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In Flood-stricken Nepal Communities, ADRA Plants a SEED of Hope
26 Aug 2009 13:54:00 GMT
 Source: Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International
Netra Bhatta/Nadia McGill

Website: Website: http://www.adra.org

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Background

•  South East Asia Monsoon

•  Floods

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SILVER SPRING, Md.--On August 1, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) launched a new project called SEED, which aims to support and empower socially and economically marginalized families living in areas that were affected by severe flooding in 2007 and 2008 in western Nepal.

The Sustainable Economic and Environmental Development project, or SEED, primarily focuses on improving the economic development of specific communities in the districts of Banke, Bardia, and Kailali through livelihood training, as well as teaching good governance and leadership development, literacy, improving access to water and sanitation, basic health care, environmental awareness, and natural resource management.

"This program has helped us to survive," one beneficiary told ADRA Nepal. "I am also thankful for the support provided by ADRA's income generating activities. These will give me an opportunity to better care for myself and my family, so our basic needs are met."

By the completion of SEED in July 2012, more than 430 community members and their families, or a total of 7,200 people, will have benefited. Approximately 30 government officials will also receive training in leadership and good governance, encouraging project sustainability. Additional activities include literacy, livelihood, gender training, and the construction of toilets and hand-operated water pumps to improve water and sanitation in the region.

Funding this three-year project is New Zealand's International Aid and Development Agency (NZAID) through the ADRA New Zealand office. SEED is also being implemented in partnership with Backward Society Education (BASE) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in close collaboration with the local district-level government and other non-government stakeholders, such as Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development.

Each year, monsoon rains cause landslides and extensive flooding in many parts of Nepal. Since 2007, ADRA has been working in these communities to help them recover from such recurring disasters. ADRA also assists the community in constructing new homes, improving people's access to water and sanitation, and distributing emergency non-food items. An ongoing Food-for-Work program is supporting affected local residents so they may rebuild their homes and other infrastructure damaged by the floods.

The SEED project is expected to raise awareness on the importance of environmental conservation and natural resource management, utilizing sustainable income-generating agricultural activities, such as herb gardening, cash crop cultivation, planting grass for cattle grazing, and the harvesting of non-timber forest products.

Through its continued collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, ADRA also raises awareness in the communities through its involvement in World Environment Day, held June 5.

Registered with the Social Welfare Council, ADRA Nepal has steadily grown over the last 21 years and now has a diverse program in 34 districts of Nepal.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.

For more information, visit www.adra.org.




[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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A farm damaged by floods, following typhoon Morakot, is pictured in Jiadong, Pingtung County, southern Taiwan August 26, 2009. The official toll from typhoon Morakot stands at 291 dead and 387 ...


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Last updated:Wed Aug 26 13:57:12 2009