Good Neighbors International: Empowering people, transforming communities
Introduction
Good Neighbors International (GNI) is an international development and humanitarian organization that empowers people in 40 countries across the world through socioeconomic development activities. Employing an integrated child-centered community development approach, Good Neighbors International (GNI) has been working in Nepal since 2002 for improving the lives of poor people, especially children through child protection, education, income generation, health services, water, sanitation and hygiene, disaster risk reduction/climate change adaptation, and advocacy programs. GNI Nepal has child rights and child protection programs in 22 districts for empowering children to make them capable of claiming their rights and promote their holistic development.
Empowering people, transforming communities
Good Neighbors exists to make the world a place without hunger, where people live together in harmony. We respect the human rights of our neighbors suffering from poverty, disasters and oppression, and help them to be self-reliant and have hope.
Achievements of the past five years
Children in Nepal are at risk of child labor, child marriage, trafficking, malnutrition, and other ills. GNI Nepal's child protection program is based on the rights-based approach, and underpinned by the principles of nondiscrimination, respect for the views of the child, and zero tolerance of child exploitation and abuse. Raising awareness of the right holders (children) so that they can claim their rights and assisting duty bearers (families, communities, and state) to deliver them is GNI Nepal's top priority. GNI Nepal works with children, students, child clubs, local governments, grassroots organizations, non-governmental organizations, networks, and government line agencies for promoting child rights and child protection.
GNI Nepal actively engages in strengthening and mobilizing child protection mechanism; capacity development of and sensitization of stakeholders; promoting child participation and capacitate for claiming their right; and child case management. Under the children-for-children approach, GNI Nepal forms/reforms school-based child clubs, provides them logistic support, and builds their capacity on child rights and child protection, leadership and grassroots advocacy, wall-magazine publication, and child club management. Complementing it, child protection committees and grassroots child protection mechanisms are formed and mobilized.
Adolescents take part in an awareness-raising deuda event organized with GNI Nepal's support
Working together with children, child clubs, schools, and local governments, GNI Nepal sensitizes and promotes participation of children so that they are able to deal with child protection issues at home, school, and in their community. Along with capacity development, GNI Nepal helps local governments to formulate and implement child protection policies that contribute to institutionalize and make grassroots child protection systems sustainable.
In the past five years, a combined effort of duty bearers (government agencies, community, school, family, civil society), right holders (children, adolescents) and GNI Nepal has resulted in:
1. 330 child clubs formed/reformed and were empowered on CRC and other child rights protocols.
2. 116 child clubs prepared action plans for fighting against child rights violations and conducted progress-monitoring meetings.
3. 236 child clubs were oriented on Child Friendly Local Governance (122) and DRR (114).
4. 2,938 child club members were empowered with leadership training, life skills and self-protection training.
5. 13,762 children, 3,000 community members and 1,275 community-level stakeholders were sensitized/trained on CRC; against early child marriage, child trafficking and child sexual abuse and child protection issues.
6. 2,250 children and grassroots stakeholders participated 40 grassroots and two national-level Balkachaharis (stakeholder dialogues).
7. 5,336 child club members participated in co-curricular activities organized with support from GNI Nepal.
8. 160 child clubs used complaint boxes to uncover and solve problems and issues concerning their counterparts.
9. 162 child clubs regularized discussions on child protection issues.
10. 86 child clubs published monthly wall-magazines.
11. 78 child protection committees formed/reformed at different municipal, rural municipal as well as school level and sensitized on child rights.
12. 76 child marriages about-to-happen faced disruption attempts from child clubs.
13. 6 local governments supported to formulate child marriage elimination strategies.
14. 350,000 people reached weekly through radio drama against child marriage.
15. Child Helpline - 1098 in Bajura is in operation since 2018.
Membres of Sunadevi Child Club participate in a child protection training
Child club curbs child marriage
In June, Nanda Saud (name changed) was all set to marry‒off his underage daughter. Members of Sunadevi Child Club came to know about it and immediately informed the police, the Ward Chairperson and gathered a large number of children, and marched straight into the marriage ceremony.
At first, Nanda thought that the children were there to help. But when they asked the age of bride-to-be and groom, he was left searching for words, and visibly nervous. He knew that child marriage had been outlawed in Nepal. It was a criminal offence, and he could go to jail for it.
