Creating Possibilities Nepal

Merry X-Mass

2011-12-23T16:08:00.001+05:30

C P Team

Training Review-Appreciative Inquiry

2011-07-27T20:40:00.000+05:30

YES WE CAN!!

Creating Possibilities Nepal (CP Nepal) and Inter-cultural Women’s Educational Network (IWEN) Canada has been working together from the last 4 years for the betterment of marginalized females of Nepal. Both organizations are dedicated for the effective implementation of the programs so that beneficiaries will benefit more.

To make its program effective and powerful, CP Nepal conducted 5 days long training program from March 7 to 11, 2011. The training was facilitated by IWEN founder Mcihelle Bonneau and was conducted by CP Nepal staff Dinesh Raj Sapkota. The training was run on the model of Appreciative Inquiry and at the same time it added, and modified the training course according to the need and demand of the trainees. There were 2 trainees- Deepa Chaudhary and Sarita Chaudahry. Deepa has been working for Indentured Girls Support Program and Sarita Chaudhary- a newly hired employee, is working for Mothers’ Group for Micro credit. It was a training for 2 persons but very intensive. It was not the training of the trainer; it was training of the trainees.

Training in itself

Dear Michelle Bonneau (MB) always wanted/wants the office and its worker updated and motivated towards the office works or programs. She always helped the worker with her immense knowledge and experiences. Having Michelle for the training was an excitement. She helped on training framework and on ongoing process of it. And the training became really successful because it was not the one way working. Both trainer and trainees were equally participated on the process. It became a successful adventure where trainees were very enthusiastic and they knew about appreciative inquiry.

The main focus of the training was how the beneficiaries -the ex-bonded girls and their families would get more benefit from the programs. Sarita and Deepa were very happy on the training process. Both became aware that how the CP-IWEN dream -making the beneficiaries self-reliant-will be achieved. The training was aimed to heighten the trainees’ capacity to apprehend, anticipate and heighten positive potentiality. Through the training, Deepa and Sarita knew that there are many untapped, rich and inspiring local resources and if we harnessed these energy, we could get easily fruitful change in the community.

Training Framework

March 7^th- 1^st day, Mon	2^nd day, Tues	3^rd day, Wed	4^th day, Thurs	5^th day, Friday	6^th day, Sat
Discover	Dream	Design	Destiny/ Delivery	Management	Overview

Discovery: On this, we helped our trainees to ask the unconditional positive questions; which discover and disclose positive capacity of beneficiaries. “Obliviously you have ups and downs in your life. But the for the moment I would like you to focus on a high point, a time in your work experience here where you felt most alive, most engaged, or most successful. Can you tell me the story? How did it unfold?”¹And we hope asking such type of questions will empower them. 2^nd we taught them to engage all beneficiaries on activities so that they will feel sense of belonging on the program. This tool is different than the traditional method ignites the creativity of the people.

On 2^nd phase, we did office orientation. The trainees were made clear on the office structure and process.

“Asking positive questions, seeking what works, what empowers, what gives life to our community or group, when have we, as women, felt particularly excited, energized, empowered?”

Dream: This 2^nd day we taught our participants about dreaming. After having the successful stories and high point of the lives on discovery phase, we dreamt for “what might be” not for what was the problem. Here, the trainees got the idea that how and where the mothers from mothers group want lead the life and the family.

“Visioning of what could be, where we want to go, what do we want for our daughters, our granddaughters?

Design: 3^rdday, we discussed about Design. When dream is articulated attention turns to the creation of actual design of the system. The trainees knew to make an action plan that is what will be of the dream phase. We both trainee and trainer sit together and drafted the flexible action plan. Not bureaucracy’s but self-sufficient hierarchy. This design talks about infinite variety and self-organizing order. In Nepal there is too much bureaucracy but we hope after this, our co-worker will be in self-sufficient hierarchy.

After the making design, we also re-drafted the Job description of the co-workers along with them. The job description was discussed lengthy whether it is applicable or not. Then we made it final and handed to our co-workers.

“Making an action plan based on what we can do for the programs. Making personal commitments”

Destiny: - Why we apply appreciative inquiry because it gives emphasis on continuous learning, adjustment and improvisation. This phase establishes a convergence zone for the beneficiaries and for the staffs to empower one another-to connect, cooperate and co create. The trainees were given skill for the action, for the team works.

Management: After the AI, we worked on office management- how to manage day- to -day works of the office. We talked about time keeping, reporting program and finance, linkage with other local bodies etc.

