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Harkening back to 2004, seven scholars after their doctoral degree from renowned Universities abroad were wandering and pondering while chasing a key question “what new initiative shall be done in Nepal to make a breakthrough in the development”. The founder members had a strong conviction that there is a dire need for policy reform based on the research-based evidence in Nepal and they came up with an idea to start up a policy research institute in Nepal that resulted in the establishment of Nepal Development Research Institute (NDRI). NDRI stands today as a leading Think Tank in Nepal, working independently and free from partisans. NDRI aims to carry out research activities on contemporary issues related to development and advancement of society, and to provide substantive analytical inputs for policy making on contemporary issues through rigorous research and dissemination of findings. NDRI comprises an interdisciplinary team of experts/researchers working in the field of Agriculture, Livelihood and Food Security; Water and Climate; Heath, Education and Environment; Economic Development; Disaster Risk Management, and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). The beneficiaries of NDRI’s activities include government institutions, international organizations (bilateral and multilateral), universities, and research institutes. The activities of NDRI are divided into four strands: Policy Research, Data-Based Research, Events and Publication. Through Policy Research, NDRI identifies pertinent subjects in contemporary issues, collects data/information and analyzes, runs discourses with an interface between the policymakers and scientists, and prepares research papers and policy briefs. Some of the pertinent issues being researched in NDRI include, not limited to: Foreign Direct Investment, Water induced disasters such as Floods and Landslides, Tobacco economics, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, GESI and Mycotoxin in food commodities. NDRI has covered all 77 districts of Nepal for the database research such as for impact assessment of development interventions done by both the government agencies and other collaborators. Organizing interactive platforms such as workshops, seminars, dialogue inviting critical masses from diverse sectors, and webinars are the regular activities of NDRI. NDRI gives importance to producing knowledge products such as peer-reviewed journal articles, reports, factsheets, and policy briefs that have great value for scientific communities and national stakeholders.  Some of the notable publications/works of NDRI include: Railway development in Nepal: NDRI published a peer-reviewed proceeding report titled “Railways Development in Nepal” in 2009 which recommended ample prospects for railway development in Nepal. The proceeding came from the expert’s consultation from countries where Railways have been playing an instrumental role for their economic development such as Japan, India, and others.  This report is considered as the first paving stone for the Railways development which played a prominent role to conceive the trust in the possibility of the railway development in Nepal. Food Security Atlas:  NDRI, in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) and National Planning Commission (NPC) has prepared the Food Security Atlas in 2010 (First edition) and in 2020 (Second edition). This is the only Food Security Atlas in Nepal that has widely been used as a decision supporting document. Tobacco control program: It is well known that Nepal belongs to one of the least taxpayer countries in the world for tobacco which is 37 percent (excise duty) while the WHO recommendation is 75 percent. The repercussion of this paradoxical lowest tax rate has led Nepal to be one of the countries with high prevalence of tobacco consumers (32 percent) and significant GDP loss in health (1.04 percent). The Tobacco Control Program of NDRI has succeeded in convincing the Government of Nepal to increase the excise duty by 25 percent and 20 percent in the fiscal year budget 2021/22 and 2022/23, respectively. Climate change impact on urban flooding: Increased rainfall extremes cause severe urban flooding in cities across the globe with adverse socio-economic consequences. NDRI analyzed historical extreme rainfall patterns across Kathmandu city and used these as the basis for future projections in combination with a range of General Circulation Models. Future projections of extreme rainfall were then fed into the flood inundation model HAIL-CAESAR (Lisflood) for Kathmandu using a high-resolution digital elevation model. The results show that the future flood magnitude and extent (hazard) will increase. The historical 100-year return period flood will correspond to a 25-year period future flood. This analysis has served as a scientific basis to assess future flood-induced risk in Kathmandu in response to climate change. 19 years of service excellence NDRI has been continuously providing service since 19 years. It celebrated its 19 anniversary on 13 April 2022. It was an honor for NDRI to have Bindu N Lohani, Former Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Distinguished Fellow, Emerging Markets Forum, USA as a Key Speaker with the guest presence of Ram Manohar Shrestha, Emeritus Professor of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. Also, NDRI feels the privilege to have the presence of Ambassadors and Deputy Chief Mission from various countries. Challenges and recommendations Despite several success stories in the course of 19 years of services, NDRI is no exception to different challenges, those include inadequate policy of the government to govern research institutes, inadequate sense of authorities on the need for research and evidence on decision making, and inadequate capacity of research institutes. NDRI is persistently advocating the need for a policy to govern think tank research institutes. The government shall operate some research funds for think tank institutes which shall be accessed through a competitive basis i.e. call for proposals in specific sectors to address the relevant issues. Equally important is to make designated provisions to monitor and evaluate think tanks and research institutes in appropriate ways. Similarly, there is a dire need for the provision of ethical approval of research pertaining to varied sectors for the consistent regulation. Last but not the least, the state should consider the research capacity development through universities and research institutes, making them resourceful with a strategic plan and linking with the strategic development of Nepal.

