Social Welfare Council (SWC) Monitoring Mission

To Friends Service Council Nepal’s Nepal Earthquake Response/ Recovery Project

December 25th & 26th, 2015

Introduction:

Friends Service Council Nepal (FSCN) with support from Act Alliance/ Dan Church Aid (DCA) and

Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is leading a project named “Nepal Earthquake Response/ Recovery

Project (NERP)” since April 2015 after the mega- earthquake. It has been running several

programs related to emergency response, shelter support, WASH, psychosocial support and

livelihood support in different areas of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts. FSCN and DCA hosted a

field monitoring mission which was done by SWC Nepal on 25th and 26th December 2015. SWC

Vice-chairman Mr. Pramod Mehta and Deputy Director Mr. Ram Sharma were the SWC officials

who took part in the field monitoring on both days.

Visit Areas: Bhaktapur

1. Nekosera, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality 2. Chhaling, Changunarayan Municipality 3. Changunarayan Municipality, Ward no. 10

Lalitpur 1. Bungmati, Karyabinayak Municipality 2. Lakuribhanjyang, Lamatar, Mahalakshmi Municipality.

Visit Team:

From SWC 1. Mr. Pramod Mehta- Vice-chairman 2. Mr. Ram Sharma, Deputy Director

From DCA

1. Mr. Uddhav Karki, Country Manager

2. Ms. Santona Devkota K.C., DCA Project Coordinator- Bhaktapur & Lalitpur

3. Mr. Lalit Bahadur Thapa, Cash Officer

4. Mr. Pabitra Gurung, WASH Coordinator

From FSCN 1. Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa, Executive Director 2. Mr. Binaya Prakash Acharya, Documentation & Communication Officer 3. Mr. Ashish Raj Dahal, ,Shelter Assistant 4. Mr. Prashant Poudel, Shelter Engineer

5. Mr. Asesh Thapa, WASH Engineer 6. Mr. Bikram Dahal, Sub Engineer 7. Mr. Padma Ghimire, Psychosocial expert 8. Ms. Puja Karki, Public Health Promotion Officer 9. Mr. Santosh Pandey, Livelihood Support Officer 10. Ms. Basanta Lakshmi Shrestha, Social Mobilizer 11. Ms. Lakshmi K.C, Social Mobilizer

Objectives of the visit:

1. Interacting with the project beneficiaries and taking their feedback if the FSCN is supporting

them as per their need or not.

2. Progress monitoring of the Nepal Earthquake Recovery Project launched by FSCN/ DCA/

NCA

3. To identify the future needs of the local community people.

Description of the visit

Day 1 (Bhaktapur District)

A) Nekosera, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality

The monitoring started from Nekosera, Bhaktapur. The SWC inspectors visited a safe home

build for the earthquake affected people. There was an interaction with the local community

people where they were enquired about the cash-top up support provided by DCA/ NCA/ FSCN

and how they used it. A local resident Suraj Kasuwa told “I have used Rs. 10,000 provided by

FSCN along with Rs. 15,000 provided by government to buy GI sheets to build a temporary

shelter of 12*10 area.” Sunil Prajapati told “I also have used the amount for building a

temporary shelter. FSCN supported us by various ways. They provided us drinking water

immediately after the earthquake which was a lifesaving help for us”.

Then the officials inspected the temporary shelters and household latrines of the beneficiaries

of “Cash top-up support” and “Hygiene promotion” programs of DCA/ NCA and FSCN. There

was interaction between the local community people and some people from a local youth club

who informed SWC personnel about the activities of FSCN in their area.

SWC officials in Bhaktapur, Nekosara

B) Visit to Chhaling, Changunarayan Municipality

The SWC team along with FSCN and DCA officials reached Chhaling. There was a warm welcome

program by the community people. An interaction program took place with the local

community people along with the project site inspection. The community people showed the

inspectors temporary shelters, toilets and water reservoir made and maintained by support

from DCA/ NCA and FSCN. The local people expressed their gratitude to the FSCN and DCA

staffs especially for the drinking water project which provided them a huge relief.

Manisha Bailkoti, a 26 year old lady told “I have a small family of three people, me, my husband

and my one year old son. The earthquake destroyed our small house but I am happy that all

three of us are alive. I was worried for my little son and didn’t have any idea how to build a

From Left: (a) The monitoring team being greeted by the local people; (b) The community people; (c) The local

women’s group with Ms. Santona Devkota KC; (d) SWC vice-chairperson inspecting the water reservoir

maintained by FSCN

shelter for him. After few days FSCN provided us ten thousand rupees and government provided

fifteen thousand rupees by which we could build a small temporary shelter for three of us. I am

very grateful to FSCN for the support and also for the support that you have provided for

drinking water”.

Urmila Bailkoti added, “After the earthquake, we faced a serious drinking water problem. We

had to leave our homes early in the morning with a vessel in search of drinking water. We

belong to Dalit community so other community people living in nearby areas didn’t allowed us

to fill water in our vessels just because we belong to so called lower caste community”, she

cried. “In that chaotic situation, FSCN came here and renovated our damaged tanks and also

provided drinking water through water trucks for immediate relief. I am very much grateful to

you for providing such a support in our crucial time”.

Urmila Bialkoti with her daughter

Mr. Pramod Mehta said, “I am very much touched by the support that FSCN and DCA have done

in this community. Your community is a motivation for other earthquake affected communities

for how you brought yourselves from that situation to the present one.”