In a nut shell: According to the trainees, it was totally different training. Not only they, Michelle and I were also very content with this training.

Dinesh Raj Sapkota

Monitoring Visit of May, 2011

2011-05-27T10:28:00.000+05:30

Survey Questionnaire

My May visit became shorter than I planned. This time, I took Classical College’s students team who are studying Social Work in Bachelor Degree. They had to make a report of a rural camp; and they choose our programs to Tharu communities. Before visiting the field, we drafted a survey questionnaire, which these students were going to ask our beneficiaries.

This questionnaire was mainly focused on the socioeconomic and health condition of the families and the results of the survey will assist in deciding the future of the CP –IWEN program, that is, does the program need to shift or have modifications or corrections or continuity as it is.

It took two days to finish the survey. The students were very impressed by the communities. They did not face any problems and the families answered friendly. On the other hand, these Kathmandu students were shocked by their grim realities. The IWEN families have no toilet, the old family members could not tell their age or birth dates, and it seemed that still the so-called development had not touch them besides most houses there was a mobile phone set. The students were impressed by activities done by the CP-IWEN projects because every household praised the work.

New Mothers’ Group: Gobardiya Mother Group

While facilitating these college students, I attended the 1^st meeting of the mothers’ group of Gobardiya; this is a new 8^th group of CP-IWEN. The mothers were very happy because up to now there were no organizations to back them up. This community is getting a hard time because of the 10 year prolonged Maoist war from 1996 to 2006 and current unsteady government, which isn’t helping them.

As our other community village clusters, they are living under the poverty line, struggling for to make two ends meet. They are very hopeful on CP-IWEN’s support to their daughter and being a member in the mothers’ group, which will help their lives and make them self-dependent in future. The whole village encompasses around 400 houses. From 400 houses, we have chosen 31 of the poorest. Per month the mothers individually raise Rs. 10 for their micro-credit. I am very happy on their good beginning. The mothers groups’ intervention as a tool of micro credit has been able to generate fresh perceptions of one another, which has resulted in the revitalization of the social bond between the mothers and has heightened their collective will to act for the betterment of their families.

Hope for the Destitute – One Example

This small hut having 2 rooms inside accommodates four family members. The family was doing ok up to 4 years ago. But the father, the sole income earner became sick and finally became lame due to his problem on his spinal cord. His left hand and leg cannot work. The mother was desperate for the support because the children were on the verge of dropping out from school since the mother could not pay the school fees.

Now, the condition has changed. The mother has joined the mothers’ group and her beautiful daughter gets total support for education. I still remembered her tearful eyes with happiness, as she knew that her daughter would get the support. Her burden has lessened. Not only her, around 200 mothers’ burdens have been decreased through CP-IWEN.

Deepening Roots

CP–IWEN has become a metaphor of support to the locals. Why??? The answer is very tacit: Because of its:

· Continuation and quality work,

· Creation of a new sense of unity and mutuality for the communities’ future through the village clusters

· Engagement in dialogue with the mothers seeking to create a common vision and a positive image of a collectively desired future

· Liberation from the paralyzed economic and illiterate condition

· Solution of local’s problems one by one and being on hand with Dang staff

· Usage of an appreciative context with both staff and mothers rather than the traditional problem-solving context

Establishment of the contact office in working zone, Gadawa Dang, makes CP-IWEN more effective and popular. It gives the beneficiaries easy access to our field staffs. Besides the regular meeting, the mothers and students come to discuss on various issues at the office. And the two dedicated staffs have been working passionately on their given responsibilities. So, CP-IWEN’s activities have become distinct and slowly it has become a role model in this area of Dang. In my next visit I will meet with SWAN, [Social Welfare Action Nepal] the major Tharu NGO to chat with them around how the CP-IWEN beneficiaries view our work in comparison to other NGOs. We need to be careful not to put CP-IWEN into a competitive stance. I will explain to SWAN how IWEN works long-term rather than on a project or short-term base.

Holistic Approach

From the beginning CP-IWEN applied distinct approaches rather than set traditional approaches of the development field. It has changed, corrected, added and modified its approaches according to the need of its beneficiaries. CP-IWEN believes on working and learning. It has been working out with the beneficiaries’ problem one by one making and using an appreciative context from bottom to top approach. Support to the needy girls/daughters, forming and facilitating mothers’ groups and literacy classes has shown its holistic approach to liberate the village clusters from the vicious circle of poverty is slowly working.