The ability to access finances and borrow money can be transformational for many families; however, there are many in Nepal—particularly the marginalized and low-income—who often miss out on formal lending products for housing because there is nothing on the market that can service their needs or is affordable. Instead, they remain vulnerable in the inadequate houses they live in, often suffering from overcrowding, lack of privacy, lack of sanitary facilities, and poorly built structures. Since its founding in 1997, Habitat Nepal has provided housing services to over 70,000 households and has developed a network of valued local partners to carry out its housing initiatives. Habitat for Humanity Nepal employs a holistic approach to long-term shelter solutions by developing better alliances with government agencies, leveraging government resources, fostering ties with local partners, and pursuing expansion through housing microfinance and market development programs. The market penetration of housing microfinance products for low-income families is still relatively low. Habitat Nepal’s market research for housing microfinance found that there is a sizable gap between supply and demand because microfinance institutions (MFIs) have little experience with housing microfinance. The lack of appropriate and affordable housing finance options only exacerbates Nepal’s housing challenges. Often financial institutions view low-income marginalized people as high risk and high cost due to their frequent small transactions and difficult-to-reach locations. The collateral requirements of commercial banks and the mortgage market in Nepal are still in their early stages, with the total amount of home mortgage loans outstanding as a percentage of GDP being 6.67 percent in 2019, whereas a country like Australia has 94.7 percent in the same year. Commercial and development banks and finance companies provide home loans, and due to the requirement of collateral and proof of income sources, low-income families do not qualify for such financing. Microfinance, on the other hand, can overcome these obstacles by assisting low-income households in balancing their income flows and setting money aside for the future. Due to various challenges and unavailability of medium to long-term on-lending funds, Nepal’s microfinance institutions struggle to reach large numbers of low-income households through housing microfinance services. Many MFIs in the nation offer short-term loans to low-income families for income generation purposes. MFIs can address the need for housing finance to low-income households by offering affordable loans that could be both profitable and offer transformational social change for families. Though MFIs have networks that can reach these communities, they still need partnerships to enhance their technical capabilities to deliver housing microfinance services targeting low-income families. A competitive and stable marketplace comprising various providers is also essential to the financial inclusion landscape. One of the biggest MFIs in Nepal, Jeevan Bikas Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (JBLBSL), made the decision to extend the housing-related services to low-income households. The decision to offer housing was carefully thought out after taking into account a number of aspects, including: the enormous gap between the supply and demand for housing microfinance solutions; JBLBSL’s vision of improving the lives of low-income households; JBLBSL’s parent organization history and background related to the housing sector; JBLBSL's long-term business strategy. With the objective of introducing a client-centric housing finance solution that addresses the markets' pain points and promotes adequate housing for low-income households, JBLBSL collaborated with Habitat for Humanity Nepal and Habitat’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter to develop a viable housing product. Officials from JBLBSL have observed that housing loan borrowers now feel a greater sense of security, dignity, and social ties; their families or friends are able to visit and stay. A business case study of housing microfinance at JBLBSL reveals the positive impacts on families, with 65 percent of respondents feeling more respect and dignity in their communities, 57 percent feeling more cooperation from their social groups, 55 percent feeling more security for their lives and property, 49 percent expressing improved social relationships, and 41 percent feeling better about their credit because they can now access loans secured by their homes.  Improved housing has had a positive impact on people's health, increasing their capacity to work, reducing illness frequency by 59 percent, reducing cases of water-borne infections by 43 percent, and lowering medical expenses for their families by 43 percent. The children now have access to a separate place for studying and reading, which has improved their learning environment. Homes became more pleasant thanks to better lighting brought on by access to electricity and ventilation via built-in windows. 98 percent of respondents to the household survey believed that better housing contributed to better educational outcomes. Housing microfinance loans' most significant and direct benefit is the reduction in house maintenance costs. The decrease in home maintenance costs is the most substantial and immediate advantage of housing microfinance loans. Families spent Rs 10,000 to 20,000 ($ 84 to 168) on maintenance and repair on average every six months. However, 76 percent of respondents said their home maintenance costs have decreased. Additionally, 59 percent stated that they now had easier access to loans from other financial institutions since they could use the collateral of their new home. Other savings were seen in the form of expenses or profits from rentals. With technical support and collaboration with Habitat for Humanity Nepal, JBLBSL applied a human-centered design, which kept the end client’s needs at the center while developing the housing microfinance product. Therefore, a client-centric product can attract large numbers of low-income families who are in need of home improvements. Similarly, such a process would help to diversify the loan product and ultimately could enhance the sustainability of the institution.

