BACKGROUND
It had long been prophesized that Nepal is susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes. When the disaster in the form of an
earthquake struck on 25th April, the entire nation was engulfed in panic and chaos. The buildings, which seemed to touch the sky, were
reduced to rubble. To be quite specific approximately 9,000 people lost their lives and over 23000 people were injured as well as 800,000
houses were destroyed on a nationwide scale. The epicenter of that devastating earthquake was East of Lamjung district, which was
measured with a 7.8 magnitude.
The RFC project was conceived by keeping these tragic events in mind. There were some villages and communities which were very difficult
to get access to, because of poor infrastructures and poorly constructed roads. These places had not reached any relief from government
or any other organizations.
1. Rationale
Rebuild for Change (RFC) is a compassion based community When we describe our program as compassion based, we do not
regrowth program. Rotary International District 3292 Nepal- mean in its original latin root; passio - meaning “I suffer (with)”, but
Bhutan is the main donor and supporter of the program and the defined as the realization of interconnectedness; that all parts are
whole program has been designed and developed by CREASION/ dependent upon each other to form a whole - prompting a natural
Volunteer for Change Nepal (VFC) and Rotary Club of Jawalakhel- empathy and increased awareness in our daily work. Harmony
Manjushree (RCJM). in any of our projects is reflected by the gracefulness of each
particular, connecting every single beneficiary, partner, volunteer
Our vision is clear: to facilitate the growth of self-sustainable, self- and staff. This infusion of the concept of compassion with our
reliant and conscious communities that offer every individual their innovative developmental-models unites joy and fulfillment
universal human rights, and also expands and pushes the very with the standard-index of success, measured in economic and
frontier for human well-being and development. infrastructural terms.
The RFC initiative was born in the aftermath of the major earthquake RFC never considers communities to be a passive beneficiary -
and aftershock that hit Nepal on 25th April and 12th May 2015, on the contrary we see each member of those community as an
respectively. Both caused extensive damage to buildings and active participant in their own rehabilitation. A community to us is
infrastructure while thousands of lives were lost - with many more synonymous with resourcefulness and creativity and we recognize
injured. that every underprivileged community is an untapped potential
unto itself. We aim towards empowering such communities through
To be more exact, and to understand the scope of the situation; traditional means of socio-economic initiatives and infrastructural
around 9,000 people lost their lives and around 800,000 innovation; but also through igniting individual intelligence by
houses were destroyed on a nationwide scale. virtue of education and personal development programs.
RFC realized early on that many villages and communities were Nepal ranked 145th out of 187 countries on the Human
not, and have not yet been reached by either national government Development Index (HDI) 2014. The limited set of parameters and
agencies, or international organizations. premises encircling this conclusion thoroughly disagrees with the
RFC approach. We recognize that such numbers and diagrams
We take it upon ourselves to reach and embrace these ‘forgotten’ does little to justify the bountiful, many-faceted reality that is Nepal.
villages and to bring with us long-term solutions based on our In worst case such a limited definition may distort and cloud a clear
unique approach to rehabilitation. Specifically we endeavor, on a envisioning of what Nepal is and what she can be: a nation with a
community level, to initiate 6 components that we identified as rich heritage inspiring a world torn by extremities.
vital through extensive surveys and post-earthquake assessments:
• Permanent housing
• Education
• Socio-economic development
• Health/sanitation and water
• Energy
• Community based facilities
REBUILD FOR CHANGE (RFC) - 2
We have chosen Manegaun based on three accounts; first and channel that reaches the farm land, and therefore, the irrigation
foremost because the community here belongs to the Tamang system needs to be improved as well.
people - an often exposed and marginalized ethnic-group.
Secondly, for the population willingness to active participation and In fact, at present time, the main source of income for the
openness towards innovative approaches. Thirdly, for its proximity population seems to stem from informal business, especially the
to Kathmandu that makes it easier to transport materials and keep making of local alcohol (an illegal practice in Nepal), in which we
our presence vivid and alive. have assessed that as many as 30 women are involved.
Our findings further suggest that all of the households own at
According to our recent census data, Manegaun encompasses 55 least 2 animals - mostly goats and chicken, and that many wish to
households, and counts total populations of 395, among which expand this number substantially.