Strengthening the Approaches

These holistic approaches or requisite activities will be more effective if we could work on health problems. Our beneficiaries still have strong belief on traditional healer or they are very traditional, which has blocked them from visiting the local health centers. In our mothers’ group meeting, we talked about health issues but it is not sufficient to awaken them from their superstitious beliefs. For example, Sita chaudhary, student of grade 8 was sick and almost up to 6 months and her mother regularly took her to the traditional healer. Luckily, we knew it and intervened. We took her to Kathmandu and did treatment. She was suffering from dizziness and fainting from the parasitic disease. Sita would have died without CP-IWEN intervention. If someone becomes sick, their 1^st priority goes to the traditional healer. [PRA =’a Participatory Rural Assessment, a way of quickly assessing the needs of a group]

The steps for Health Service Educational Approach are listed below. Except for the last two items the list in essence is life skills training which falls within IWEN’s mandate:

Educating on Maternity and child care through an awareness health workshop
Education on what the Health Posts offer and help on the first visit
Training and health classes to the traditional healer
Education on the home’s sanitation
Educate on preventable diseases in developing networking links with the local health post
Support in making toilets.
Strengthen the local government health posts

Emerging Issues – Two Future Funding Proposals

On my visits, every time I encounter some different issues that the local people think and believe, CP –IWEN tries to deal these also. So my job is to determine the most burning and encroaching problems and try to solve them professionally. Ninety percent of our beneficiaries have no toilet because, they don’t feel its importance and 2^nd they need money to build them. Now, they want after my discussion they want toilets and are ready to match the cost of the toilet building. According to the locals, one cemented toilet costs around CAD$ 90 to $ 100.00.

Another issue is the orphan and abandons boys that we found in the CP-IWEN village clusters. We are supporting the girls but in these clusters there are boys also and they are in very critical conditions. So its seems confusing for the locals why only females/girls are getting help while these boys have critical conditions and yet don’t get any support from anywhere. According to the local organization of Dang district, there are 300 orphan and abandon boys in Dang district.

The Road Ahead

CP-IWEN has some challenges and opportunities on the way ahead. How will the community village clusters get significant transformation from poverty and ignorance? How can we translate their difficulties into opportunities? For example, “How can we scale up the innovative mothers’ group’s activities or practice or apply the mothers’ group concept in other social and family areas within the community so that we can achieve even greater impact?”

The continuation and instantaneous support given to our beneficiaries makes the impact more profound and practical. So, I think we have few professional challenges in terms of that we don’t have confusion, we are very clear on what we are doing and we have opportunity to be a noble booster in the community as we have dedicated staffs and a cooperative community. At the same time we have very friendly and understanding Board in both Canada and Nepal. The very fluid political situation of Nepal can affect the activities but the staffs know how to adapt to such condition.

In the End

Like many times before I encountered an unannounced one and half day “strike”. I was paralyzed but this gave me time to wonder about and think on how we can make the beneficiaries self-reliant. This Dang sun set foretold the golden tomorrows of our beneficiaries.

Dinesh Raj Sapkota

Fulfilling an Unreachable Dream

2011-01-26T00:21:00.000+05:30

“Sunita, 14, had a hidden desire. She wished her family could own a car, or any vehicle for that matter. But she knew her father, a daily wage earner, could never afford one.”

IWEN (Inter-cultural Women Educational Network), Canada has been backing ex- bonded girls and their siblings (sisters) from last three years for education and basic health care through Creating Possibilities Nepal. The ex-bonded girls who are from the most underprivileged family go to school with a happy face. There was always question that how we can support these ex-bonded girls for their quality education. To ease their work load so that these girls can go school on time and will have surplus time for study, on Jan 17th, we allocated 28 bicycles to the girls of grade 7 to 10. Due to their extreme poverty for this community buying a bicycle is an unmanageable task, as Sunita’s desire shows above.

What is the problem we are addressing?

The allocation of bicycles is going to ensure quantity and qualitative changes in students’ study and lives. Our student, Nirmala told us, “Without bicycle I would have dropped out of my school and would have become wage laborer in fields or nearby cities because I was always late to school as I had to help in household chores.”

Bicycles have made them independent and have given them self-confidence. Not only is this area, in the Terai region (Flat area) of Nepal bicycles is a most important vehicle for the daily life, so it will be for IWEN girls. Bicycles in this areas deals with many problems. It is like a having car in western society.