Meanwhile he was thinking, “invitees and these pesky children would eat, drink, enjoy the feast, and leave”. Never in a million years, he had imagined that he would have to call off the marriage.
In 2019, Sunadevi Child Club succeeded in stopping six child marriages. The club has also filed two cases of “child elopement” with the Child Protection Committee and Area Police Station.
We assisted Sunadevi Child Club’s reformation at the start of academic session 2076 (April 2019) and provided them logistic support and training. Prior to that, the club’s work was limited to a few school events.
“GNI Nepal-provided trainings have instilled determination in the club members for curbing child marriage in Ladagada”, notes Ward Chairperson, Lal Bahadur Kadayat.
Child activists express their solidarity against child marriage in the national-level stakeholder dialogue held in Kathmandu
These adolescent activists are working vigorously to spread awareness against child marriage among their friends and neighboring communities, which the Ladagada Rural Municipality also aims to completely curb within the next three years.
A grave risk for adolescent children in the districts GNI Nepal works is child marriage. Since 2017, GNI Nepal has been raising awareness, building capacity, and mobilizing local level child protection related institutions in an effort to ending the vice of child and early marriages in Nepal.
Stakeholder dialogue against child marriage
Since 2018, GNI Nepal has been organizing stakeholder dialogues on the issues of children in Darchula, Bajura, Doti, Kailali, Humla, Mugu, Bardiya, Myagdi, Parbat, Kaski, Gorkha, Kathmandu, and Lalitpur districts of Bagmati , Gandaki , Karnali , and Sudurpaschim Provinces. These stakeholder dialogues are called Balkachahari. Children and grassroots stakeholders participate in municipal, provincial and national-level Balkachaharis. Children, students, child club members, teachers, parents, elected officials, local and provincial government authorities, I/NGO representatives dialog and discuss ways to combat child marriage.
Discussants have been highlighting poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, traditional social norms, culture, and practices, spread of social media, weak enforcement of laws, and lack of awareness as major contributors to the scourge of child marriage in their communities. Participating children have asked thought-provoking questions to local government representatives, police personnel, child rights activists, political leaders, and stakeholders such as:
• Why are some political leaders reluctant to speak against child marriages happening in their constituencies? Rather they participate in such marriages and enjoy the feast without any shame?
• What measures/plans have been adopted by the local governments for mitigating child marriage?
• What plans rural municipalities have for strengthening the capacity of child-clubs and child protection committees?
• Why cases against child marriage are not allowed to be registered at the police offices?
• What punitive measures/legislation is in place for penalizing child sexual offenders?
• How and where the funds earmarked for child sector get spent?
Prominent personalities working for child rights and child protection take part in a panel discussion at national-level balkachhahari held in Kathmandu
Even after decades of effort, campaigning, and action, millions of children in Nepal are deprived of their fundamental rights to education, nutrition, self-determination, and health care. Apart from persistent issues of child marriage, sexual abuse, child labor, and neglect, children in Nepal are at risk from new forms of online abuse, bullying, predation, etc.
In Nepal, 32.8 percent females and 9 percent males are married before the age of 18 (Nepal Multiple indicator cluster survey 2019). Child marriage is not only a violation of a number of rights of children outlined in CRC, but it also has severe implications for the child’s health, particularly the child bride. Child labor is also a major protection issue in Nepal. An estimated 286,000 children under the age of 17 are involved in waged labor (Nepal Labour Force Survey Report 2017/18). Child labor deprives the children of their rights to have education and health care services and hinders their physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. Children because of their age and limited physical development are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Against this backdrop of persistent and emerging child protection issues, in the coming five years, GNI Nepal aims at:
I) Strengthening child protection system at the local level
1. Mapping of child protection committees
2. Formation/re-formation of child protection committees
3. Training for child protection actors, and local government officials
4. Strengthening child case reporting mechanism
5. Research/assess child right issues
6. Policy/guideline formulation and implementing them at the local government level
II) Sensitizing children for making them capable of claiming their rights
1. Formation/re-activation of child clubs and networks
2. Capacity development of child clubs and networks
3. Organization of awareness-raising/social action events through child clubs
4. Life skills training for children
5. Complaint handling mechanism establishment and operation
6. Capacity development of children on complaint handling mechanism operation
Local government officials in Doti endorse child marriage elimination strategy at a public event
III) Promoting preventive and responsive support systems at household and societal levels
1. Community awareness-raising campaigns
2. Training for parents, and community members on child rights
3. Research/studies on child protection issues
4. Advocacy/social dialogue events
5. Immediate response for needy children and their families
6. Support to run Child Helpline 1098
For more information:
Website: www.gninepal.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gninepal.org
Instagram: www.instagram.com/gninepal
YouTube: www.youtube.com/gninepal
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gni-nepal/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GNI_Nepal
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@gninepal
Editorial: Nepal COP-ing badly
The effects of climate change are visible all across Nepal: the melting glaciers, drastic changes in rainfall patterns accompanied by unseasonal floods and landslides, thick smog in cities, loss of crops, new diseases. Yet the country does a poor job of making its case before the global community, largely because it lacks robust data to back its anecdotal claims. Thus while the likes of Bhutan and Bangladesh, two of its South Asian neighbors, have been able to garner global attention thanks to their data-driven approach, Nepal’s cries for help in dealing with climate change continue to fall on deaf ears.
