A Brighter Future

Project Background

“A Brighter Future; Enabling Persons with Disabilities in Remote Mountain Communities to Exercise their Rights’ in Humla” was launched in eight ward pālikas of Serkegard RM of Humla districts from 1st Jan, 2019 till 31st Dec 2020 with the financial support from Danish Mission Council Development Department (DMCDD) having the aim of contributing to the empowerment of persons with disabilities in Humla, Nepal, and to the realization of their rights. 

A total of 401 individuals was the direct project beneficiaries whereas about 1500 other women and men as indirect beneficiaries of the project interventions. Among the persons with disabilities, women and girls are more deprived from the benefits. Hence, this project was designed for interventions to support right holders and duty bearers in ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities in the selected area through the implementing partner Himalayan Education and Development (HEAD) Nepal.

Background of the project

The project A brighter future: enabling persons with disabilities in remote mountain communities to exercise their rights has been implementing in the entire wards (1 to 8) of Sarkegad Rural Municipality, Humla targeting the persons with disabilities and their family members. Despite developing and implementing the progressive laws, policies and provisions by the Government of Nepal (GoN) for the protection and promotion of human rights and to provide an enabling environment for people with disabilities, they are not yet all practiced. People with disabilities remain primarily hidden within the home in Humla, and statistics and surveys on their living conditions are vague.

The discrimination against people with disabilities is deep-rooted in the families in the project area. Assessments conducted by Mission East (ME) and partners in previous projects showed that girls and women living with disabilities are facing the most severe discrimination among all marginalized groups. Data indicates that around half of the people with disabilities were not registered for an official disability card and therefore unable to claim their rights including state benefit. Among the persons with disabilities, women and girls are more deprived from the benefits. Hence, this project was designed for interventions to support right holders and duty bearers in ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities in the selected area through the implementing partner Himalayan Education and Development (HEAD) Nepal. The main objectives and target groups of the project include:

Overall objective: 

Persons with disabilities in Nepal are empowered and able to access their human rights

Phase I

Immediate Objectives:

  1. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) and their family members have improved capacities and knowledge to understand and access their rights
  2. Rural municipality policies reflect an improved awareness and attitude towards disability inclusion by relevant stakeholders
  3. Local CSOs in Humla actively engage in advocacy activities promoting the rights of children/people with disabilities.

In the adverse context of outbreak of COVID-19, and geo-political context, the available progress reports, interaction with beneficiaries, representatives of local government, CSOs/Media, partner organizations, and field observation pointed out that the project has been able to achieve its objectives by attaining expected outputs. The findings of the evaluation, indicate that the entire persons with disabilities identified (406) by RM got identity card, enhanced their awareness on rights, skills on daily living skills (mobility; communication: braille and sign language; and other life skills) and services and facilities provisioned by government and other service provides.

Families and community, CSOs and other stakeholders’ perception, attitude and behaviour has been changed after engagement in diverse training, dialogues (Apangata Kachahari), awareness activities, and advocacy actions. Currently, they do not use offensive words to address PWDs. They have been encouraging PWDs to participate in community actions, enrolment and continuation of education, claiming rights and demanding for services and facilities, etc. To sustain these outcomes, RM has endorsed disability card distribution framework, form a committee for identity card distribution to PWDs, established complaint handling mechanism, and committed to allocated resources for empowerment of PWDs. In the same way CSOs (3) improved their policies including issues of disabilities and advocating for rights and issues of PWDs. Ssimilarly, the project strategy and implemented activities are highly relevant for PWDs who were deprived from the right and services due to the lack of awareness, skills and supportive mechanism.

Though the adverse situation due to outbreak of COVID-19 and other geo-political, and socio-economic situation the project has been implementing effectively and efficiently. Further, the expected results/outcomes were also achieved which are expected to be sustained as well. However, there are many issues of PWDs and their families to be address. Regarding this the next phase of the project should be focused on the economic empowerment of PWDs and their families (as supporting agency) through building capacity on vocational skills and income generation actions, providing technology support, and easy financing. Conducive environment (through policy revision, providing grant, technology, market, etc.) to operate enterprises by PWDs and their families should be created by local government and CSOs and other relevant stakeholders is also significant strategy for next phase of the project.

Activities Under this project Phase I

45 days braille language training
Apangata Kachahari a discussion forum on disability issues and agendas in Sarkegad RM
joint advocacy plan meeting of disability advocacy network and CSOs in Sarkegad RM

Phase II

Long term Impact

Person with disabilities are able to access to their human rights and have improved livelihood situation.

Outcomes

  1. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) and their family members have access to their socio-economic rights (government services- allowances,  economic opportunities, food,  education and  participation).
  2. People with disabilities and their families have improved livelihood.
  3. Local government provide enabling environment and inclusive services to PWDs.

Project Intervention Strategy

Capacity building

PWDs and their family

  • Support remaining PWDs for their registration to access identification cards, benefits and services.
  • Training (Vocational, rights of PWDs) to them and their family members.
  • Training on sustainable farming and its market linkages.
  • Training for people with hearing impairment on Nepali sign language

Local stakeholders

  • Training to teachers on inclusive education
  • Training/workshop for local government on, disability rights, policies and ACAP tools.
  • Trainings to relevant stakeholders including local duty bearers on rights of people with disabilities

CSO/Alliance

  • Training/ workshop on disability rights and issues
  • Conduct meetings of advocacy groups with relevant stakeholders
  • Facilitate to prepare advocacy plan

Advocacy

  • Support ward level existing PWDs advocacy group and RM level network for their institutional development.
  • Support ward level existing PWDs advocacy group and RM level network for their institutional development.
  • Conduct meetings of advocacy groups with relevant stakeholders including the local CSOs
  • CSOs prepare mutual advocacy plan along with PWDs groups/network
  • Advocate and support government to develop policies on economic package to PWDs.

Livelihood Promotion 

  • Support the PWDs/groups/cooperatives in market linkage for their products
  • Vocational training to PWDS and their families considering their abilities.
  • Provide input (materials/technology/seed money/tools) support to PWDs and their families.
  • Form/reform saving groups/cooperatives
  • Training on saving/ credits to PWDs/families  and cooperatives management

Phase II Activities

one month of carpentry training for PWDs and their family members Phase II
one month of carpentry training for PWDs and their family members Phase II
Rural Municipality Project Advisory Committee (RMPAC) meeting, Social Audit and Lesson Learned Workshop

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