• Our students will be on time in school and can return home before dark. Otherwise girls need to be before dark so they have leave school before school ends. With bicycles they will save 2 hour per day.

• Every weekend the girls have to walk more than 2 hours to the forest to collect fire wood and they have to carry a heavy load of wood on their head. With these bicycles now they can go and come faster and the load of fire wood will be carried by bicycles.

• Always the girls have to pay either 90 cents or have to walk more than 4 hours to reach the nearby city. After getting, bicycles it has become easier.

• On the back of their bicycles they take their siblings to school; so the younger ones also reach school very easily and this makes their siblings regular in school.

• The girls have become confident and vivacious. Becoming mobile has made them powerful.

• It has long –term impact to the girls and to the society.

Girls’ Happy Faces

When we handed over the bicycles the girls were very stunned and kept examining their new bikes. It seemed that they could not believe what they got.

After getting the bicycle Sunita, on the left, a student of grade 9 and an active member of local cultural group told us that the bicycle would help her to go to her tuition and to her cultural meeting. Sunita added that now she does not have to wait for anyone and she would be on time to attend these events.

Sunita’s and Nirmala’s sharings capture other students’ feelings and expressions around getting the bicycles. At the event, the girls’ families were glad, grateful and relieved. This gift serves the whole family. What they could not give but wanted was given by IWEN.

Dinesh Raj Sapkota.

2010-09-12T18:09:00.000+05:30

Current Political Situation

The current political situation of Nepal is highly unstable. The Constituent Assembly which was made in 2008 could not finish drafting a new constitution by May 2010. The political parties have extended the one more year to draft the new constitution. Major political parties are fighting for power. They are losing the trust of the people. There is not the improvement on the life of Nepalese. Corruption, kidnapping, abduction, killing, general strikes etc have become main features of the society. All youths who are educated, do not want to stay in country because it seems that here is no any opportunity. Everyday around 200 to 300 youths leave the country for work and study to abroad. The country’s economy is always running by deficit and it has been sustaining only by the remittance and donation from the rich countries.

The former king has been travelling different part of the country. It seems that he wants to come again in power.
Only very few are optimistic with the future of the country. The politicians are corrupted from the head to toe. However the social organizations, medias, social activists are fighting for the welfare of the marginalized people.

Happiness of Maheswori Kumal Chaudhary

Maheswori was on the verge of drop out from the grade 7 though she was a good student. Luckily she was saved from the IWEN support. Her parents with other 4 children are struggling for a square meal. So when a child becomes age of 12 or 13th, the parents wants to send to labor work because “a hungry stomach has no ears.” The immediate problem becomes very important –that is food or hunger.

Maheswori

Maheswori being happy says, “I would be a labor through my life. My parents want to send me school but they don’t have any penny to cover my expenses.

She adds,” Now Luckily I can go school thanks to IWEN.”

I start to think the woeful plight of Nepali girls/women. Whether they are educated or not, rich or poor most of their lives end up being scullions. Slowly the scenario has been changing. Charities like IWEN has been empowering them and trying to make their lives better.
MDGs and Nepal

It has estimated that Nepal will achieve most of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets by 2015, except for the more complex ones-such as total employment and climate change-which will require more effort and appropriate environment. MDG targets can only be achieved by joined hands of charities- like IWEN, effective participation of local people and government’s special attention to social agendas. MDGS are the goals made by UN to be achieved by 2015 against the achievement of 1990.

My graphic here shows few major problems of Nepal; which are challenging for the overall development of the country. The government and different charity organizations are working to eliminate these challenges. The report made by National Planning Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 1st week of September says that gender equality and women empowerment is achievable. Gender equality and education has improved over the last five years. The MDG seeks to eliminate gender disparity at all levels of education before 2015.

IWEN and its Nepal partner Creating Possibilities has been working for MDGs. IWEN roles have become crucial for gender equality and education to all because the poor government cannot achieve these goals alone.

The Kathmandu Post (May, 11th 2010) has written that “literacy campaign” launched to eliminate illiteracy for meeting the Millennium Development Goal of education by 2015 does not seem to be faring well. In the last two years, the government invested more than Rs 2 billion to make 3.5 million people literate but the campaign has proved a waste of time, money and energy. The activities done by government have been failure because there is no proper monitoring and evaluation.

IWEN and its partner Creating Possibilities has been working effectively and carefully to gain its targeted objectives.

