World Vision celebrates 10 years in Nepal

World Vision started its development initiatives in Nepal in 1982 by donating funds to local groups for building hospitals and providing health care. In response to the 1988 earthquake, World Vision helped local non-governmental organisations in providing assistance to the people affected. Similarly, in 1993, World Vision helped people affected by the floods through local partners. World Vision formally started its long-term development work in Nepal after signing both general and project agreements with the Social Welfare Council, in 2001.

Starting in 2001, World Vision International Nepal (WVIN) began its development work based in the community, working with families and children without adequate access to food and water, to healthcare, to sanitation, to education, to livelihood opportunities, and to equality. It did this through its Area Development Programme (ADP) in six districts of Nepal, namely Bhaktapur, Kailali, Kaski, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Rupandehi. In 2002, WVIN expanded its work to Lamjung and Sunsari districts, and in 2003 to Jumla, a remote Mid-Western district. By 2005 WVIN was operational in ten districts of Nepal including Morang in the sectors of Early Childhood Care and Development, Community Health focusing on Water and Sanitation, Education, Livelihood, HIV and AIDS, and Leadership and Local Governance. From 2003-2005, the Mid-West Relief and Rehabilitation Programme was implemented in Jumla and Kalikot districts to improve food security, health, the development of children, and provide socio-economic benefits. The main projects included child nutrition, emergency health services, education and Food for Work for asset creation, such as renovation of irrigation canals, foot trails, schools and health posts. In 2004, WVIN was honoured for this programme with the Deuda Cup given by the then Prime Minister of Nepal.

During the same time, Nepal witnessed an internal armed conflict and massive political changes but this did not stop WVIN from realising its vision, that is, “for every child, life in all its fullness and for every heart, the will to make it so.” WVIN continued to practise good stewardship, finding ways to maximise the benefit that went to the poor in its target communities. In 2006, the armed conflict came to an end with a comprehensive peace agreement between the Maoist insurgents, and the government. This led to the successful Constituent Assembly (CA) elections in 2008 and subsequent declaration of Nepal as secular democratic republic, abolishing the age-old monarchy. The same year, WVIN collaborated with coalitions such as Children as Zones of Peace and the Consortium of Organisations Working for Children’s Participation, other NGOs, INGOs, and UN agencies with the aim of giving children a voice and encouraging their participation in the drafting of the new constitution of Nepal. Starting from 2006, the same network also organised a far-reaching series of national and district consultations with children, aimed at capturing the voice of children in the interim constitution, the election process, and the forthcoming new constitution. The network also worked to carry out research, involve children and stakeholders, monitor child rights during CA elections, create a CA advocacy group for mass lobbying, build the awareness of CA members about child rights, mobilise the media, produce IEC materials and related publications, prepare an expert submission on child rights to CA members, and create a Child Rights Parliamentary Forum.

WVIN’s work in the area of Humanitarian Emergency Affairs has significantly contributed to disaster risk-reduction and preparedness activities in all the ADPs and timely responses to major disasters in Nepal. In 2007, WVIN responded to the monsoon floods in Saptari that displaced thousands of people, distributing 2,000 family packs (food and non-food items) in 12 Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Saptari district. In August 2008, WVIN was amongst the first to respond with food and non-food items when the Saptakoshi River, one of the largest rivers in the country, broke its embankment and started flowing directly into villages, destroying half a dozen villages, displacing thousands of people, mainly women and children, and killing countless livestock in Nepal and neighbouring India. More than two years on, WVIN is still continuing its Protracted Relief and Early Recovery project in nutrition and education in three flood-affected Village Development Committees (VDC), namely Haripur, Sripur and Paschhim Kusaha.

In July 2009, WVIN introduced two new ADPs, pilot testing the Integrated Programming Model (IPM) in Udayapur and Doti districts. IPM is World Vision’s new approach to implementing development, relief, and advocacy programmes and equips local-level staff to work effectively with partners toward the sustained well-being of children within families and communities – especially the most vulnerable.

By the end of 2010, 20,835 children were registered in WVIN’s sponsorship programme, an effective and fulfilling way to help give a child from a poor community the chance of a brighter future. Funds from sponsorship supported a wide range of development activities that benefited children, their families, and the communities they live in. Children from marginalised and economically-deprived groups were identified for sponsorship through a transparent process involving local community committees.

In 2010, WVIN served 239,782 people through its community development, relief and advocacy programmes. In 2010, WVIN also developed a country strategy (2010-2013) with the goal of empowering vulnerable children, their families, and communities to improve their quality of life with dignity and peace. The strategy has identified three key sectors where it might serve, namely Maternal Child Health and Nutrition, Education and Livelihood; two contextual sectors, namely Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and HIV and AIDS with Child Protection as a major cross-cutting theme.

At present WVIN is operational in twelve districts, the focus being on improving children’s well-being through child-focused transformational development, disaster management, and the promotion of social justice.