public and private land, including school gardens and health posts
- A formal partnership has been signed with the only statewide University of Agriculture and Forestry. This has ensured cooperation in science and research.
Goal: Improve livelihoods of poor households by enabling them to make business plans and to develop effective strategies to access market.
Location and participants: Chinchu and Gadi village of Surkhet district. Total – 38 female farmers.
Nepal’s population is 29 million with a growth rate of 1.35% per year. About one fourth of the households live below the poverty line. Only about 10% of Nepali adults have taken bank loans (WB 2013). Nutritional status of about half the population is not satisfactory (13.7% wasting, 31.1% underweight, 41.5% stunting-Agriculture Development Strategy of Agriculture Ministry – ADS). Poverty has led to exodus of men to access labour and low skill work in the middle-east and other regions. Women have also migrated to access work abroad and fallen victims to trafficking.
Rural people are dependent on subsistence agriculture for survival. There is very limited opportunity for off farm employment. The rural households do not have access to opportunities for wider enterprise development. While opportunities for enterprises exist based on resource and market context of the various locations, lack of skill and capital is a constraint. Deforestation and climate change has added additional risks to farming and communities.
Caritas Nepal had implemented “Nepal in Cooperative and Enterprise- NICE” project in this location of Surkhet and other locations with the support of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand (2013-15). Building on the experience of the NICE project to improve livelihoods of poor households, this project has been developed. The project is pilot testing technologies and processes to enable people to more effectively improve their livelihoods and access market.
