Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) has been working in Sindupalchowk District of Nepal, which was among the seven most severely hit districts by the earthquake on April 2015, in cooperation with ISAP (Institution for Suitable Actions for Prosperity) as implementing local partner. Continuing the effort of rehabilitation and rebuilding since the tragedy, PWJ in its fourth year in Nepal has initiated two new projects from 2018 in order to support victims for early recovery.

Since the earthquake changed the existing course of water sources and water flow, the lack of access to safe and adequate water has been adding to difficulties suffered by people in Sunkoshi Rural Municipality ward No.6, Sindhupalchowk. One resident shares his sorrow with a tint of a hope as he remarks, “Water has stopped running from the tap stand we had been previously using. Now we have to walk all the way down to fetch water from a spring. We grateful welcome this project to this community as we hope that it will ensure easy access to water like it was before the earthquake.”

【Left: Project engineers meeting the residents of Thapa tole
Right: The community members take turns to share the limited water for domestic use while washing clothes is allowed only 1-2 times in a week.】

Other villages in the rural municipality are also facing similar difficulties. Since the amount of water discharge is inadequate, communities make rules to share it efficiently. One of such rules is washing clothes only 1-2 times in a week.

To address the lack of access to adequate water, the Project for Improving Water Access in Sindhupalchowk District (PIWA) was envisioned. The project will rehabilitate 8 water supply schemes including intake, reserved tank, distribution pipelines, and tap stands. In addition to rehabilitation of water supply schemes, technical training on maintenance will ensures proper operation so that communities will have access to water for a longer time. We believe this holistic approach will help villages become more sustainable.
On the other hand, PWJ has also started agriculture project, called “Small Farmers Income Improvement”, for long-term support for rehabilitation from the earthquake. Since the major income source for the earthquake affected communities is agriculture, we are assisting them to increase their income by vegetable farming. Mobilizing our technical support staffs, around 400 families will learn both production and marketing technics for 3 years.

【Left: Project target group are small land holding farmers.
Right: Tomato is one of the major cash crops in Nepal】

In recent year, many youths have been going abroad in search of work while their villages are gradually deteriorating in lack of youth power and labor. Therefore, the project will also help to break the chain of foreign employment by supporting local people to ensure safe and economically sustainable life even in rural villages.

Jinseki kogen, a city of our PWJ headquarter in Hiroshima, is also facing similar social issues, such as depopulation, lack of farmers, and limited road access for marketing. Therefore, the project consists of exposure visit from both countries in order to exchange their experiences and share their knowledge.

Media:
Press release from the Embassy of Japan in Nepal
http://www.np.emb-japan.go.jp/files/000332944.pdf
The Himalayan Times ”Japanese Embassy hands community centre in Kavre”
https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/japanese-embassy-hands-community-centre-kavre/

※These project are funded by PWJ supporters and the government of Japan; the Embassy of Japan in Nepal for WASH project and JICA for vegetable farming.