170 are male, 154 are female and 71 are children. All the houses
have been destroyed and the villagers are now residing in the Furthermore, almost all the houses use wood-fuel for cooking
55 temporary metal shelters that RCJM and VFC erected in the (wood from logs, sticks or twigs) which carries with it a number of
aftermath of the earthquake with the help of BVS- Nepal. health-related risks that could be greatly reduced with a switch to
a cooking stoves and other alternatives.
Our need assessment involved a focus group discussion with the
community and a household based survey with each member of Manegaun has still not been declared an open-defecation-free
the village. We quickly learned that the majority of the villagers zone. That means, sanitation is also one of the major issue, which
are involved in agriculture, and that most of them are women (42 cannot be left behind. The most common diseases are water
females versus 10 males). related diseases, as water-purifiers are not usually utilized. We
have also witnessed an increase in skin/eye infections diseases,
A soil assessment has never been done in this village and for related to the general lack of hygiene living in temporary shelters.
this reason the crop production is only sufficient for personal Another concern is street-lighting during night hours.
consumption- with no way of selling excess- production due to a
non-existent market-economy. Moreover, there is not a irrigation There are 71 children who go to 8 different schools in the area.
3 - REBUILD FOR CHANGE (RFC)
5. Strategy
40 of them go to the government school called Shree Bhimsen Our strategy entails three key-points:
Secondary school - which is in bad repair / critical condition.
1. Education and innovation
Having learned all these facts and considering the overall status
of the village, we analyzed the premises and boundaries for We approach education in a distinctive manner where
socio-economic reintegration - with the overall development of the creative ability to analyse and question outweighs
Burunchuli as a community in mind. We are aware that the very traditional methods of memorization. We want to impart
heart of rehabilitation and self-reliance lies in the provision of the values of logic and critical thinking, as well as inspire
economic opportunities - an uplifting of the valley as a whole, a natural curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit. Besides
that we endeavour to facilitate most efficiently. children’s education we also strive to provide the means
by which a community becomes self-reliant; this means
As already stated we have been working with the village community offering training and seminars on how to utilize new
from the very first week after the initial earthquake; focusing on technologies, how to manage business, how to manage
building temporary shelters and sanitation facilities (toilets) and by new ways of farming, seed distribution, how to be
providing each household with solar-lights and mobile chargers. involved in local tourism etc.
RCJM and VFC did organized the first health camp, in partnership 2. Community empowerment - with special emphasis
with Alka Hospital, in which we have conducted a health-screening on women’s empowerment:
and a vision screening, and provided necessary medical support,
as well as an Inner Healing Training for Post Traumatic Stress In our need assessment it resulted clear that women
Disorders (PTSD) - conducted by trained professional from the represent the major work force in Manegaun, it is
‘Hug and Heal’ organization. therefore equally clear that women will play an essential
role in the long-term rehabilitation. We will actively involve
them and the rest of the village in our socio-economic
development initiatives - through the provision of soft
loans and trainings on different vocational skills and
4. Objectives
home based businesses. The community as a whole
will work actively with our staff in all the phases of the
project. Empowering women empowers children and
The overall objective of the project is to provide the community of empowering children empowers society.
Manegaun with the tools to become self-reliant, resourceful and
resilient, by working with them in the following aspects: 3. Eco-sustainability
• Re-building permanent housing in an innovative We strive to create communities that leave as little
earthquake-proof manner and creating community- impact on Earth as possible. We endeavor to find the
based facilities; right balance between what is desirable and what is
• Securing appropriate health-education and viable for a village-community of this size and character.
sanitation, both on a structural and non-structural level; Our structures are created from indigenous, recycled
• Secure a viable flow of water and provide solar materials, and we seek to power our communities
energy; through sustainable energy and green agriculture.
• Enhance overall socio-economic development,
self-sustainability and economic reintegration of In accordance with our need assessment we identified the
the community, through the provision of soft loans and aforementioned 6 critical components, which will actualize these
new technologies in the field of agriculture, livestock key-points:
and small businesses, as well as the promotion of local
tourism.
