Kathmandu: A ceremony was held in Dharmasthali of Tarakeshwar Municipality on Thursday to mark the first anniversary of the ‘sustainable development experimental village’ of China Foundation for Rural Development..
The event celebrated the successful completion of various comprehensive projects by the China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD) in the municipality. The event coincided with the 69th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China.
In May 2023, the China Foundation for Rural Development Nepal (CFRD) Office launched its project ‘Sustainable Development Experimental Village in Nepal’ in Tarakeshwar Municipality with the overarching goal of transferring successful rural development practices from China to Nepali communities. The project also aims at fostering sustainable development and improving living standards of Nepali communities.
CFRD said it executed a number of integrated projects in community water supply, education, nutrition, and skill training sectors, with a total investment of over USD 776,861, directly benefiting 11,976 individuals.
The integrated projects included four major components: the construction of a whole village water supply system, educational support, child nutrition support through school feeding, and skill enhancement for farmers.
Celebrating the accomplishment and dedication of 80 farmers who received a three-month long free training service under the ‘Agriculture Training Component’ of the project, the event further boosted the joy of farmers with free agricultural tools and equipment support. The component aims to enhance capacity and farming skills for off-season vegetable production.
Also, beneficiary schools of the Smiling Children Program received extended support of kitchen materials to sustain the feeding program smoothly, along with provision of rewards for Mothers’ Group Members, in appreciation for their invaluable support in meal preparation and feeding activities.
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song, Mayor of Tarakeshwor Municipality Krishna Hari Maharjan and Country Director of CFRD Nepal Office Zou Zhiqiang among others attended the event.
Delivering her remarks, Zou Zhiqiang, Country Director of CFRD Nepal Office, expressed gratitude to all relevant stakeholders and individuals, supporting smooth completion of the training program and execution of other projects within the municipality area. She also cited that the success of the training program has been possible due to dedication of the trainee farmers and also thanked the implementing partner and training institution for conducting training activities efficiently.
Chen Song, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, congratulated the CFRD for its rigorous efforts for the past eight years to support social welfare and development activities in Nepal and successful accomplishment of the agriculture training program. He also appreciated dedication and achievement of trained farmers, which has capacitated farmers to adopt systematic farming skills, thus enhancing their agricultural productivity and income generation opportunities.
Krishna Hari Maharjan, Mayor of Tarakeshwor Municipality, reaffirmed the municipality’s commitment in supporting such initiatives in the days to come. Maharjan also ensured for future endeavors in joint collaboration with China Foundation for Rural Development in the sector of agriculture promotion.
“Agriculture Training Component is one of the major components of the “First Sustainable Development Experimental Village in Nepal” at Tarakeshwor Municipality in May 2023. ‘ signifies as an integrated development approach through the launch
Comprehensive projects include construction of water supply facilities, school children feeding, panda packs (school bags, stationeries, hygiene kits & warm clothes) distribution, school library installation and sports material distribution, among others.
Training activities were conducted by the New Light Foundation (NLF) in collaboration with Multi- Trade Technical Training Institute, a CTEVT affiliated training institute, through facilitation of Tarakeshwor Municipality and relevant ward offices for selection of trainees and smooth execution of training activities. As many as 80 farmers received training services for off-season vegetable production in four batches of training events, while the graduation and material support had already been accomplished for the first batch in August 2023.
Post-training support to farmers also marked as a significant activity during the ceremony, where; 50 farmers were provided with a 1000-liter water tank, Electric water pump, 18-Liter Sprayer and 15m Rubber Pipe each, and rest 10 with plowing tractors, with the aim of boosting motivation of farmers and enhancing their agricultural practices.
Likewise, another major project under the sustainable development village is Smiling Children project, it aids 3,315 students across 16 schools, providing a total of 729,591 meals. The program aims to reduce child hunger, improve nutrition and health, enhance learning abilities, and democratize education. Additional goals include increasing attendance, reducing dropouts, offering livelihood opportunities for local women, and raising awareness about child nutrition. Schools are also provided with kitchen materials to prepare and serve nutritious meals effectively.
Briefing about the training, Training Coordinator of Multi-Trade. Ramesh Pandey highlighted various aspects of practical and theoretical knowledge delivered to farmers based on the Level- 1 curriculum of CTEVT, boosting their farming skills. Similarly, one of the project beneficiaries Ms. Shiv Kumari Aryal shared her joyous experience, detailing her journey while participating in the training and its impact in her livelihood.
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