From its creation to now, EDS has always worked on several development sectors. This multispectral strategy enabled this organisation to gain experience in several areas such microfinance, health and sanitation, education, rural development and agriculture always including capacity building and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) approaches in its programmes. This is a fact, all over Surkhet district, extreme poverty causes and consequences are related to caste ethnicity and gender based marginalization.
Gender-Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI):
A major cause of poverty in Nepal comes from a cultural aspect. The exclusion of certain groups, mostly Dalits and Women, ensures that they remain constantly disadvantaged throughout their lives. This situation a marginalization is even more striking in the hill area of Nepal. EDS and its partners counteract by their activities the disadvantage of persons by gender, caste, language or other physical, cultural or social characteristics. At its inception, EDS was already working with a GESI approach. In fact, the vision and mission of this NGO are based on this concept. As a cross-cutting theme, GESI approach is taken in Health, Agriculture, Finance, Capacity building and Education. As an example, in the Consolidating Capacity in Gender Responsive Organisation project (CCGRO) funded by the Canadian international Development Agency (CIDA), EDS has constructed latrines and wells in target communities all the while classifying beneficiaries by caste and gender and targeting for proper representation of dalits and women. In short, whatever EDS does, GESI approach is always taken.
Capacity building:
Empowerment is one of the keys to achieve sustainable development and one of the cherished values for EDS. To reach major outcomes, any projects must include Capacity building activities to get to a strong participation of beneficiaries in the project. Target groups must take part in all project phases, from the need assessment to the preparation of final report.
Like GESI, capacity building is a cross-cutting theme that is present in all EDS projects. Moreover, Capacity Building and GESI are two approaches that we mix together to get to sustainability. EDS experience has shown that this is the basic recipe for programme success and it is at the heart of EDS strategy.
Activities related to Capacity Building:
· Training on construction and maintenance of Drinking Water system
· Management support of saving-credit organisation (SCO): book keeping and saving-credit mobilization skills
· Agriculture training: new techniques of production and market access
· Training for micro-enterprise business
Health
In the health sector, EDS activities can be grouped into 3 different areas: Drinking Water and Sanitisation (DWS), Reproductive Health and HIV.
Drinking Water and Sanitisation (DWS):
In the past 5 years, EDS has worked on 3 major DWS projects that have been successful in the district of Surkhet. In partnership with the CECI (in Sahakarya project) and OXFAM GB and the European Commission (in PHEABLeS and WATSAN projects respectively), EDS was able to build water supplies that now allow a total population of 6123 inhabitants of Surkhet hill area access to safe drinking water. Also during these projects, EDS has built a total of 1139 latrines, 10 school latrines and 124 bathing units. Given these outputs, the outbreak of diarrhoea is reduced simultaneously lowering the infant mortality rate in the district. Moreover, using capacity building approach, EDS has conducted a Community Lead Basic Sanitation for All (CLBSA) campaign trough out Surkhet VDCs of Lekhparajui, Maintatada, Matela, Sahare and Mehelkuna. Nowadays, Through OXFAM WATSAN programme 1553 families are enabled to practice a safer hygiene.
DWS Activities:
· Construction of household and school latrines
· Construction of Drinkable Water system
· Rain Water harvesting for Drinking water
· Construction of bathing unit especially for women
· Distribution of Bio-sand filter and Basic hygiene Kit
· Management of a CLBSA campaign for no open defecation
Reproductive Health Support
To reduce maternal and infant mortality, prenatal death and increase prevalence rates for antenatal care in marginalized communities, EDS had participated in a reproductive health campaign in 2008. This activity gave the opportunity to 150 women in 9 different Surkhet VDCs to take part in reproductive health class for three months (2 hours per day). This project is a great example of the work that EDS does to specific needs of women
HIV:
EDS is working in small project to increase quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS. First of all, people living with HIV/AIDS of the hill area are more likely to be marginalized and have very little access to livelihood opportunities. Moreover, the required medicine is only available in Nepalgunj, city three hours bus ride from Surkhet. Most people living with HIV do not have access to the medicine since they are unable to pay the transport fare. EDS support 20 individual living with HIV by giving them travel allowance. Also, EDS is conducting a food security campaign through financial support and monitoring activities. Finally, to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and raise awareness, EDS conducts street drama awareness campaign in schools and Mother Groups.
HIV/AIDS activities:
· Access of HIV/AIDS required medication by giving travel allowance
· Food security support for people living with HIV
· Awareness campaign
Agriculture
Agriculture activities:
· Construction small pond and irrigation system
· Trainings on compost management
· Support seed and farming material
· Management support to Collection Center
· Developing Market access
The reason behind these integrated efforts is that EDS works towards increasing the management capacity, production capacity and financial capacity of the communities in an integrated manner so sustainable livelihood and food security can be reach. Moreover, those projects are running with a special focus on women, dalits or excluded groups.
| FARMERS CAPACITY |
Food security:
In partnership with OXFAM GB, EDS is running a Community Grain and Seed Bank (CGB) programme in 5 VDC’s that allows the poorest of the poor to receive food and seed at a very low cost. This project allows poor farmers to get low cost seeds to produce enough food to reach food security. Also, poor people who do not own a land can obtain with the same amount of money more food than they usually did. CGB is a great opportunity for communities to understand, be aware and take responsibility in the fight against hunger and food insufficiency.
Saving and Credit Management support
EDS has a strong experience in Micro-finance. In the first six years, this NGO was running a saving and credit programme. This project was such a success that a new NGO called Environment Development Multipurpose Cooperative limited (EDCOL) was born from it. New interventions are planned jointly with socio economic programs of EDS and financial services of EDCOL. These NGOs are working together in a give-and-take relationship because both are aware that Health, education or agriculture programmes are more likely to succeed if they are supported by financial services.
Even though EDS is no more a saving and Credit Organisation (SCO) by itself, it still works in the area of capacity building and social mobilisation for micro finance program. Currently, this NGO is helping 6 communities Saving-Credit Organization through capacity building activities such as accounting education, cooperative management training and legal support (registration and social audit).
Saving and Credit Management Support Activities:
· Establishment support for new Saving-Credit Organization
· Management support for Saving-Credit Organization
Education
Run a Participatory Learning Center (PLC) is EDS main activity in the education sector. With this input, OXFAM and EDS are jointly working to increase the capacity of communities to resolve their development issues in the same time of fighting illiteracy. Regarding capacity building approach, communities learn to manage a development program in their own community. In fact, community members learn to prioritize their issues, to plan their development programme and to manage community discussion. On the other hand, PLC activities also help illiterate people to be able to read and write.
As another education activity, between 2006 and 2008, to empower 300 marginalized women of Surkhet district (Dalit and Janajati) and break their cycle of poverty, EDS has conducted a literacy campaign of 6 months. After this activity, these women were able to read, one important leap towards self-reliance.
Human Rights
EDS activities relating to human rights are focused on Women status. Since women represent one of the most disadvantaged groups in the country, they must receive supports that allow them to improve their living conditions. Through team effort with its partners, EDS participates in activities such as:
· Legal support to victim of violence
· Community Group Discussion for gender equity
· Gender Alliance Mobilization
· WE CAN campaign: OXFAM programme supporting Women Rights in South-Asia
The strategy used by EDS and its partners prioritize capacity building and gender-equality above all. Women and men who want to enhance the condition of women in their community must have skills, knowledge and resources to reach this goal. EDS and its partners are there to support them in these issues.