-Dinesh Raj Sapkota

A brief report on Informal Education for the Mothers of Bonded Girls May-2010

2010-05-26T10:45:00.000+05:30

Literacy to the Mothers: Opening New Doors, Creating New Horizons.

-Interacting with the mothers about the importance of literacy
Literacy programs enhance the ability of individuals and groups to express themselves orally, in writing or in other ways. Literacy benefits both individuals and their communities. Learning to read boosts self-esteem and provides important new skills. Moreover, the effects of literacy often extend beyond personal benefits. From 2007, IWEN has been trying to enhance literacy and empower marginalized Tharu in rural areas of Nepal, where less than half of the population can read. IWEN decided to work with especially Tharu females as they are most deprived from opportunities and are submissive due to their history illiteracy and ignorance of their rights.
From last four years, Inter-cultural Women Educational Network (IWEN) has been providing educational and health support to Tharu bonded girls of Ganga Praspur Village of Dang through its Nepal partner Creating Possibilities (CP). Last Year, the mothers of these IWEN students requested literacy classes. IWEN granted the fund as this fits into IWEN’s mission goals and wanted to see these mothers independent and literate.
One hundred and fifty mothers joined the class which started in December, 2009 and will be finished in June, 2010.
The outcome of the class is remarkable. The mothers who used to be shy now talk fearlessly and are putting forward their thoughts confidently. They have changed! The class not only covers writing and reading Nepali but also teaches about health, family planning, and the environment. The course has a holistic approach.
The math was very difficult for them; matters such as family planning were never discussed as it was seen to be culturally unacceptable; cheating was common etc … but now they work as a group. For example, in one village they had no electricity. Their husbands made many requests to the concerned authorities but could not get their village electricity supplied. Finally the empowered mothers went as a group, protested peacefully and the village got the electricity. Slowly they are emerging as a female power. This is what literacy is doing for these once illiterate mothers.
On my regular monitoring visit I met the mothers, which was so exciting for me because I could see a real difference in them. They are now able to write and read and could do calculations. They are empowered!
At first, I started to talk with Sita Chaudhary. She was really transformed. The conversation went like this.

Dinesh: “How are you feeling about the class?”
Sita: “It’s really important to us. Before, we had no any idea about the education. Now we are aware of many many things.
Dinesh: “So what do you know?”
Sita: “I can read Nepali books, I know about family planning, about health…...can calculate when I sell my vegetables…"
Dinesh: “Besides that...”
Sita: “I know the difference between true and false. I can talk with you. Now I know the importance of IWEN’s mothers’ group.
Then I talked with Manju. She was the one who always requested me to do something for the IWEN’s mothers’ group."
Dinesh: “So Manju, how is the literacy class?”
Manju: “ It is good. It has taught us many things. Many new things we now know. Before we were like animals but now we know that we can do the new things.”
Dinesh: “What are the new things you know?”
Manju, “ We were shy about contraceptives; so we always had many children… now we know about it. Next, we were illiterate so in market people used to cheat us. Now we know how to do calculations so they cannot cheat us anymore. We know that we have to register the birth date of our children, the marriage date, etc.. we don’t know our birth date because our parents never did this. So now we can do it.
Siladevi, who is above 50 years old, also shared her experiences about the literacy class. On my other meetings, she hardly spoke with me. She used to come and sit, saying nothing. After attending the literacy class, she has changed lot.

Dinesh: “How are you?”
Siladevi: “I’m fine and how are you?” [This response in itself was quite a step for Siladevi]
Dinesh: “I’m fine. Do you like the class?”

Siladevi: “Oh yes. I have learned to write and read… I can write my name and I can speak in meetings now. If I have a problem with my health, I go to the health post but as you know there are no medicines but at least I can find out what to do. Now I can sell my vegetable. My husband respects me more now."

There are many direct and indirect benefits of these classes for each of these mothers. Literacy class encapsulates the various social benefits; we can sum up these in the following categories:

Mothers’ Literacy and Health

• Literacy is very important in the approach to tackling health problems. Before sickness was seen as a sin or associated with witchcraft. After attending the class, mothers have started going to health posts and have started to visit health clinics. They are aware about nutrition, food, child care, etc.
• Literacy affects cultural and traditional beliefs which impact on health for instance our student, Sita Chaudhary, was sick and before literacy classes her mom used to take her to the witch doctor. Last month her mom talked about her daughter’s sickness to us and we brought her to Kathmandu for treatment. Now, Sita is well and does not have to visit a witch doctor. As well we can see a clear pattern of increasing knowledge of HIV/AIDs among literacy participants. Before these classes the mothers were not privy to such HIV/AIDS education.
• Literacy classes have affected development practices of mothers, including the uptake of family planning, immunization and preventive health care and family health care.

