A. Pro-Poor Grant Projects
As
part of New ERA's initiatives to alleviate rural poverty, it has
provided financial and
technical support to the poorest of the poor people in Kaski and
Sankhuwasabha districts to help them lessen their hardship. During
2006/07, New ERA provided a grant support of Rs 200,000 as Income
Generation Activity (IGA) for the poor in these two districts. New ERA
aims to make these funds revolving, self-supporting and sustainable in
the future. In order to make this happen, it has worked through
intermediary organizations to mobilize and manage the funds.
New
ERA has worked in both these districts (Kaski and Sankhuwasabha) in the
past. It conducted a Participatory Action Research Project on Adaptive
Collaborative Management approach to community forestry there. This
research was led by the Center for International Community Forestry
Research (CIFOR). This study was implemented in two phases. The first
phase was implemented from 2000 to 2002, and the second phase was done
from 2004 to 2007.
1. Goat Raising by Poorest of the
Poor Households of Bamdibhir CFUG, Kaski District
New
ERA provided financial and technical support to the poorest of the poor
users of Deurali-Bagedanda CFUG of Kaski district to raise goats as an
income generating activity. The total amount allocated for this purpose
was Rs. 80,000. The District Chapter Federation of Community Forest
Users, Nepal (FECOFUN) has assumed the overall responsibility of
mobilizing and executing the fund.
Of the
total 143 users of Bamdibhir CFUG, 23 households are involved in goat
raising. The district chapter facilitated the distribution of a young
she-goat to each of the 23 poorest of the poor households during
November 2006. Of the total number of goats distributed, 19 gave birth
to kids. The understanding was that
anybody whose goat gave birth would present the first kid to another
poor family in the neighborhood.
A
report received from the FECOFUN District Chapter, Kaski reveals that
all the 19 poorest goat-keeping households have been handing over newly born kids to the poorest families in their
neighborhood. New ERA staff made a field visit to the project site and
interacted with some of the 19 successful goat raising households in
December 2007. All of them expressed happiness at the support received
from New ERA. This is in fact a great contribution to poor rural
households. They are now able to earn a little extra income from the
goat rearing enterprise.
2. Saw Mill for the Poor
New ERA provided financial and technical support to the poorest of
the
poor users of Deurali-Bagedanda CFUG of Kaski district to establish a
sawmill as an income generating activity.
The total amount allocated for this purpose was Rs.
80,000.
The District Chapter Federation of
Community Forest Users, Nepal (FECOFUN) has assumed the overall
responsibility
of mobilizing and executing the fund.
Sixty-three poorest of the poor blacksmith families of Deurali-Bagedanda
CFUG have been working to set up a sawmill in their community. The
sawmill is not yet in operation because it does not have an electric
power connection.
The grantee, District FECOFUN, claimed that the Deurali-Bagedanda CFUG has purchased the necessary machinery for the
sawmill. However, the sawmill project has hit a major snag because the
electricity generation project has stalled. The CFUG, therefore, has invested this
grant in building a house for the sawmill. The CFUG committee has promised to revolve this fund as
soon as electricity becomes available to run the factory. The committee
plans to involve these poorest households in manual work to make
furniture at the factory.
3. Revolving Fund Support to Poorest of the Poor Households of Tinjure
NFTP Network
New
ERA has provided a gift of Rs. 40,000 to Tinjure Hattisar NTFP network
of Sankhuwasabha district for a revolving fund to be invested in running
IGAs for the poorest of the poor users. A total of 50 poorest of the
poor households of Tinjure Hattisar NTFP network, a federation of 10
CFUGs, have been involved in NTFP enterprise development activities.
Reflecting the influence of this
initiative on poor people's control over and benefits from a
community-based NTFP network enterprise, a paper published by the
Regional Community Forestry Training Center (RECOFTC) in January 2008
(page 14-24) states:
"… The approach involved shifts in
governance and management, especially regarding inclusion of
marginalized people and the development of risk and uncertainty
analysis. The major outcome of the network’s adoption of this approach
is a redistribution of control over livelihood benefits from NTFP
resources towards the 'poorest of the poor' families in the enterprise
area.
Another
notable change is that network members shifted from working in relative
isolation to building alliances and greater interdependence, a change
that helped mitigate conflicts between them regarding benefit sharing.
Significant enterprise ownership and decision-making opportunities have
been created for these poorer households by providing them access to
revolving funds that enable them to become shareholders in the network
enterprise. Furthermore, because of the learning-based collective
action, this network has been able to increase its profit margin from
the sale of processed NTFPs …"
B.