During the recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Nepal made common cause with other Least Development Countries (LDCs) and highlighted how these countries suffer disproportionately from a changing climate even though their own carbon footprints are negligible. The group also made an impassioned plea for greater resources to fight climate change in their midst. But the rich countries—also the ones with the biggest carbon footprints—were noncommittal. They were reluctant to make financial commitments to amend for their historical wrongs or to help other countries deal with climate change.
Also read: Editorial: Undercutting federalism
At COP26, Nepal also highlighted the growing vulnerabilities of those living in mountainous areas and linked a spate of recent natural disasters here to a fast-changing climate. It committed to getting to ‘net zero’ (whereby a country sucks up more carbon than it emits) by 2045, five years earlier than its prior commitment of 2050. The problem is that both its pleas and commitments are likely to be ignored. Again, the problem is lack of research and our tendency to commit without enough homework.
As the effects of climate change become pronounced, Nepal will have to be more adept in making its case, or it will be no more than a bystander in global climate negotiations. This will mean potential loss of billions of dollars that could otherwise have gone into cleaning up our own environment and resettling and rebuilding communities most affected by climate change. A poor, naturally-vulnerable country does not have that luxury.
Eating Out | For a lick of luscious laphing
With the growing popularity of Tibetian laphing in Kathmandu, quite a few places have opened in town to serve this spicy and cold mung bean noodle dish. Cool Brother’s Laphing, located in Ekantakuna Chowk, is one of those hidden gems for laphing lovers looking for an authentic taste.
The eatery was started by eight brothers nearly 17 years ago. The laphing here is spicy and tingles all your tastebuds. A quick stop by after a long day into this peaceful neighborhood to grab a plate of laphing will surely relax you no end.
Cool Brother’s Laphing
Special Dishes:
Chips/Chau chau laphing
Chicken keema noodles
Buff keema noodles
Opening time: 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Location: Ekantakuna
Meal for 2: Rs 400
‘Ma Yesto Geet Gauchu 2’ set for Jan release
Nepali movie ‘Ma Yesto Geet Gauchu 2’ is scheduled for release on 4 January 2022, according to director Sudarshan Thapa. The movie had originally been lined up for a pre-pandemic release.
Making public the new poster of the film on Facebook, Thapa said this is the time to restart the entire Nepali film industry.
Actors Pooja Sharma and Pal Shah play the lead roles while Thapa, Sharma, and Janmajay Sampang Rai are the movie’s producers.
Crossfire launches the new and updated Tracker 250
‘Classic wheels Export and Import’, the official importer of Crossfire Motorcycles in Nepal, has finally launched the new version of the Tracker 250 motorcycle today. Crossfire is all set to revolutionize the dual-sport motorcycle segment in Nepal with it’s new and updated Tracker 250 edition.
Back in August, the newly launched Tracker 250 was a game changer. Now the newly launched Tracker 250 edition is enhanced to ensure even greater performance with refined power, greater efficiency, improved mileage, superior handling, and a touch of modern look to add to its retro beauty.
The new Tracker 250 edition is now available for booking. You can receive a free helmet along with Rs. 5,000 cash discount for every booking or purchase made before 28 November 2021.