REBUILD FOR CHANGE (RFC) - 4
Moreover, earthbag construction has the tremendous advantage of We will construct a multifunctional centre (see paragraph on
providing either thermal mass or insulation, depending on content. community-based facilities) that will provide Computer classes,
When filled with soil they provide thermal mass, but when filled with Literacy classes and an Early Childhood Development
lighter weight materials, such as crushed stone, or rice hulls, they Center (ECDC). UNESCO defines “early childhood” as the
provide insulation. The bags can even act as natural non-wicking, first 8-years in a child’s life - a time of remarkable cognitive and
somewhat insulated foundations when they are filled with gravel. psychological growth. These essential years lay the very foundation
for subsequent learning and development. It is our estimate that
If the earthbags are stacked in a wide variety of shapes, including an ECDC will serve a noble purpose as both an educational and
domes, they have the potential to virtually eliminate the need for advisory institution.
common tensile materials in the structure, especially the wood and
steel often used for roofs. This not only saves more energy (and We furthermore envision the community-center as an ample setting
pollution), but also helps save our forests, which are increasingly for future programs in support of our ambition for an enlightened
necessary for sequestering carbon. youth. It is VFC’s firm intent to provide long-standing support for the
youth that are undergoing primary education. Our efforts towards
Another aspect of sustainability is found in the economy of this children’s education in this area also extend to a partnership with
method. The fill material is cheap, especially if on-site soil is used. Shree Bhimsen Secondary School - the institution which most
The earthbags themselves can often be purchased as misprints of children from Manegaun village attend. In this respect, we will
or recycled grain sacks, but even when new are not particularly improve the inherent structural facilities and provide pedagogical /
expensive. Rotary International District 3292 Nepal-Bhutan academic trainings for the resident teachers.
through RCJM and VFC will build earthquake-proof homes for
55 families in Manegaun - all based on Natural Building With these points in mind our education initiative will assist in a
Principles. harmonious integration of the community as a whole - also by
providing relevant workshops and trainings needed to enact our
Together with a team of experts, VFC and RCJM will help design socio-economic initiatives (see next paragraph), and offer a space
earthquake-proof structures using natural and recycled indigenous for the newly formed cooperative and its meetings.
materials as described above to reduce the cost. At the same
time, project will try to incorporate other innovative utilities in
accordance with Natural Building Principles such as renewable
Socio-economic development
energy, rainwater harvesting, sewage treatment and “tempered
indoor climate” as additional funds become available.
As per our need assessment agricultural enterprises on a minor
scale is the predominant way of life - this involves but is not limited
Though the size of the family might vary, the houses will be of
to goats, chickens, buffaloes and cow-rearing. As it stands today
standard size comprising 2 rooms for the family and an additional
however, a large portion of the community-income is derived from
room will be provided in order to accommodate tourists for the
alcohol distillation - an activity entirely conducted by the local
homestay programme we will be promoting (see: socio-economic
women.
development).
With these points in mind we have planned a series of actions that c. Soft loans
will improve both current economic chains such as agriculture and
animal farming, but also promote new types of businesses. We will be providing grants to the newly formed agro-
Furthermore we have established a cooperative composed of based cooperative who will issue soft-loans (with no
selected members of the local community whose responsibility will interest rates) to those members of the community
encompass activities related to these socio-economic components who apply with the purpose of starting new business
- in time, as our project reaches a natural conclusion. This group enterprises or to improve existing ones.
will take full responsibility and ownership of the community-based
facilities. Moreover, we will engage the women that are currently
involved in alcohol making, through home based
a. Agriculture enterprises like candles, incense, pickles making.
For this component we will be partnering with the These activities will be followed by different vocational
District Agriculture Department, which will provide trainings and courses on small enterprise and proper
us with the necessary expertise for soil assessment, the management.
distribution of improved seeds and the introduction of
new green technologies to scale up the crop production.
For those activities the District will cover the 50% of the d. Homestay
expenses.