Dr. Harka Gurung Fellowship Program
New
ERA initiated the New
ERA Fellowship Program in 1995 to encourage and contribute to quality
research in Nepal. From 2007, this program has been known as the
"Dr. Harka Gurung Fellowship Program" in memory of the late Dr. Harka
Gurung. The program aims to promote the development of social science in
Nepal and to strengthen the research capacity of Nepali students.
The priority areas for research
fellowship are conflict resolution, social exclusion, social movement,
gender equity, social forestry, poverty, and internally displaced
people. Other possible areas include land tenancy, natural resources,
HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. The students who have completed their
course work for a Master's degree and are planning field research are
eligible to apply.
In order to
facilitate smooth operation of the program, New ERA has formed a
steering committee that formulates the guidelines and closely monitors,
supervises and supports the overall program. The committee consists of
the following persons:
1. Mr. Ashoke
Shrestha
- Chairperson
2. Dr. Vijaya
Laxmi Shrestha -
Member
3. Dr. Narayan
Kaji Shrestha -
Member
4. Dr. Shibesh
Chandra Regmi - Member
5. Mr. Madhup
Dhungana -
Member
6. Ms. Ava
Joshi
- Coordinator
In order to
select the fellowship grantees, New ERA places an advertisement in
national newspapers calling for proposals from prospective students.
After the proposals are received, New ERA forms a committee of
reviewers/supervisors from among its senior researchers. The submitted
proposals are reviewed by the committee members and the short-listed
students make a presentation of their proposal before the committee. On
the basis of their proposal and presentation, the reviewers/supervisors
select the students to be enrolled in the Fellowship Program. The
committee members provide feedback/comments on the proposals presented
by the students and they are asked to make adjustments/corrections as
necessary in the proposal in consultation with their university
supervisor. After their proposals have been finalized, the fellowship
grantees are provided the necessary financial assistance. The concerned
supervisors of New ERA provide them necessary technical assistance
throughout the study period. ()
C. Educational Support for Sabina
Bishwokarma, Mugu
As
pledged in 2006, New ERA has continued providing support to Sabina
Bishwokarma, the only scheduled caste girl studying at the secondary
level in the Khaptad region of Mugu district, to complete her education.
In addition to the initial financial support of Rs. 15,000, New
ERA has provided money for her tuition fees, stationery, school uniform,
shoes and
so forth. New ERA helped in setting up a solar-powered electricity
supply in her home to enable her to study at night.
She is now studying in Grade 9, and her ambition is to become a DOCTOR.
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Large Block Demonstration-Cum-Seed
Multiplication of Rapeseed in Dang District, (2002)
In 1991, New ERA using its
own core fund, created a non-profit making sister organisation “New ERA
Agriculture Development Centre (NEADC), with its office based in
Tulsipur, Dang. NEADC was committed
to
uplift the livelihood of rural poor by launching
action programs through
promotion of improved agricultural technologies;
training to farmers and NGOs’ workers using participatory
approaches in the field of agriculture and rural
development; technical assistance; conducting adoptive/social research
and creating awareness. Based on these objectives, NEADC introduced
improved and high yielding rapeseed variety ‘VIKASH’ and started a
‘Large Block Demonstration-Cum-Seed Multiplication of Rapeseed. It also
created awareness among local people on different aspects including
marketing of their products at reasonable price and social welfare.
Similarly, its also conducted ‘Demonstration-cum-seed multiplication
program’ on high yielding recommended varieties of Lentil, Niger, Potato
and Maize. These programs were conducted in Chakhaura village of Hekuli
VDC, Motipur and Dumre gaon of Tulsipur Municipality; and Thap gaon of
Shree Gaon VDC in Dang. The program uses participatory, bottom-up
planning and a one window approach. The aim of the program was to
increase the yield of these crops through improved production practices
as well as to produce good quality of seed to be used in the subsequent
year. The program was successful in increasing the yield of these crops
and as a result, the demand for NEADC seed increased. For example the
seed yield of toria went to 1.259 metric tons/ha as against its average
yield of 0.6 metric ton/ha in Dang district. The model developed by
NEADC was replicated by some INGOs/NGOs/GOs.
Education and Manpower Project.
New ERA
,
June 1988
New ERA's
one of the interest is to contribute research on critical issues of
national interest.
Despite
investments in vocational and technical education, shortage of
semi-skilled and skilled manpower remain acute. At the same time the
problem of unemployment or under-employment of educated population is
growing.
In 1988 New ERA,
using its core fund, initiate a research project on "Education, Manpower
and Employment".
The main objective of the study was to examine the magnitude of
manpower problem and different variables affecting it. It also looks
into the technical and vocational training programs and the investment
pattern in technical and higher education since the launch of the New
Education System Plan (NESP) in 1971. The study recommends steps to
improve the manpower situation in Nepal and to attune higher education
to meet the manpower needs.