Mothers’ Literacy and Childrens' Education

• As well as taking better care of their child's health, educated mothers have been more likely to send their children to school. We have noted increased school attendance when the mothers' attended literacy classes.
• Mothers now can help with their child's education.

Mothers’ Literacy and Gender Equality

• From many parts of the world, there is evidence of women gaining access to and challenging ‘male’ domains through participation in adult literacy programs. Women have gained awareness about domestic violence. There are many instances of social mobilization due to literacy programs, tackling gender issues at a community level account for the campaigns against alcohol in many villages.
• Mothers now participate as equals in meetings with males; they raise voices against women suppression and do the different awareness programs for themselves.

Mothers’ Literacy and Social Development

• Literacy has long term positive effects to the Tharu society. Our mothers have become constructive, active and motivated. They are aware of social problems within their community.
• Alcoholism is rampant in these areas. But now the literate mothers are convincing and teaching the males, their husbands and children, about the bad effects of it, and the consumption of local alcohol is decreasing.

“Watching letters form a meaning”
Dinesh Raj Sapkota

Child Rights Conference 23 - 28 March 2010

2010-05-08T15:44:00.000+05:30

Creating Possibilities recently conducted a Child Rights Conference in collaboration with International Institute for the Rights of the Child - IDE, Switzerland. The conference was a follow up to the seminar held in Kathmandu in April 2009 on the theme of "Introduction to Children's Rights: From Theory to Practice". The seminar had started with a motive to advocate for the integration of child rights in the constitution, which the Republic Nepal was preparing to draft for the first time. Since the deadline for the first draft was approaching: 28 May 2010, and the three main political parties of Nepal: the United Communist Party of Nepal - Maoists; the Nepali Congress; and the Communist Party of Nepal – United Marxist and Leninist were negotiating on delicate issues, CP decided to mount its pressure on the relevant stakeholders to the effect that child rights will be enshrined in the new constitution as per the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989.

The Conference started on 23 March and continued for a week until the 28th. It was led by Ms. Yanghee Lee, Professor at Sungkyunkwan University, S. Korea and Chairperson of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child – UNCRC. She was accompanied by Mr. Jean Zermatten, vice-chairperson of UNCRC and the director of IDE. Unfortunately, Mrs Paola Riva Gapany, Deputy Director of IDE, who was to join the team, could not attend due to health reasons.

In the week-long program developed by Creating Possibilities, the two chief guests discussed child rights issues with the heads of the state, political dignitaries, Constituent Assembly (CA) members, the Juvenile Justice (JJ) committee, Child Rights activists and media personnel. They also interacted with children, visited child care centers and a child correction home.

-Visiting Sungava Vocational Training Institute for mentally challenged women

The discussion was primarily based on the concept note presented by the Committee on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles - CFRDP (one of the eleven thematic committees in the CA) to the Constitutional Committee on January 2010.

Both Ms. Lee and Mr. Zermatten highly praised the current chapter on Child Rights in the concept note, heralding it a model for the world to copy. They also commended the process by which the constitution was being drafted. An inclusive approach through wide consultation and feedback, they said, would produce a constitution that every Nepali would be proud to own.

One of their suggestions to the political leaders and the CA members was to remember that the children issues often get sidelined by dominating issues like that of women, minority, disabled, etc. because the children have to rely on adults to voice opinions on their behalf. Throughout the meetings, Ms. Lee and Mr. Zermatten relentlessly emphasized the need to listen to children as they were Nepal's human capital and future who could put Nepal in a different level in the global map. Ms. Lee also advised the Prime Minister, Mr. Madhav Kumar Nepal, to form an inter-ministerial coordinating body under his chairmanship so that the children issues get directly addressed and their future properly mapped out. Prime Minster Nepal promised to immediately form such a coordinating body.

-Meeting the Nepali children

In conferences and discussions with various non-political organizations, Ms. Lee and Mr. Zermatten sought to raise awareness of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989 and the need to align Nepal's policies and law in accordance with it.

-Weena Pun

Creating Possibilities Nepal

2008-09-14T09:28:00.001+05:30

Creating Possibilities Nepal