Rural Community Infrastructure Work Programme (RCIW)

1. Introduction
The Rural Community Infrastructure Work (RCIW) Programme started officially after the signing of the Plan of Operation between the Government of Nepal (HMG/N) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in 14th December, 1995. Technical Assistance to the programme is provided by the Federal Republic of Germany through GTZ in first implement phased. Nepal is a landlocked mountainous nation of some 23.2 million people in 2001. According to Living Standard Survey conducted in 2001, there are 42% of people living below the poverty line in Nepal. Considering this fact as a serious challenge for the development, the Government has launched a number of programmes to reduce the level of poverty in the country. The Rural Community Infrastructure Works programme has been regarded as one of the major poverty-alleviating programme. Currently, the programme is lunched in 30 districts including Dolakha all over the country since 1996/97 working season.

2. Objective
The main objectives of the programme are:
³ To improve the accessibility to food of poor rural facilities.
³ To improve the rural community infrastructures in food deficit areas.
³ To improve the self-help capacity of rural communities.

Decentralized Financing and Development Programme

Programme Background
The Decentralized Financing and Development programme is a pilot programme of the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) for fiscal decentralization and local governance in 8 "concentration districts"-of which Dolakha, where the Fund has been active since 2001.

2. Programme Objectives

1. Long-term Development Objective: To reduce poverty through provision of rural infrastructure and human resource development opportunities.
   
2. Immediate Objective: The local authorities of District Development Committees and Village Development Committees ( DDCs and VDCs) and grass root institutions Users committees or Community Organizations (UCs or COs) in the district implement and maintain small scale rural infrastructure and other public investments in an efficient, effective, responsive and accountable manner.

3. Programme Strategies:

• Support the Government in enhancing local governance and decentralized financing.
  
• Increase capacity of COs/UCs for the management and development of society.
  
• Support for the decentralization process by providing resources in districts to implement priority projects identified through a participatory planning process.
  
• Develop the capacity of the DDCs to implement activities in a transparent and accountable manner in order to meet local development priorities.
  
• Reduce poverty addressing gender aspects of the poverty situation by creating awareness on gender equity/equality, and response on Women and Disadvantaged Group (DAG)

3 Lists of VDCs in Different Model

Rural Energy Development Programme (REDP)

The Rural Energy Development Programme (REDP) is operational in fifteen hilly districts, namely, Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Achham, Bajura, Dailekh, Pyuthan, Maagdi, Baglung, Parbat,, Tanahun, Kavre, Sindhupalchwok, Dolakha, Okhaldunga and Tehrathum as a joint initiative of His Majesty's Government of Nepal (HMG/N) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 19th August 1996. The REDP aims in enhancing the living conditions of the rural poor through the promotion of rural energy technologies, especially the micro-hydro as the entry point. The programme strategy to achieve the objectives is through the holistic development approach by mobilizing the community people both male and female.

REDP supports the District Development Committee to establish district level sectoral office for promoting decentralized bottom-up rural energy planning for the exploitation and management of rural energy resources in an integrated manner with other district level initiatives. District Development Committee: Rural Energy Development Section (DDC: REDS) Dolakha was established under the umbrella of District Development Committee, DOLAKHA since July 1998. This office is such first office established in the district after the restoration of democracy as sectoral office under the decentralization principal. DDC has provided office premises, logistic support as well as technical and support staff to the programme.

DDC: REDS Dolakha has developed itself as authoritative office with the major responsibilities of energy planning, programming, institutionalizing and managing rural energy programme in the district. DDC: REDS Dolakha has been assisting on all matters related to the energy development in the district. In particular, DDC: REDS Dolakha has been playing the roles as Information Disseminator, Technology Promoter and Linkage Provider.

GOAL

• Enhanced Rural Livelihood

OBJECTIVES

• Institutionalization
  
• Implementation of Community managed rural energy systems, mainly Micro-Hydro
  
• Collaboration and Linkage
  
• Literacy Promotion
  
• Health awareness Creation
  

ROGRAMME VDCS

• First Phase
  Suri, Khopachagu, Bulung and Lapilang VDC
• Second Phase
  Bhushafeda and Shyama VDC
• Third Phase
  Chilankha VDC

District Road Support Programme

Introduction
The District Road Support Programme (DRSP) is an SDC funded programme that focuses on improving access to benefit the people who really reed it. It is aimed at building the capacity of the participating district organizations to plan, design and implement the maintenance, rehabilitation and construction of district roads. Our partners are principally the District and the Department of Local Infrastructure develo0pment and Agricultural Roads (DoLIDAR).