Given its proximity to Kathmandu and natural beauty,
Since it was a concern raised by the community, we Burunchuli could easily be made to appeal to both
will also improve the existing irrigation canal by using locals, expats and international tourists for short
natural techniques that will prove more sustainable treks and hiking. A potential that would contribute
than the ones built using cement. In relation we are also with both extra work opportunities and a subsequent
introducing improved methods for compost-making. increased income-flow. To actualize this potential we
will organize a series of consultative meetings with
Moreover, we have partnered with Ask Foundation the Nepal Tourism Board, as well as Trekking and
in introducing and promoting their “Agricultural App.”, Travel agencies. (local youth clubs and expat living in
connecting local farmers to the relevant markets Kathmandu). Furthermore we will generate an online
eliminating the need for middle-men. They will also presence by launching a website to promote the village
assist us in providing proper trainings on using the along with our campaigns and events. The community
phone app. will be provided with different types of tourism and
hospitality related trainings to develop their capacity to
b. Animal farming accommodate in this sector.
6. Activities
Component 1 Permanent housing
S.No. Activities Sub-Activities Output
1 Assessment i. Organize a meeting with community to introduce the initiative, set out
expectations from the community and make sure they will be effectively
involved in the construction.
ii. Conduct individual household survey to assess everybody’s need.
iii. Conduct engineering assessment of each household.
Component 2 Education
S.No. Activities Sub-Activities Output
1 Assessment i. Conduct a focal group discussion with the community to introduce the
educational aspects of the project and discuss the implementation plan.
ii. Conduct a literacy survey on a household basis to know the exact literacy rate
of the community.
iii. Carry out an engineering assessment of the Shri Bhimsen Mabi school/
classrooms and their maintenance.
2 Early Childhood i. Equipping an ECDC for the children aged below 5 (within the multifunctional
Development centre- see paragraph on community-based facilities).
Centre (ECDC) ii. Recruit and train 2 care takers on child care and education, and provide a
monthly salary for the project duration.
3 Literacy Classes i. Train the volunteers that will conduct the classes through modern teaching
and various methods and curriculum-based trainings and provide literacy classes to the
trainings population.
ii. Develop a curriculum for the literacy classes in order to facilitate the proper
functioning of the program.
iii. Trainings on life skills, civic engagement and environment.
4 Capacity building i. Conduct Instructive and Academic trainings to the teachers.
and training to ii. Improvement of school facilities (furniture, paintings, sports etc) with the help of
the teachers of the volunteers.
Shree Bhimsen
Madhyamik
Vidyalay
5 Computer i. Formulation of a teaching curriculum.
Classes ii. Set up a small computer lab with 2 computers.
iii. Providing Computer trainings to the population .
REBUILD FOR CHANGE (RFC) - 8
2 Agriculture i. Meeting for partnership with the Dist. Agriculture Office for technical
collaboration.
ii. Carry out soil testing to enhance crop production.
iii. Introduction of new technologies to scale up the production and provision of
trainings to the farmers.
iv. Distribution of improved seeds to the farmers.
v. Construction of an irrigation canal.
vi. Trainings on reusing agriculture waste for compost making.
vii. Finding possible markets and trainings on a phone App to connect the
farmers to the markets.
3 Livestock i. Meetings and consultation with the District Livestock office (GoN) on available
grants to facilitate the community.
ii. Provision of trainings to the community on free range animals rearing
methods and provision of an open space for the animals to roam freely.
iii. Creation of a livestock bank managed by the cooperative and deposit of a
fund aimed to expand the livestock owned by the population.
iv. Construction of new animal shelters and improvement of existing ones.
v. Finding out possible markets for this business.
Component 5: Energy
S.No. Activities Sub-Activities Output
1 Provision of i. Conduct a survey to assess the need of improved cooking stoves.
Improved Cooking ii. Distribution and installation of 55 improved cooking stoves.
Stoves iii. Provision of a training on a household basis on the use of the new improved
cooking stoves.
b. Project beneficiaries
The direct beneficiaries of the project are the 395 inhabitants The evaluation process will include all stakeholders and will be
of Manegaun, and the 20 teachers and 325 students of the carried out to gain multiple perspectives on project activities
Shree Bhimsen Secondary School. and to enhance the community ownership of the project. The
evaluation component will assess the program in terms of
c. Project location relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.
