CFP supports sustainability in Nepal

CFP Green Buildings has started various projects to improve living conditions in Nepal. The projects are carried out by the local population themselves. Curious about the projects and the first results? Then read on.

Clean drinking water for the Kiratikhola community in Nepal

The blissful faces of marginalized communities from Kiratikhola still smile everyday facing difficulty to access clean drinking water.Women and children are responsible for bringing water for household purpose which makes them more vulnerable and affected through the problems arises from water scarcity. In average, it takes about 20 minutes to fetch a container (20 liters) of water from available local streams and waterfalls. During monsoon, the stream water even gets polluted and people get sick from waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea every year.

Improved hygiene and ecological life

The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) project “Improving the Well-Being of the Marginalized Communities of Kiratikhola” is largely being supported by CFP Green Buildings, the Netherlands. In addition, the Unica Foundation bears the partial cost of the project. Santi Griha Nepal (SGN) is implementing it from May 2019 which has become a hope for those smiles aiming for providing access to safe drinking water, improved nutrition and better health and hygiene practices in order to improve the quality of life for marginalized, indigenous and tribal communities in the remote hilly region of Kiratikhola. In addition, a ‘people empowerment project’ has been rolled out, in which the community learns more about hygiene and ecological living. The project is targeting 45 households of 266 marginalized group of Chepangs and Tamangs.

A healthier life

About 15% of the work has been completed and community people are excited with the vigorously ongoing project activities. Regular visits, monitoring and supervision of the project by SGN and on-site technical expertise followed by support of the Unica Foundation is elevating the marginalized communities of Kiratikhola towards healthy and improved lives.

Eight donors and CFP staff visited this project. Read more about their trip here.

Ecotourism in Tangting

Until recently, it was almost impossible for the residents of Tangting to earn money. The only option to make money was to leave the village and join the army or work as a modern slave in the Middle East in the oil industry. After visiting Tangting in 2018, we decided to look for a good business model so that the residents could become financially independent. Of course while preserving the beautiful nature and culture. We believe the answer lies in ecotourism. Supporting and promoting tourism in Tangting creates more employment opportunities and allows residents to support their families without having to move to distant cities.

Preparations in full swing

The residents of Tangting haven’t been sitting idle for the past year. A website has been created and there are several hiking trails in the beautiful surroundings. A number of traditional homestays have been set up in the village to welcome tourists. There are also brochures, posters, booklets and route maps designed to provide tourists with all kinds of information. These materials will be distributed at various accommodations and travel agencies in Nepal to promote all the beauty that Tangting has to offer.

Despite COVID-19, the residents are determined

Of course, COVID-19 has also had its impact in Nepal and because of this, the entire tourist sector has suffered a huge blow. On 24 March 2020, Nepal went into a lockdown and since then there have been no more visitors to Tangting. Residents of the village are only allowed to travel to the nearby large city of Pokhara. Despite the fact that the pandemic is having a huge impact on the local economy, the inhabitants are determined to make the best of it.
Nevertheless, the locals see that Tangting is seen more and more as a tourist attraction. People from far away want to visit Tangting and the residents of Tangting look forward to the future positively.

Eight donors and CFP staff visited this project. Read more about their trip here.

Metallic Improved Cooking Stove Installatieproject

For Kaski’s Sabet community, it was important to improve cooking conditions through improved cooking equipment. This would reduce indoor air pollution and improve health and hygiene for 60 very poor families in the hilly region. The project started on September 1, 2018 and was completed in April 2019.

What exactly has improved in these 8 months?

In collaboration with the Red Cross, a committee has been formed with local people from the village. This allowed the activities to be carried out within the community. A local supplier was selected to install the cooking equipment, in this case Chandra Metal Pvt Ltd.
In February 2018, the first stoves were delivered to the village. The local population received practical training on how to use the cooker and received explaination on how to clean the cooker. The stoves were installed in 60 households and from that moment on, the population uses the improved stoves. From now on, the smoke no longer remains in the house, but goes directly outside through a chimney.