The programme wherever possible uses labour based working methods, employing people who live within the road corridor. A strong emphasis is put upon ensuring that the benefits of employment through the programme go to the poor and deprived sections of the community. Hence the development 0of the 'beyond Roads' programme, which includes social interventions designed to ensure that the people3 involved in the programme are able to transform those benefits into long-term self-sufficiency.

1. Objective
General Development Objective

• To contribute to better social and economic opportunities for the rural population.
  
• To promote decentralization to the DDC level.
  
• To encourage public-private partnership.

Specific Objective at District Level

• To contribute to the participatory planning, formulation and implementation of district road management.
  
• To contribute to the development of appropriate standards, work method and management system for local resource based low cost road works.
  
• To strengthen the district level technical and managerial capability to plan, manage, implement and maintain road works.
  
• To promote awareness, policy development and dissemination of results (achievements and lesson learned)
  
• To contribute to the co-operation of DDC, VDCs, user groups, community groups, donors, government agencies and NGOs involved with district roads and trails for policy formulation and implementation.

BISHWESHWOR AMONG THE POOR (BAP)
( Garibsang Bishweshwor)

1. Background
Poverty in Nepal has been a big challenge. Most of the poor live in rural and remote areas of the country; and are suffering from the lack of basic amenities of life. With the low literacy rate, low expectancy of life and low per capita income, the average human development index (HDI) of the people is very low. To address these problems, the Government has carried out Bishweshwor Among the Poor (BAP), popularly knows as Garibsang Bishweshwor, a broad -based poverty alleviation programme, and has been initiated in the tune of the poverty alleviation initiatives addressed in the Ninth Plan.

BAP aims at reducing the present level of poverty of the general people through different programmes related to the employment and income generation, human resource development, social empowerment and local self-governance. It mainly addresses problems of the very ultra poor, which constitute about 17.1 percent of the total population.

The programme is primarily working at the Village Development Committee ( VDC) level to support marginal farmers, landless laborers and socially deprived ethnic groups of all the 205 Parliamentary constituencies of the country. This programme has been implemented in this district since 1997. BAP was first started in two VDCs of the district on late 1997. The programme supported VDCs are Thulopataal and Aalampu.

2. Objectives
The specific objectives of the programme are as follows.

• Provide opportunities to the ultra poor families to from community organization (s), promote self-reliance and self -help ness by involving them in decision-making.
  
• Develop leadership and promote active civic society at the local levels.
  
• Create social capital by developing human resource and promoting traditional institution at the grass root levels.
  
• Generate self - employment opportunity by promoting micro- enterprise, appropriate technology and indigenous skill.
  
• Promote institutional mechanism for mobilization of savings and credit at the grass-root levels, and avail opportunities for access to institutional credits for income generation activities.
  
• Help ultra poor families to obtain non-formal education, health care service, drinking water and housing facilities, agriculture and livestock extension, skill on appropriate technology, and access to the market.

Bridge building at the local level (BBLL)

1 .Introduction
Swiss Government has been providing financial and technical support to build suspended and suspension bridge since 1960. In the initial period, HELVETAS and HMG / N were providing support to build bridge in mule trail. Bridge Building at the Local Level (BBLL) programme was started in the district in February 1989. The programme had been lunched as a pilot project since 1989 to 1993 to provide support in formulating policy to central government and mobilizing the user groups to bridge construction. The programme has expanded in second phase since 1994 to till today after the success of pilot project lunched in first phase. All together 90 bridges have been constructed by the financial and technical support from the SBD and BBLL.

2.Objectives

• To build suspension and suspended bridge in participation of local authorities and local people.
  
• To provide technical knowledge to local people for the construction, maintenance and protection of the bridge.
  
• To develop awareness and ownership of the bridge to the local people.
  