The Bhutanese people of southern Bhutan who are the ethnic Nepali in origin were forced to leave the country after the Government’s crackdown on the political upheavals and demonstration against it for its human right violation. These people were housed at the bed of river Mai at the beginning (1991-1992) and placed in the seven different camps of Jhapa and Morang districts of Nepal. The children had no future if they were barred from education. The refugee leaders, teachers, and the Student Union of Bhutan (SUB) approached CN in late 1991 for the educational assistance to run the school at the bank of the river.  The positive response of CN then became the source of consolation and joy for the deprived future citizens of the world.  Ashish Gurung the then Director of CN came forward with textbooks, exercise books, and stationery and distributed them in the open classroom of the river bed in late November 1991. The first school in the refugee camp was named ‘Panchaoti English School’. There were around 200 children of different grades at the start with 15 teachers. Some people instead of coming to river Mai had gone to Timai where another school had started with around 130 children and 11 teachers. Subsequently, as the number of people increased, they were shifted to seven different camps. The people had left behind everything but had carried the source of inspiration and the thirst for education with them. Hence, as the camps were getting established, open ground school was started in each camp.  CN was the source of inspiration and support for the teaching/learning materials and school structures at that time. In November 1992, a school management committee was formed named as Bhutan Refugee Education Coordinating Committee (BRECC). CN was the advisory and sponsoring organization. In 1993, UNHCR came forward to support primary education but would not work with refugee organizations directly. BRECC requested CN to be the implementing partner of UNHCR for the education of refugee children. The then existing portfolios of BRECC went under the umbrella of CN and the program was named as Bhutanese Refugee Education Program (BREP). BREP streamlined the school administration and strengthened the office set-up.  With the number of people increasing in camp, the students’ population was also increasing. The nine main schools had limited space for class-rooms. Moreover, the smaller children lacked special care. So, in 1994 sector schools were created as the satellite schools in each sector of the camp, reaching 42 units in 1995. The highest number of students recorded was 40,208 in the 2000-2001 academic session.  Involvement of CN in non-formal refugee education Speaking English classes: For the adults aged 25 and above, these classes were informally started and run in 1993 but and later it got proper shape when the third country resettlement program started. Most of the people felt the need to learn English in the country of resettlement.  Play station for children: started by AHURA Bhutan and SCF, in 2001, CN looked after with the support from JRS Singapore.   Vocational training: The World Food Program-Vocational Training (WFP-VT) was initiated in 1998 for the school drop-outs. Out of the total vocational training, 75 percent of seats were reserved for the refugee community and the remaining 25 percent was for the local community. Later, it was made 50/50. From 2007 with the planning of third country resettlement, UNHCR also came forward and started funding for vocational training. Courses like beautician, hotel catering, housekeeping and caregivers, basic electronic goods servicing and freeze repair are given to the participants. These skills are in demand in the countries of resettlement. Youth Friendly Centers (YFC): A common platform for the youths of 18 to 25 years of age for knowledge enhancement, physical development, creative work, and social service, started in 2006 to centralize their attention and prevent antisocial activities. Different games/sports activities are carried out by the youths. Skill development training, dissemination of information to the community through skits, awareness programs and through personal contacts is being carried out. At the time of emergency like fire/flood, the youths are in the forefront for their free service. Care for the needy through mentor is also carried out by YFC.  Host community support program: This platform was initiated to enhance the host community public schools. Support like teaching/learning materials, science lab materials, computers, printers, projectors, generators and different workshops and training to the students and the teachers were provided. With the decreasing number of refugee population and large-scale resettlement process, UNHCR and Caritas’ strategy is diverted to promote alternative durable solutions for the access of education to the remaining refugee children in the camps. As a result of sustained advocacy efforts with local and central level government authorities, a total of 180 refugee students from grade nursery to X from Sanischare camp and around 100 refugee students of grade IX and X from Beldangi camp are enrolled in nearby host community public school from the previous academic session 2018-19. By the end of December 2020, despite a lockdown due to covid, out of 793 (389 Female), 569 students (289 Female), had enrolled in the host community public schools. Textbooks, note books and school uniforms were supported by CN under the UNHCR/Caritas fund for all the school going children by the end of December 2020.  After serving for more than two decades in the Bhutanese refugee camp Caritas’ strategy was to promote alternative durable solutions for access to education for remaining refugee children in the camps after the large scale of resettlement till 2016. Caritas along with UNHCR continued its involvement in advocacy to the local and central level government. With the intensive advocacy effort with local and central level government authorities, Bhutanese Refugee students got access to nearby to host community public schools. Upon request from the Camp Management Committee (CMC), Caritas Nepal helped to retain the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) inside the refugee camp to maintain a conducive learning environment for small kids (3-5 years of age). With the funding support of Caritas Korea Caritas Nepal is now supporting the ECDC with stationery items, school uniforms, Day meals, etc. and for effective teaching number of workshop has been organized for the teachers/facilitators of ECDC. 

