Since April 2020, GNI Nepal has been supporting the central, provincial, and local governments across Humla, Mugu, Darchula, Bajura, Doti, Kailali, Bardiya, Myagdi, Kaski, Parbat, Nawalparasi East, Nawalparasi West, Gorkha, Nuwakot, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Morang, Jhapa and Panchthar districts with essential medical equipment, food and non-food items, health,WASH and education interventions. 

In 2020 and 2021, GNI Nepal reached 17,150 food-insecure households with food and livelihood support, 1.2 million rural children with radio schooling program, central and local governments with medical equipment, non-food items and cash support, and communities with public service announcements and radio shows to raise awareness of COVID 19, child protection, education and public health-related issues. GNI Nepal has so far invested NRs. 157,968,805 in supporting the communities and Government of Nepal in combating COVID-19. The pandemic will continue to impact communities into the foreseeable future, GNI Nepal will continue response and recovery interventions as per need.

Health and WASH

GNI Nepal provided 34,140 RT-PCR kits, 30,167 RNA extraction kits, 19,850 VTM swab collection kits, 46,762 surgical masks, 2,700 KN95 masks and 5,455 PPE sets, 20,500 pairs of sterile gloves, 1,200 goggles, 65 infrared thermometers to the Government of Nepal. Additionally 14, 281 antigen kits, 395 bottles of disinfectants, 67 finger pulse oximeter, 26 ICU material sets, medical equipment for 13 health posts, 15 nebulization machines, 13 oxygen concentrator, 15 oxygen cylinder, 785 oxygen flow meter, 1,135 oxygen mask, 457 oximeters, 1,410 reservoir bag masks, and  10 ventilators were also provided to local, provincial, and federal governments.

350 bottles of hand sanitizers, 7,500 bottles of hand wash and 20,868 hygiene kits were provided to health facilities and children in 12 districts respectively. 14 local governments received support for quarantine management and installing 102 handwashing stations.

Holding center for fighting a crisis 
Ward No. 5, Mahakali Municipality, Darchula District

In March 2020, Government of Nepal enforced a nationwide lockdown to respond to the crisis. It is estimated that more than one million Nepalis live and work in India. Due to the restriction, thousands of homebound migrant workers were stranded at the Nepal-India border. They lacked access to basic personal hygiene materials and facilities, and medical care.

To support the efforts of the Government of Nepal at containing the virus and managing the humanitarian crisis, GNI Nepal helped establish a holding center at Ghaat Bazaar of Mahakali Municipality, installed a handwashing station at the Nepal-India border, and provided personal hygiene materials. More than 400 incoming and outgoing travelers benefited from facilities and hygiene materials.

Education

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in countrywide school closures leaving more than eight million children in a limbo for almost an entire year. To address the critical learning gap children were facing, GNI Nepal with technical assistance from the Center for Education and Human Resource Development (CEHRD) and in coordination with Nepal Education Cluster designed and launched Radio Kaksha, Sundai Sikdai, a radio schooling initiative for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. These classes aired six days a week via Radio Kantipur and re-aired via local radio stations from June to December 2020.

Radio Kaksha reached an approximate 1.2 million learners in 59 districts across the country. Additionally, 3,400 grade ten students of Bajura benefited from Radio SEE Preparation Class, 5889 students benefitted from 172 radio phone-in shows, and 1449 students participated in 75 community-based learning sessions. GNI Nepal also took the lead and contributed to the development of self-learning materials for grades two, three, and five jointly with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and Center for Education and Human Resource Development.

As schools have not yet reopened, this year too, the radio program is being rebroadcast across 12 working districts. Furthermore, GNI Nepal is reaching young learners with awareness-raising, psychosocial, learning pack, and home-and community-based learning supports across 11 districts.

Continuing education at home with Radio Kaksha 
Prerana Chanda, Grade 8
Janata Basic School
Ward No. 9, Janaki Rural Municipality, Kailali District

Prerana had just finished her seventh-grade final exam in March 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown took effect. She did not have much to do as she remained at home most of the time. Like every other underprivileged student, she had no access to guided learning. To help students like Prerana, GNI Nepal started airing a radio schooling program which Malika FM, a local radio station also broadcast. Classes for grade six to eight students on three core subjects: English, Science and Social Studies were offered six days a week in the mornings and evenings.

Prerana was fascinated by the newfound source of learning. She could learn just by listening to the teachers speak on the radio. She listened to the classes regularly from the comfort and safety of her home, and enjoyed them as well. Keshav Tamata, Principal of Shree Amarawati Basic School claims, “The radio program was a big hit among local students and they all benefited from it.”

Livelihood

The pandemic has adversely affected the livelihoods of informal sector workers and low-income households. More than one-third of such workers lost their jobs and those employed also had to accept pay cuts. Across 19 districts, GNI Nepal provided NRs. 7,235,855 (62,333 USD) to 37 local governments for helping 17,150 food-insecure households with groceries, smallholder farmers with seeds, and agriculture input support and local business promotion opportunities targeted youths.

With GNI Nepal’s support, 4593 farmers in Lalitpur, Gorkha, Kaski, Parbat, Myagdi, Bardiya, Doti, and Mugu received seeds; 553 farmers received cash for business start-up in Humla, Gorkha, Bajura, Darchula, Doti, and Lalitpur; received groceries; 986 farmers in Bardiya and Kailali received fertilizer; local women made 14,100 masks after participating in a mask-making training. An additional 900 individuals will receive livestock and veterinary services and business skills, conditional cash, and livelihood support.

Making masks, making money 

Ward No. 5, Sunwal Municipality, Nawalparasi West District

At the start of the nationwide lockdown, masks were not easily available in Nawalparasi East and West districts because nobody used them. Overnight, it became a vital need and the demand skyrocketed. During the lockdown many people became jobless and also got stuck in their homes. Realizing an employment potential and solution to an emerging demand, 20 local women of Ward No. 5, Sunwal Municipality were provided a one-on-one mask-making training under GNI Nepal’s Inclusive Rural Development Project.

They produced 14,100 masks which contributed to partially meeting the local demand. Each of the trainee mask-maker got NRs. 15 (0.13 USD) for a mask. On an average, they earned NRs. 10,575 (91 USD) for 705 masks, working for 17 days. The ready-to-use masks were distributed among the project’s 6,000 direct beneficiaries and 13 wards of Nawalaparasi East and Nawalaparasi West.

About GNI Nepal

Good Neighbors International (GNI) is an international development and humanitarian organization that empowers people in 40 countries across the world through social development activities and places particular emphasis on their economic development. Good Neighbors International (GNI) Nepal 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, and advocacy programs. Currently, GNI Nepal serves marginalized, vulnerable, and poor children, families, and communities in 19 districts across Nepal.

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