Creating healthy livelihoods in schools and communities

Nepal is one of the least developed countries in the world. Economic and social development is hampered by a high risk of natural disasters – according to the Climate Risk Index 2021, Nepal is among the ten countries most affected by climate change.

Additionally, widespread poverty, lack of infrastructure, and rule of law pose significant challenges. The project focuses on the population of remote village communities in the districts of Dhading and Chitwan. The project specifically targets highly remote village communities that are sometimes inaccessible by continuous roads.

Both the supply of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are insufficiently guaranteed in most schools and village communities within the project area. Drinking water is often sourced from unsafe sources and transported under great physical effort. This inadequate supply poses a significant health risk, such as the spread of diarrheal diseases caused by drinking contaminated water. This is particularly dangerous as many people in the region are weakened by malnutrition or undernutrition, and adequate healthcare is not available to treat people in emergencies.

The participatory project approach focuses on the schools of rural project communities. In the project area, schools and teaching staff often represent the only institution for knowledge dissemination – including in the health sector, due to a lack of (access to) healthcare facilities, counseling centers, and local healthcare personnel. Schools are also used as an entry point to improve living conditions in the village communities: Children carry the knowledge and learned behaviors back to their families and communities. Women’s groups form another central focus of the project approach, helping to spread essential knowledge and healthy behaviors in village communities and establishing daily routines.

The Project: Improving Water and Sanitation and Strengthening Health

As part of the project by action medeor and the local partner organization ECCA, the water and sanitation supply in schools and village communities will be fundamentally improved – including the construction of latrines, handwashing facilities, and the provision of safe drinking water through filtration systems. In schools, it will also be ensured that sanitary facilities are child-friendly and that gender-separated latrines are available. These measures are accompanied by the distribution of hygiene kits, additional informational offerings, and specific awareness campaigns on menstrual hygiene – a taboo topic in Nepal that contributes to regular absenteeism of girls in their education.

To further improve health and living conditions, the project also includes various measures to enhance food supply, such as establishing kitchen gardens and providing energy-efficient stoves, each supported by training sessions.

Project description

  • Project Goal: Healthy Children – Healthy Communities: Participatory Creation of Healthy Living Conditions in Schools and Village Communities in Rural Nepal
  • Project Focus: Water & Hygiene, Basic health, Food security
  • Target Group: Dhading: Population from 9 village communities (605 households), 9 women’s groups as "Change-makers," 9 school clubs, 24 local youths as ECCA counselors. Chitwan: 20 active women’s groups and 14 school clubs, population from 14 rural communities (approximately 1,300 households). Kathmandu: 24 "urban" ECCA counselors, a total of approximately 2,209 students.
  • Project Area: Dhading and Chitwan Districts, Nepal
  • Project Activities:

    Village and School Development:

    • Project launch and exchange meetings
    • Workshops for developing mission statements to improve the school and living environment
    • Community workshops for creating village development plans

    Healthy Learning and Living Environment

    • Construction and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities in schools
    • Training for teachers on hygiene and health topics
    • Training on menstrual hygiene
    • Awareness and sensitization on the topic of lice
    • First aid training for schools and communities
    • Inclusion sensitization program
    • Training on nutrition and the creation/use of kitchen gardens
    • Support for action plans of women’s groups, school, and youth clubs
  • Project Duration: December 2024 – December 2027
  • Financial Volume: 1,074,666.67 Euros
  • Partner Organisation: Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness (ECCA)
  • Funding: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ)
  • Project Number: 6000248

Your Contact Person

Sarah Weiß
Programme Manager Nepal, Syria and Bangladesh

Phone: +49 2156 9788-152

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