Sundari, 11, has an intellectual disability that causes memory and learning difficulties. With the support of Handicap International in Nepal, she’s enrolled in a class adapted to her needs. A fifth grader, Sundari lives in a dormitory at the school, which is more than 60 miles away from her home. Her favorite subject is science. She recently made a presentation to her classmates in which she drew an animal cell on the whiteboard and talked about its different parts. “I want to become a doctor one day to save people’s lives and help the elderly,” Sundari explains. Sundari spends most of her time with her best friend, Bipana. Together, they play Ludo, a strategy board game that is Sundari’s favorite. “Sundari is very open and friendly,” Bipana says. “She sometimes gets angry, but I can calm her down really quickly.” The resource class in Sundari’s school caters to 30 students with disabilities. Children learn the Nepali and English alphabets, numbers, words, body parts, as well as hygiene and self-care. When they’re ready, students join their classmates for inclusive lessons. “Sundari was enrolled in the resource class – a class where children with intellectual disabilities study together—when she was 5 years old,” explains her teacher, Bhupendra Bhandari. “She was enrolled during her early childhood development years and has since progressed to mainstream classes. She is now second in her class.” Children in resource classes range in age from 7 to 17, with some even in their 20s. Like Sundari, some transition to mainstream classes after a few years in a resource class. Over the past four years, the school’s resource class has been supported by Handicap International and its local partner Human Rights, Social Awareness and Development Center. Resource classes welcome children with a range of disabilities, including sensory and intellectual disabilities. Only 380 of Nepal’s more than 30,000 schools have resource classes, and Handicap International supports 50 of them. Teams provide educational materials adapted to the needs of children with disabilities, including braille books or sign language learning mobile applications. Other support materials include foam letters, word cards, toy balls, storybooks in local languages and stationery. Educators are also trained to adapt their teaching methods to the needs of children with disabilities. Last school year, HI also provided hygiene kits and school bags to 500 students with disabilities in 46 resource classes across 10 districts to help them continue to learn during the Covid-19 pandemic. HI and its local partners continue to fight for access to education for children with disabilities. Prabin, 5, lives in Jhapa, the southeastern district of Nepal with his parents. He was born without the lower part of his right leg. “Because of the disability of our child we were worried about his future,” says Sunita, Prabin’s mother. A community mobilizer from Community Based Rehabilitation-Biratnagar (CBRB), a local partner organization of Handicap International, met Prabin and referred the family to seek services at the rehabilitation center. At first, Prabin was hesitant to be fitted with an artificial limb. Specialists worked with the boy and his parents to better understand how the device would work, and how it would help him. A month later, the parents were eager to have a new leg. “This was a wonderful change for our little boy, as he quickly accepted the prosthesis and began playing, running, and even jumping like any other child of his age,” Sunita explains. Prabin attends school and loves to play with his toys. Ambika Sharma, a specialist in artificial limbs and orthopedic braces at CBRB, worked with the little boy and his family from the beginning. “Initially, it was challenging to fit Prabin with an artificial limb because he was not accepting,” Sharma says. “But his parents made it possible with their supervision and guidance. It was an amazing experience for us to see him happy with his prosthesis." As Prabin gets older, he will need to be fitted with new devices. “Growth is an important aspect of a child's life,” Sharma continues. “As their bodies change, prostheses have to be adapted or changed in the appropriate manner to accommodate them. Just as they outgrow shirts, pants, and shoes, they will outgrow their prostheses.” Jamuna, 26, from Rasuwa, a central hilly district of Nepal, who is deaf by birth and uses sign language to communicate, started a business venture with her strong will power and with the support of Handicap International. Jamuna left her studies a few years back and could not continue her studies after ninth grade due to a barrier in accessing class in sign language. This is something she regrets till date. Her father had a small piece of land, which was not very productive and barely met the needs of their family. There was not enough left for them to save anything for the future. Jamuna knew about her family’s economic condition and felt a strong sense of responsibility towards that. All her efforts to help her family were in vain as her disability restricted her communication and she could not look for a job opportunity in her community. Her knowledge of sign language empowered her to communicate with others who could understand her or to write notes with others. Thanks to the support from the project, she could build a new cottage and restore her tailoring business, which was badly damaged by the 2015 earthquake. In her community, she is well known for sewing stylish designs for girls and women. "My newly built tailor home gave me plenty of space to work on and enough light made my work so much easier," says Jamuna. She feels more dignified and honored in her family as well as in her community. A few years ago, when she was 20, she learned tailoring and dreamed of becoming a renowned tailor. “My dream turned into reality,” said Jamuna. HI has been present in Nepal since 2000 and works to improve the quality of life and participation of the most vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities. Thanks to the support of HI donors like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), these efforts are possible.