EXECUTING PARTNERS:
1. Rotary Club of Jawalakhel-Manjushree: • Promote the project and its activities in public
events, ceremonies, social media, etc, locally and
Rotary Club of Jawalakhel-Manjushree being the partner of globally.
the project will be responsible for: • Provide project completion report along with
pictures, videos one week after the project is
• Providing the financial assistance for 2 Padhero, completed.
water mgmt system and project operations.
• Helping in leveraging funds from different Rotary
Clubs, will also look for additional funding sources
for the smaller components of the project through
social media campaign, crowdfunding, local and
international grants etc..
8. Assumptions and risks
• Providing input, advice on the ground (Manegaun,
Stated below are assumptions about risk factors that could
Burunchuli), provide volunteer support through
obstruct the effective implementation of the planned activities
different rotaract clubs.
and/or the achievement of the program’s objectives, but that
• Helping in coordinating, taking permissions with the
are not under the control of RCJM and VFC. These factors will
GoN agencies whenever required.
be monitored throughout the project and efforts will be made to
• Promoting the project and its activities in public
ensure favourable outcomes. The achievement of the objectives
events, ceremonies, social media, etc, locally and
largely depends on the successful implementation of the activities,
globally.
but there are still other factors to take into consideration: t
2. Creasion/ VFC Nepal
In order to carry out activities:
9. Sustainability
Sustainability is a core-principle at RFC - as detailed in previous c. introduce new technologies that will aim to scale
paragraphs. All our efforts go towards creating a confident, self- up the crop production, improve the current animal
reliant and resourceful community. In this respect our strategy farming structures and methods, and connect the
aims towards actively involving the population in each and every farmers to the possible markets, in order to allow
of our activities, and provide necessary technologies, skills and them to sell their products without the need of a
economic support to enhance both living conditions and financial middle man;
stability upon completion of the project.
d. equip each household with an additional room
Specifically, in order to ensure the social and financial sustainability that will be used to accommodate tourists for the
of our project, we are going to implement the following course-of- homestay program, that will be promoted through
action: a website, social media and travel agencies, and
consequently provide extra income to the families;
a. create a cooperative with the help of local RCC that e. ensure the active participation of the community
will receive the necessary accountancy/business in all activity-areas and provide specific capacity-
management trainings and who will be in charge of building trainings for each of the 6 components -
soft loans provided to the community, maintenance so that each inhabitant will acquire a set of abilities
of the provided community based-facilities, and in different areas of expertise, and consequently be
ensure the ability of the community to properly, and more resourceful in overcoming potential difficulties
independently, function in accessing new markets or natural catastrophes.
and sharing profits by the end of the project;
Donors and
Total VFC Contribution in
others
S.No. Activities Sub Activities Unit Rate (USD) Unit Number Budget USD (In Cash &
contribution in
(In USD) Kind)
USD
Focus Group Discussion Month $200 12 2,400 2,400
awareness meetings
1 Assessment Household Survey Number $200 3 600 600
Health Screening by Number $500 1 500 500
specialists
REBUILD FOR CHANGE (RFC) - 16
Donors and
Total VFC Contribution in
Sub others
S.N. Activities Unit Rate (USD) Unit Number Budget (In USD (In Cash &
Activities contribution in
USD) Kind)
USD
Need Number $100 1 100 100
assessment of Improved
cooking stove
Distribution of Distribution & Number $50 55 2,750 2,750
1 Improved Installation of
cooking stoves stoves
Training on Times $200 1 200 200
improved
stoves
Solar Street Solar Streetlights Number $700 25 17,500 17,500
2
Lights installation
Total $20,550 $300 $20,250
1 15% Project cost $3,083 $45 $3,038
2 Sub total $23,633 $345 $23,288
3 6% Contingency $1,418 $21 $1,397
cost
4 Grand total $25,050 $366 $24,685
17 - REBUILD FOR CHANGE (RFC)
Component: 6 Community based facilities
VFC
Donors and
Contribution
Total Budget others
S.No. Activities Sub Activities Unit Rate (USD) Unit Number in USD (In
(In USD) contribution in
Cash &
USD
Kind)
Construction of Hall Number $11,000 1 11,000 11,000
1 Multifunctional Hall
Resources for hall L/S $3,500 1 3,500 3,500
Construction of Number $3,100 2 6,200 6,200
Padheros
REBUILD FOR CHANGE (RFC) - 18
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