WHY IN NEPAL ?

The children are still found working in hazardous conditions deprived of basic education and other opportunities to grow. People suffer with lack of nutrition in many parts of the country. Women are still regular victims of domestic violence and gender inequalities. The deepening energy crisis, trashing of the Himalayas, poisoning of river waters, deaths caused every year by normal diseases due to the lack of access to basic medications, kids walking for hours to and back from the nearest schools or the nearest water sources, child marriage, depleting water sources and dying of rivers, disappearing forests, conflict between human and wildlife all these third world problem are today’s issues, allowed to exist if not created or instigated by the 60 years long development engagement in Nepal.

The biological richness and geographical and cultural diversity of Nepal provides ample ground for building community models which demonstrate how human living standards can reach an entirely new level, whilst sustainable protection of the environment and social cohesion is ensured.

We have chosen the village of Murma in the district of Mugu to be the first small scale pilot community for testing the New Era World Model approach. Murma is relatively untouched, 17th century reminiscence village in the lap of the Himalayas which is crippled by the dependency on WFP donated ration, vulnerable to the changing times and is on the verge of destroying one of the most pristine ecosystem for the temporary survival and opportunities.

This provides an optimum ground for testing the model as it is well represented by the most pressing issues or concerns of development and is lagging fairly behind in terms of most of the SDG concerns. Our first pilot project is not only about dealing with the existing development problems in the pilot community but about creating a complete prototype of the model. An approach that has been measured in all its minute activities, cause and effect of the intervention, challenges and strategies to overcome them, will further be helpful during the replication of the idea in other communities.