Remote Area Development Committee (RADC) and Special Area Development Programme(SADP)

Introduction to the programmme
Nepal is a mountainous country. It occupies 83 percent of total land of the country. Most of the poor live in this area. They are suffering from the lack of basic amenities of life. People of this area are beyond the service provided by the nation. The RADC programme has been implemented in 22 Himali and High Mountains districts of the country. Three more districts have been added as a SADP. All together 25 districts are covered by Remote Area Development Committee (RADC) / Special Area Development Programme (SADP) .The project operates under Ministry of Local Development. These Programmes are implementing water supply schemes, small irrigation, micro hydro up to 30 kilowatts, truss bridges up to 90 miters, mule trails, school buildings and income generating activities.

Programme objectives:

• To join the people of backward area in the main stream of development.
  
• To carry out small infrastructure projects in remote area.
  
• To reduce poverty through income generating activities.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT TUKI ASSOCIATION (RDTA)
DOLAKHA

Introduction:
Rural Development Tuki Association [RDTA] is a grass root based social development organisation established in 1991 by the endeavour of Tukis of Dolakha District. This association is registered in District Administration Office, Dolakha and affiliated with Social Welfare Council [SWC]. RDTA is carrying out praise worthy Institutional and Community Development programme in Dolakha District since its establishment. This association is guided by the principle of people centered development.

Members:
§ RDTA has its 613 members from grassroots level of Dolakha District who are actively working voluntarily being in different level of the structure of the association. In this number 392 (64%) are male and 221(36%) are female.

Vision:
- RDTA is a grass root based organisation, which supports to create dignified and self-reliant society.
- RDTA aims to be self-reliant, gender and poverty sensitive, have adequate resources to sustain on its own.

Mission:
Awareness to the village people, Organisation of the village people, Empowering to the village people, Sustainable utilisation of local resources, Institutional development, and Coordination are the mission of RDTA.

Goal:
" To contribute to improve livelihood of farmers and in particular of the Tukis of RDTA command area."

Organisational Structure:
RDTA has been working through its Organisational network expanded over Dolakha District. It has central working committee elected by General Assembly. RDTA has divided Dolakha District into 10 regions, where regional committees are working under the central committee. RDTA is carrying out community development programme with demand driven approach. In this line this association is working with more than 200 groups, which are scattered over the district.

Focus areas of Programe:
The focus areas of RDTA have been in Institutional Development, Education, Group-Strengthening, Agri and Skill based Income Generation, Tuki Cooperative Strengthening, Irrigation and DWSS, Dissemination of information etc.

Contact Address:
Rural Development Tuki Association (RDTA)
Dolakha, Nepal
Phone: 977-49-20112
E-mail: rdtatuki@wlink.com.np

RURAL HEALTH DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
THIRD PHASE
(16 JULY 2001-15 JULY 2005)

MISSION OF THE PROJECT: COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT FOR HEALTH

GOAL : Improved Health status of women, Children, Adolescent and men through participatory Development of a locally adapted and affordable health system.

Purpose: Women, children, adolescent and men are empowered to enhance their health conditions and they have access to improved health services at local level.

GUIDING VALUES

• SUSTAINABILTY AND AFFORDABILITY
  
• SOCIAL EQUITY/POVERTY ORIENTATION
  
• GENDER EQUITY/GENDER BALANCED DEVELOPMENT
  
• EMPOWERMENT AND PARTICIPATION
  
• TRANSVERSAL THEMES
  
• GENDER BALANCED DEVELOPMENT
  
• POVERTY ORIENTATTION
  
• HIV/AIDS PREVENTION
  PROJECT PARTNERS AT DISTRICT LEVEL
  
• District Health Office
  
• District Development Committee
  
• District Education Office
  
• District Women Development Office
  PROJECT PARNERS AT VDC LEVEL
  
• VDCHCC Mother Groups
  
• VHWs / MCHWs FCHVs
  
• Health Staff TBAs
  
• VDC Members/Staff Traditional Healers
  
• Schools PHC Outreach Clinic Committees
  
• NGOs /Private Organizations

A) Nepal Swiss community forestry project(NSCFP):
Nepal Swiss Community Forestry Project has been implementating in the district since 1990 for the development of forest. This is one of the prominent projects presently running on its IV phases with financial and technical assistance of Swiss Development Agency for Cooperation. NFCFP is working with District Forest Office, local service providers (NGOs, CBOs, and private entrepreneurs) to make the forest user group economically, socially, environmentally and institutionally sustainable.

Mission:
Support to improve the livelihood of rural people through sustainable community forestry programmes.