Hosting NGO
VIN (Volunteers Initiative Nepal)
Contact person
Dinesh Khatiwada, General Secretary dinesh@volunteeringnepal.org Tel: 977-9851100350
Project Place
Jitpurphedi Village Development Committee, Kathmand
Background
Local/ social situation/ needs for the project
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with over 35% of the population living below the poverty line. Access to proper health and sanitation facilit`1ies is often very limited and awareness of correct hygiene practices is low. Only 46% of the population has access to toilets, leaving 54% to practice open-air defecation. Coverage among the poor is even lower at around 12%. It is estimated that approximately 80% of the communicable diseases in Nepal are due to contaminated water and poor sanitation, while some 13,000 children under five die annually of diarrheal disease due to poor hygiene and sanitation. Nepal continues to bear the loss of some 10 billion rupees each year in terms of health expenses.
To achieve the sanitation Millennium Development Goal (MDG), Nepal has to ensure 53% toilet coverage by 2015, while the country’s National Goal is to provide basic sanitation facilities to all by 2017. To achieve this National Goal, it requires almost a doubling of the present trend of latrine construction from 148,000 to 320,000 per year (879 per day).
VIN’s pilot project is in Jitpurphedi community. A baseline survey conducted by VIN indicated that 26% of the Jitpur Phedi communities are illiterate. Hygiene awareness and access to health and sanitation facilities is also very low, with VIN and community estimates suggesting that around 40-50% of households do not have access to a permanent toilet and low standards of hygiene contributing to high instances of gastrointestinal and other illnesses.
Name and description of the local host
This project will be implemented with the coordination of local partners and stakeholders. The Jitpurphedi Village Development Committee (VDC), Jitpurphedi Health Post, Local community schools and Jitpurphedi Women Agricultural Cooperative will be our main local partners.
Aims and expected impact of the project
The main aim of this project is to raise awareness and provide training on correct health and hygiene practices to the people especially to the women and children. With this, it is expected that the project will help people increase correct health and hygiene practices including washing their hands with soap water at critical times.
Correct health and hygiene practices refer to- people will have regular bath, wash hands with soap water before eating or cooking food and after using toilet, brush teeth twice daily after lunch and dinner, use toilets, keep house environment clean and visit health center when they get sick.
VIN also intends to achieve “stool-free” (Open Defecation Free) status for Jitpur Phedi, with each family having access to and being motivated to use a toilet. The implementation of this project is expected to generate a significant improvement in the health and sanitation conditions of the community, observable as reduction in the occurrence of sickness within the community and an improved quality of life.
Main voluntary Work
- Conduct Research on health issues
- Conduct health awareness campaigns targeting children, youth and community women
- Organize mobile health camps with the coordination of VIN’s Doctor
- Provide First Aid training to youth, women, children and teachers
- