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NRCS’s hotline 1130 is really helpful Sim Bahadur Tamang, a 67-year-old local resident of Kavre District Mandandeupur Municipality-10, who belonged to a middle-class family, used to work based on daily wages to support his family.  He was compelled to do any kind of work in the village like building construction, toilet construction, road construction, and so forth, as he had no other option for work. One day, he heard that there was a job to build disability -friendly toilets in the homes of the people with disabilities in the municipality. So, he also started working and accomplished the task on time. But even after 3-4 months of completion of the work, he did not get paid for his work. He consulted with many people but could not meet the contractor. He was very much worried. One day he heard that the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) constructed the toilets, and a contract was given to a party. He also heard that there was a complaint registration mechanism at NRCS via 1130 (free hotline service).  One day, Sim Bahadur dialed 1130 and complained, “The construction of the toilets in Mandandeupur Municipality-10 was done under the coordination of the Nepal Red Cross Kavre District. As far as we know,  other workers were paid at the rate of Rs 17,000 per day.  Two laborers including me are not paid yet. The task is already completed. Why is this injustice to us?” The hotline operating team at NRCS Headquarters consulted with NRCS Kavre District Chapter. The disability-friendly toilets were constructed under the NRCS lead program named: Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction', financially supported by the Danish Red Cross. Under the program, the understanding was made to build disability-friendly toilets by providing all the required materials and wages for workers to the households having people with disability who do not have disability-friendly toilets in their homes. In total 79 toilets were constructed at a cash cost of Rs 6.5m. Among them, 12 disabled-friendly toilets were constructed in ward 10. There was an agreement between NRCS, the concerned households and the Community Disaster Risk Reduction Committee (CDRRC). NRCS provided the necessary materials for the construction and deposited the amount necessary for skilled and semi-skilled workers in CDRRC’s bank account. After the completion of toilet construction, workers’ wages had to be paid through CDRRC’s account on the basis of their attendance after the recommendation of the concerned household.  The Hotline (1130) team explained the proper ways of getting payment to Sim Bahadur. The team also communicated the issue with the NRCS Sub-Chapter and Ward Chairperson. After being informed from NRCS Hotline (1130) Sim Bahadur consulted NRCS Kavre District Chapter that facilitated his payment. After two days, Sim Bahadur made a call and said, “Thank you very much for doing such a good job by operating the hotline service. If I hadn’t called the hotline I wouldn’t have been paid. Two other laborers including myself got paid on the basis of Rs. 1,700 per day. This is a very huge amount for people like us. Many thanks to the Red Cross. The hotline service is really helpful.” Covid-19 preparedness and response operation Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), having the organizational structure of seven Province Chapters at Provincial level, 77 District Chapters at district level, 1554 Sub-Chapters at local level and 6538 Junior/Youth Red Cross Circles at school, colleges and University, provides humanitarian services to the most vulnerable on the basis of humanity, impartiality and neutrality. NRCS, an auxiliary to the Government in humanitarian services, is guided by the fundamental principles of the Red Cross Movement and serves the most vulnerable to alleviate suffering and save lives and livelihood. Annually it reaches more than 3m people via its different programs and projects, and services such as blood service, ambulance service, eye-care service, first aid service and community care services.  NRCS has been implementing covid Preparedness and Response Operation throughout the country from early February 2020 focusing one awareness raising, vaccination and vaccination centers, holding center management and supporting the most vulnerable on the basis of their needs. NRCS basically targets the people infected with covid and their families, frontline health responders, vulnerable groups such as elderly people, children, pregnant women, people with disability, people with chronic disease, migrant returnees/laborers/workers and people at points of entry, in holding areas, quarantine/isolation centers.  As of 18 August 2022, NRCS has reached more than 7m people directly and indirectly through Covid-19 Response focusing on the following sectors, but not limited to:  Health and care  NRCS supported 1,779,373 people with protective items such as full body personal protective equipment (PPE), coveralls, masks and gloves distributed to front line responders and 408,120 people had been supported to access vaccination service provided by the government. Similarly, 32,527 people including FCHVs, teachers, JYRC, community leaders and active loose forums representatives oriented on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination and 1,733 people reached through various psychosocial first aid service (PFA)/ psychosocial support services (PSS).  Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion  NRCS has directly reached 18,235 people including 2,558 females through hand washing demonstration sessions at point of entry and strategic locations. Furthermore,  11,507 bars of soap, 354 buckets with jugs, 16 water tanks and 3,641 sanitizers and 115 toilet cleaning materials (like toilet brush, toilet cleaner, plunger etc.) distributed in isolation centers, prisons and communities. Similarly, throughout the country, school students, teachers and covid affected family members, trained for preparing reusable sanitary pad, cloth masks including menstrual hygiene management.  Risk Communication and Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) NRCS reached 3,177,280 people through various means of Covid-19 awareness activities for delivering right information on covid and its preventive measures. Similarly, 1,851 people were reached through role play, street drama and other community based activities there by disseminating covid awareness messages including the importance of Covid-19 vaccination. NRCS also operated a feedback collection mechanism from which 1,670 feedbacks were collected.  through various channels of feedback mechanism such as hotline 1130, Face to face and social media. From the Hotline (1130) service, 1,133 calls were received and responded. Queries responded were related to updates on the vaccination center and access for Covid-19 vaccine, booster dose vaccine including information on vaccination availability for children. Furthermore, 71 episodes of Radio programmes aired throughout the nation highlighting the status of covid, vaccine scenario and other pandemic and disasters.  By and large, protection, gender and inclusion (PGI), logistic management and restoring family links and livelihood support are also key priorities of NRCS under the Covid-19 preparedness and response operation.  NRCS provided orientations on violence prevention, referral pathway, child protection and social inclusion to the schools, community and public places. Similarly, supporting dignity kits and providing unconditional cash support to covid affected families (of single women, pregnant women and disability) and supporting the security forces and hospitals with dead body management bags are also important priorities of NRCS.  

“Though the flood happened this year, the loss wasn’t huge. We were able to save our lives, livestock, food, and seeds. We can easily regain our livelihoods.” Wouldn’t it be beautiful to hear this during monsoon-induced disasters rather than hearing of the loss of lives and livelihoods? Practical Action is committed and works with the communities with the same goal. One of the aims of Practical Action is to build resilient communities. Practical Action works with communities in southwestern Nepal and helps them live and thrive despite floods. Over two decades, together with communities and local governments, we have been able to save lives through effective disaster preparedness and a state-of-the-art flood early warning system. Coordination has been done with all tiers of governments to demonstrate the community resilience wins, and advocate to systematize these wins to help allocate more investments for climate resilient and disaster risk reduction development planning and implementation.  Communities as changemakers Practical Action starts with the communities. The communities are at the forefront of climate-induced disasters. With proper training, skill, and social organization they have taken over as changemakers through our community-based early warnings system and disaster preparedness programs. These communities come together and form Community Disaster Management Committees (CDMCs), which are voluntary, grass-root community-based organizations composed of community members, women, and youths.  These micro institutions represent their communities for disaster risk planning with the local governments and various stakeholders and are the entry point to reach communities living at disaster risks. There are additional task forces for first aid, early warning, and search and rescue that volunteer for the community focusing on the most vulnerable people. They have developed a mechanism to raise disaster management funds within the community. The CDMCs coordinate with various other stakeholders to improve community resilience.   Bangaun CDMC of Kailali is one of the CDMCs that Practical Action has helped form just like in the other 25 communities in western Nepal. This CDMC has been actively supporting its communities to prepare effectively for the monsoon. Despite the uncertain situation aggravated by covid, the CDMC has also been responsive in managing the mixed vulnerability. This CDMC has experience in dealing with extreme events. In 2010/11, the flood wreaked havoc in Bangaun. But thanks to effective community-led disaster risk reduction and management. The communities have since been much safer despite the extreme tantrums of monsoon. Practical Action initially worked to improve community flood resilience including preparedness, structural and non-structural mitigation measures, and resilient livelihoods. Later, Practical Action worked with CDMCs like the one in Bangaun Village to enhance their knowledge and actions for flood resilience through training, regular meetings, follow-ups, social mobilization, and annual mock flood simulations. Community members and municipality stakeholders have hailed the CDMC for being very proactive and resourceful in disaster risk reduction and management. Helping communities thrive despite floods Keeping people’s lives safe from floods is not enough. It is also important that floods do not impact assets and businesses so that they can recover quickly and get back to their normal lives and livelihoods with minimal damage. Practical Action also works with communities that lie alongside these river channels and tributaries and helps them build their resilience to these floods so that they can survive and thrive despite floods. We employ a unique approach to building resilience. We use Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities (FRMC) to unpack and understand the flood resilience capacities of communities. This framework is based on five capitals and 44 sources of resilience. After completion of the survey, the results are graded into four categories. The grades are shared with communities based on which the communities identify necessary interventions that could help improve their resilience. Resilience interventions could be from any of the livelihood capitals (human, social, financial, physical, natural) Amongst many interventions guided by the FRMC, Sita Tharu and Pradeshini Tharu from Murghawa chose banana farming as livelihood interventions. It is their first attempt to plant bananas, which they started after receiving training from Practical Action. They started banana farming in their joint 14 kattha land. This is a joint effort where these families got together and invested jointly in their flood-prone land; that had been turned barren after floods from Karnali.  Such efforts are made to enable the communities through training to diversify livelihoods and promote cash crops in riverbed areas. Banana farming has been doing very well. They have been able to earn more income and spend on their children’s education and family well-being. They can save and invest in community cooperatives, which will help them in hard times.  Innovation and Policies to support building the resilience of the communities  With the learnings and evidence from our community-based initiatives, we have influenced the policies of local, provincial, and federal governments. We have received requests from and supported rural/municipalities to build local disaster and climate resilience plans (LDCRP). These LDCRPs have been formed based on the federal draft guidelines of LDCRP from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA). The main objective of these LDCRPs is to mainstream climate-smart risk-informed, resilient development planning and implementation at local government levels. It will also help these municipalities to prioritize climate-smart and risk-informed programs and help receive co-funding support from other government and nongovernment programs and projects.  As per priorities identified in the LDCRP of Rajapur Municipality, the community received an additional budget of NPR 8,62,000 to build a wall around the irrigation canal in Chakkhapur from another organization. Similarly, the municipality allocated NPR 1,000,000 for the communities of Tighra to build a similar wall structure around an irrigation canal.  Practical Action has also conducted numerous research that has supported as evidence in national advocacy for climate and resilience. Practical Action conducted extensive research and proposed an assessment framework to assess and address climate-induced loss and damage in Nepal. The assessment framework was based on research with the communities that suffered from the 2014 floods. The assessment framework has been cited by many researchers. It is also cited in the National Framework for climate-induced loss and damage, proposed by the Government of Nepal in 2021. Similarly, Practical Action has also been working with the local government and various stakeholders to conceptualize and build risk-informed sustainable tomorrow cities, as a part of the ‘Tomorrow Cities’ initiative.  On top of all, Practical Action in partnership with Global Parametrics, Stonestep, and Shikhar Insurance has initiated the Index Based Flood Insurance (IBFI) in Nepal, the first product of its kind, in Nepal. The insurance will cover possible damage caused by flood hazards based on a pre-agreed flood index indicated in the IBFI product approved by the insurance board. Index-based insurance can be more effective for low-income households and communities exposed to river floods and those living in flood-prone areas. Practical Action is a global change-making group. It is a change-making organization that works in unconventional ways. It is focused on putting indigenous ideas into work to contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable well-being. Apart from programs focused on building resilience, Practical Action also implements various programs that promote farming that works and programs that ensure access to clean energy.