C) Visit to Changunarayan-10

The team then moved to Changunarayan-10 and gathered in Krishna Primary School where

they were greeted by the community people and also gifted with a Dhaka Topi (indigenous

From top:(a) SWC/DCA/FSCN officials in Krishna Primary School, Changunarayan-10;(b) SWC officials

inspecting the school toilet renovated by FSCN/ DCA;(c) temporary shelter built from support from DCA/ FSCN

cap). The team inspected the temporary shelters and toilets constructed by cash and technical

support from DCA/ FSCN.

Devaka Shrestha, a local beneficiary told, “we are so glad that we could meet the people from

your organization after the earthquake. You provided us intense support when we needed it the

most. You have supported us by providing food and drinking water immediately after the

earthquake which was a life saver. The hygiene promotion program along with toilet

construction helped us a lot and stopped the spread of diseases. Your psychosocial program also

supported us a lot. We could share our hidden feelings openly which really helped us to come

out of the trauma invited by the earthquake. You have been monitoring your activities due to

which actual victims have been benefited. If possible, we would like to request you to bring

water supply project in our area since we are facing problem of drinking water.”

Asbir Shrestha told, “My home was totally destroyed by the earthquake. I had some savings

from my agriculture and FSCN provided ten thousand rupees. I could build a temporary shelter

with two rooms by the support provided by FSCN and my previous savings. I have planning to

construct a permanent shelter only after 2-4 years. I expect your support through your livelihood

activities for my agriculture”.

Devaka Shrestha (left) and Absir Shrestha (right)

D) Visit to Safe home for community based psychosocial counseling in Changunarayan-16

The team then visited Safe home for community based psychosocial counseling in

Changunarayan-16 where the children were having a drawing session. The officials interacted

and spent some time with the children and expressed their happiness to FSCN for their effort in

improving the psychosocial condition of the community by means of such activities.

Day-2 (Lalitpur District)

A) Visit to Bungmati, Karyabinayak municipality The officials from SWC along with DCA and FSCN visited Bungmati on the second day. The

meeting and interaction program was conducted in ward office of Bungmati. There was a

considerable participation of the community people and people from local civil society. Krishna

Bhakta Maharjan, a representative of the civil society of Bungmati explained about the

“Bungmati Drinking Water Supply Project” by DCA/ NCA / FSCN in Bungmati along with other

activities from FSCN/ DCA in their area. They appreciated FSCN for construction of water

scheme in a very short time which solved their drinking water problem and provided a huge

relief to the community people. The project is a PPCPM (Public Private Civil Society Partnership

Model) project. Apart from this water supply project, other programs like “cash top-up

support” for shelter construction, hygiene kit distribution and psychosocial support programs

are also done by DCA/ NCA and FSCN on Bungmati and livelihood support program is going to

start soon.

Krishna Bhakta Maharjan told, “FSCN has supported us in various ways. The drinking water

scheme has provided a huge benefit. Cash-top up support program also helped us a lot to build

temporary shelters after earthquake. Various hygiene promotion programs including hygiene kit

distribution and distribution of toilet construction materials also benefited a huge number of

people. Psychosocial support has also helped us a lot. Our mother groups have also been

benefited a lot though the various trainings and orientations provided by FSCN. The livelihood

support program is also coming so we request us to support in our wood carving skills to

promote it as a business that would help us promote our livelihood status in future. We are very

grateful to the work and support that FSCN has provided”.

After the program in ward office, the officials visited temporary shelter and toilet construction

sites. They also visited “Safe Home for Community Bases Psychosocial Counseling” of Bungmati,

Lalitpur. SWC vice-chairperson Pramod Mehta told, “I am amused by the support DCA and FSCN

have provided in Bungmati. The water supply scheme constriction is equally impressive. I hope

FSCN will be able to provide similar support through its livelihood support program in future.”

B) Visit to Lakuribhanjyang, Lamatar, Mahalakshmi Municipality

After Bungmati, the officials visited Lakuribhanjyang, Lamatar of Mahalakshmi Municipality

where DCA and FSCN have conducted various programs like cash top-up support for shelter

SWC/DCA/FSCN officials in a community interaction program in Lakuribhanjyang, Lamatar

construction, hygiene promotion programs including hygiene kits and toilet construction

materials distribution, winterization kit distribution program etc. The officials received a warm

welcome by the community people. The meeting with local community people was done in

Basuki secondary school where the beneficiaries explained the SWC officials about how they

utilized the cash support received from FSCN. The team then inspected the school latrine

constructed by FSCN with DCA/ NCA support and then visited the temporary shelter and toilet

construction site. There was interaction with the local beneficiaries who explained about the

support provided by FSCN for shelter and toilet construction along with psychosocial support

program. The beneficiaries who received winterization kit from FSCN also expressed their

gratitude since the blankets and other items helped them a lot in this winter.

The tem then inspected Thulaghar Water Supply Scheme’s pressure filter situated in Lamatar.

Feedback from the monitoring team

Vice Chairman of SWC Mr. Pramod Mehta said “I am very happy and impressed by the work

that FSCN has been doing for the earthquake victims. I came to know that in this short period,

FSCN with the support from DCA and NCA has provided a considerable amount of effort in

various fields like emergency response, relief support, water supply schemes, hygiene promotion

and livelihood support. I expect same enthusiasm from FSCN in future also and we are always

ready to cooperate with your organization in future whenever any help or support is needed.

Best wishes from our side”. The deputy director Mr. Ram Sharma also added, “The work in

various sectors by DCA, NCA and FSCN is worth appreciable. I am sure that you will continue this

good work in future also. All the best from our side.”

Conclusion

The SWC team was very impressed by the work done by DCA/NCA/FSCN in all the visit areas.

The local people also seemed glad to express their views and opinions. The further suggestions

and demands of the people could be known and listed which will certainly provide assistance to

us for further planning, selection of beneficiaries and implementation of future programs.