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Ghunsa – Income
For the women in Ghunsa, we have supported two ways to generate income. One is income from vegetable production, and the other is from a sewing workshop established in 2020. Plants and vegetables: the model farm sold about 1,300 vegetable plants and about 3,000 kg of vegetables in 2020, with the money benefiting the cooperative’s programs the women have also been able to successfully sell their vegetables at local markets Sewing workshop: the sewing workshop was built in 2020 and five women were trained by the already experienced women from Chyangsar professional washable sanitary pads and masks could be produced. the first sanitary pads could already be sold in 2020…
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Ghunsa – Farming
Before the beginning of RfL activities in 2018, there were hardly any greenhouses in the village. Agriculture was practiced exclusively for subsistence with only a few types of vegetables. Due to the financial situation of the families and the distance from urban areas, neither pesticides nor synthetic fertilizers were an option so far. In order to continue to grow organically, but increase the variety of vegetables as well as the quantity, the women were very motivated to gain experience on the model farm and then implement it on their private fields. Model Farm: In 2018, land was purchased for the construction of the model farm. Since 2019, seeds have been…
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Ghunsa – Cooperative
With the beginning of the construction of the model farm in 2018, the women from Ghunsa joined the Sagarmatha Milijuli Sana Kishan Cooperative. They have their own sub-organization as well as their own bank account, are represented in the board of the cooperative. So they can work self-determined while using the synergies.
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Meranding
Meranding is on the way from Chyangsar to Ghunsa, so the women here have observed the activities in the two villages very early. There is also a large school here, which is attended by many children from Chyangsar and Ghunsa. The women would like to establish a model farm here as well, and initial talks are already underway. There are 55 families living here, the income structure is somewhat better, since Meranding has access to a mostly drivable road.
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Ghunsa
The village of Ghunsa is a few hours walk from Chyangsar. There are paths that are only partially accessible with jeeps. In the village itself live 56 mainly Buddhist families, the men find work only outside the village as porters or guides in tourism or as workers abroad. Already during the first agricultural trainings in Chyangsar, the women from Ghunsa were very interested, and since 2018, a model farm is also being built here.
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Scholarships
In all villages that are part of the cooperative, we try to integrate all girls into a scholarship program to enable them to receive a basic education in school. This is the best protection against later dependency, trafficking of girls, forced prostitution and child marriages; issues that are still very relevant in Nepal, especially in rural areas. Education for girls, however, depends not only on the materials provided (e.g. notebooks, pencils, school uniforms), but also on the understanding of their parents and their willingness to let them go to school and learn. Too often, their labor in the household and agriculture is necessary to ensure the meager livelihood. Parts of…
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Income
Die Frauen in den Dörfern hatten bisher kaum Möglichkeiten, im Dorf eigenes Geld zu The women in the villages have had hardly any opportunities to earn their own money in the village. The family income was consistently made by the husbands, sons or other male relatives. These were working as porters in trekking or also abroad (United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, India …). This dependence had a massive impact on the life of the families. Thus, many fields were no longer cultivated and after the earthquakes 2015, the livelihoods of many families were seriously threatened. The pandemic, which has brought the men back to the village, has also exacerbated the situation.…
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Farming
Due to the climatic situation, vegetable cultivation without greenhouses for pre-growing plants is only possible to a very limited extent. At the beginning of the initiative, only a few types of vegetables with low yields could be grown. So far, there was only subsistence farming (cultivation for own use). Fertilizers or pesticides were also not an option due to costs. In order to further protect land and water in the future, we have initiated the following measures and implemented them step by step in the villages: Establishment of a model farm under ownership and self-management by the cooperative in order to Specifically test new vegetable varieties for local suitability Demonstrate…
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Cooperative
Starting from a local women’s group in one village with five committed women, a registered agricultural cooperative (Sagarmatha Milijuli Sana Kishan Kooperative) was established, which now encompasses four villages and well over 100 women. In addition to a joint board of directors, there is a local organization in each village for the discussion and implementation of measures, as well as professionally audited bookkeeping at the village and general level. Roots for Life supports trainings on a regular basis in order to support the women regarding their administrative tasks and to promote the exchange of knowledge. The current structure of the cooperative as well as the active women can be found…
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Chyangsar – Scholarships
The support began with a selection of girls who did not regularly attend school due to their family situation. At the request of the women and girls, however, it was then decided to extend the program to all children. In particular, the individual needs of the girls are addressed, but the boys are also integrated regarding material (except school uniforms) and group activities. Material for school and in some cases hygiene articles are provided for all 31 children in Chyangsar, special things like school uniforms and underwear for 21 girls. Food for all families was important, especially in Corona times, as the income of most of the men has been…