Nepal has had a friendly relationship with Japan for a long time. The diplomatic relations between  Japan and Nepal was established in 1956. To further strengthen the alliance between the two countries, Japan has been providing Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs in several sectors in  Nepal to support its development. It has helped foster human resources, technology transfer and  infrastructure development through various technical cooperation projects.   As part of its cooperation in the capacity building segment, Japan supports in dispatching Nepalese  students to Japan for further education courses such as masters, doctorate etc. So far, many Nepalese  students have undertaken various courses, pursued degrees in various fields, and have benefitted  immensely.   Ekai Kawaguchi, a Buddhist monk, was the first Japanese to visit Nepal. He had visited Nepal in  1899 at the age of 34 and stayed at Boudhanath temple for a few months, on his pilgrimage to Tibet.  The cultural ties between Nepal and Japan began from 1899 when people-to-people contact started. In 1902, a few years after Ekai’s visit to Nepal, the history of Nepalese students in Japan started with eight Nepalese students. Since then, Nepalese students have started going to Japan for higher study.  When we think of Japan, we think of discipline, courteous nature, and hard work, innovative and  advanced technology etc. Japan was able to grow economically and become a leading country in  manufacturing precisely because of the advanced knowledge and technology fostered by its excellent  education system. Using its state-of-the-art science, technology and medicine, Japan has introduced  many products to the world, including electric vehicles, digital cameras, optical fibers etc. The  practice of transforming innovative ideas into creative products goes far back into Japanese history.  Japanese schools focus not only on academic achievements but also on the development of human  quality. This aspect of Japanese schools is highly appreciated by international students who think the  studying experience in Japan helps them immensely after they start working. Japanese universities are well reputed and world-renowned which is why any international student  who gets an opportunity to study in Japan considers it a great achievement. Japan is also known as  a good place to live, providing a conducive living environment with safe and secure infrastructures.  Any foreigner living in Japan will tell you great things about living in the Land of the Rising Sun. Even  international students who feel anxious after leaving their home country can find some peace of  mind while staying in Japan. Japanese people are known to be hardworking and attach importance  to discipline. The attitude of caring for guests by giving them the highest priority is second nature  to Japanese people, and thus international students are always welcomed warmly. “I was able to make many friends from Japan and other countries, actively communicate, participate  in lots of extracurricular activities, and enjoy a full lifestyle.”   “I was able to engage in fulfilling research activities surrounded by fantastic professors as  exceptional guides and in an outstanding university environment!” - Excerpt from a previous  international student in Japan. Studying in Japan has been quite a popular choice among many aspiring students who want to study  abroad or overseas. The number of foreign students from Nepal is increasing year after year, with  approximately 18,500 Nepali foreign students coming to Japan in 2021 making it third globally. The  Japanese government has also been encouraging foreigners to seize opportunities in the country.  Japan is always known for its excellent quality of education. The country has appeared in the top-tier  list of the best education system in the world for the past several years. Considering how great the  education is in Japan, it will not be surprising to see them continue to be one of the world’s best when  it comes to the academics aspect. Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS)  The Japanese Grant Aid for “The project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS)” to  Nepal began in 2016. Currently, JDS offers 20 seats for 2-year Master’s degree and 2 seats for  Doctoral degree for government officials of Nepal to study in renowned universities in Japan, with  an objective to resolve development challenges in Nepal. The selected participants enhance their  expertise in respective professional areas ranging widely from judicial sectors, economic policy,  industrialization, to infrastructure, and develop a broad network at the global level. The project enables  the young leaders to catalyze the development agenda back in Nepal.   The objective of the JDS is to strengthen the government’s administrative capacities in Nepal for the  young and capable government employees who are expected to engage in formulating and  implementing social and economic development plans and thus play leadership roles to contribute to  the development of the country.   JDS has built its wide alumni network amounting to more than 80 JDS fellows across key ministries of Nepal building a strong alumni network. At present, 42 civil servants are undertaking Master’s and  PhD courses in prestigious Japanese universities. JICA always has and always will aim to contribute  to strengthening human resources in Nepal, which is indispensable for delivering better public services  to the people.   This year, 2022, is the 120th anniversary of the International Student Exchange between Nepal  and Japan. Nepal is celebrating the 120th anniversary in the year 2022 since the first Nepalese  students were dispatched to Japan and Japan marks this anniversary as one of “Japan-South Asia  Exchange Year”.  To commemorate the occasion JICA Nepal has produced a promotional video highlighting the  experience of studying in Japan focusing on the implementation strategy applicable in the workplace and  the impact it has had on the career of various Nepalese individuals. 