For more information: 01-4016070/01-4016062, www.crossfirenepal.com.
Nepal SBI Bank still misusing employees’ money
Nepal SBI Bank continues to deduct salaries of employees to contribute to the Social Security Fund without their consent, its employees inform. ApEx had first reported on this on September 30.
Following protests by various employees of various banks against the SSF and a writ filed in the Supreme Court, the court had issued a stay on the government decision making it mandatory for all banks to participate in the SSF program. Other banks then refrained from sending their employee’s money to the SSF—but not Nepal SBI Bank.
Nepal SBI management had then agreed to refund the employees’ money it had deposited with the SSF, but now the bank has reneged on its promise. It continues to deduct employees’ salary and deposit the amount in the SSF, against the court order, an employee tells ApEx.
The bank has pressed ahead with its decision to take part in the fund’s programs in the last month of the previous fiscal, even as a petition filed by employees of various banks remains under consideration at the court.
Also read: Central bank flags NCC Bank’s wrongdoing
Before the government rolled out the SSF, Nepal SBI employees had their own Employees’ Provident Fund. But the bank has also stopped sending money to the fund.
For the first few weeks of protests, employees worked with a black band on their arms to express their displeasure.
They stopped doing so as the employees’ union got increasingly worried about the bank’s public image. “The bank management seems to have seen our restraint as a weakness and still refuses to hear us out,” says another disappointed employee who is also a member of the union.
The union has also leveled other charges against the bank. It has accused the bank of not maintaining accurate records of money sent to the Employees’ Provident Fund, not transferring employees working in rural areas to urban areas for a long time, and cutting down on different perks.
First Girl’s Legend Cup held at Siddhipur
Mahalakshmi Municipality-6 Siddhipur and Legend Futsal in collaboration with Guna Airlines organized the “First Girl’s Legend Cup” at Tikathali-5, Thatikot on October 31 and November 1.
A total of seven schools participated in the competition. Shree Siddhi Mangal Secondary School won the title of the school level “First Girl Legend Cup Futsal”. Mount Olive School came second and Bhanodaya Secondary School third. Ritisa Shrestha, a student of Kopila English Secondary School, became the top scorer of the competition.
Mayor of Mahalakshmi Municipality Rameshwar Shrestha, Chairman of Mahalakshmi Municipality Ward No. 6 Vasudev Maharjan, and Managing Director of Guna Airlines Diprash Shakya presented trophies, medals and cash prizes to the winning schools and participating players on the occasion.
Breaking the norms that set young girls behind from the early years, and such tournaments aim to bring a revolution in our community. All participants showed utmost team spirit and has proved sports sees no gender, acknowledged Diprash Shakya.
Editorial: Undercutting federalism
Federalism is not supposed to function like this. In the federal system Nepal has adopted, each of the three tiers of government—federal, provincial and local—is autonomous, free to exercise a range of rights except in a few constitutionally-defined domains. The three tiers are independently elected as well. But what we see is the heads of major national parties chopping and changing not just the federal but also provincial governments at their will.
The chief ministers of five of the seven provinces have changed following the ouster of the KP Oli government in Kathmandu and the elevation of Sher Bahadur Deuba as the new prime minister. And the ceremonial heads of all seven provinces have also been changed—and repeatedly—well before the expiry of their five-year term. The party heads clearly see the provincial governments as no more than extensions of the government in Kathmandu, making Nepal a unitary state in all but name. It also boosts those who have always argued that the federal system is unsuited for Nepal.
Also read: Editorial: Remove Rana
But we would know about the desirability of the federal system only after it comes into operation. The leaders of major parties seem determined not to devolve powers and to continue to be kingmakers at the provincial level as well. This not only makes the federal system unstable. It also lessens the salience of regional issues. If the provincial chief ministers and governors have to spend most of their time keeping their bosses in Kathmandu happy, they will be able to do little meaningful work in the provinces. They will also tend to ignore provincial issues that aren’t directly tied to national politics.
One could treat all these as teething problems of the new federal republic and hope they are resolved as federalism in Nepal matures. But how can it mature if its progenitors are determined to keep it in infancy? Things in fact will get worse unless our top leaders internalize the importance of federalism for Nepal.