Dilip, age 24 from Godaita, Sarlahi was one among the millions of youth of the country with a dream to set up his life, but he had no clue what to do as he had no job and lacked skills for better job or employment opportunities. He was not from a well off family, thus it was hard for him to stay unemployed and live on his parent’s little earnings. He had completed his 12 grade and was still unemployed wandering around the district in search of some employment opportunities when he came to know about the vocational training on computer hardware and networking starting at Barhathawa Municipality of Sarlahi. He immediately joined the course and regularly attended the classes for three month. After completion of the course, he set up his own business and is now earning quite well and supporting his family. Now, he feels that not only has his living standard improved, he also gains respect from the people who earlier used to mock him for being worthless. His parents are also satisfied to see him working hard and progressing in life. Dilip is one among more than 1800 youth that have been provided technical and vocational training by Aide et Action international Nepal (now Action Education). In year 2010, Aide et Action commenced intervention in Nepal which successfully completed two phases at Baglung, Parbat, Saptari, Siraha and Kathmandu valley, finally concluding in the year 2018 and is currently implementing third phase at Sarlahi, Rautahat and Kathmandu Valley. With a tagline “Changing the World Through Education”, Aide et Action is primarily focused on two key themes in Nepal; Access & Quality Education (AQE) and Livelihood Education (LE), both that were crucial in the process of empowering the underprivileged and in nation building. Within livelihood education, the project has established iLEAD centers where the youth from underprivileged sections of the communities are provided training on various trades so as to develop their skills that supports them in income generation either through employment or entrepreneurship. The project is currently conducting training on tailoring, computer and hardware networking, motorcycle repair, Dhaka weaving, off-season vegetable farming in the implementation areas. The project not only provides them technical skills but develops their personalities through soft skill training. The trainers and the project staff provide full guidance and support to the trainees during and after the training period. The project supports them gaining practical experience through on-job-trainings, support in finding employers, job placement, getting decent wages, and hand holding support on the practical technical issues even after they are placed in employment or after starting their business. The alumni of these trained youth are formed so that they can support each other with any profession issues, share their learning and experience, support each other in finding jobs or starting business, and they even discuss various social issues that are helping in bringing positive social changes. The project also coordinates and collaborates with the local government to support these youth in income generation after the training. The local governments of the project areas are also very supportive and provide their assistance in various ways. The local government of Godavari Municipality has provided the weaving machines to the Dhaka weaving trainees so that they can start their own industry. The municipality had also provided advanced weaving training to some of these women. With the weaving machines of the project and the additional weaving machines from the local government, which are kept in the communal house for common use, the women of the Godavari municipality are now able to generate some income, along with their household chores. These women are happy that they need not depend upon their husbands or family members to fulfill their small needs and they could even contribute to household expenses. The training not only made these women economically independent and financially stable, but also they have gained confidence in dealing with the public, and participate in decision making at household and community level.  The project also changed the lives of the girls and women in Sarlahi and Rautahat districts after they were enrolled in tailoring training. The girls and women were primarily expected to do the household chores in the Madhesh communities. Especially girls are considered liabilities and parents hurry to marry their daughters even before the age of 20. In a significant number of families the vital documents such as citizenship and marriage registration certificate are of no priority for the girls and women. But the project has changed the whole dimension of the mindset when it conducted tailoring training to the girls and women. The training made the women economically active and when they started earning, families started treating them as assets and not liabilities. The project mandated the girls to have citizenship certificates for enrollment in the training, due to which more than 14 girls got their citizenship. The entitlement to citizenship not only helps them get the training but get the various benefits from the state, as well as they get their confidence, dignity and identity through the citizenship. Today, almost every girl and woman who has received the tailoring training has set a sewing machine at their home and sewing clothes of their families and neighbors. In this way, they are saving money by saving the cost of sewing clothes of their own and are earning extra income by sewing clothes of other people as well. Besides, the project is working in 30 schools with around 5000 children of Sarlahi and Rautahat to improve the quality of education and to ensure that no child is left behind to exercise their right to quality education.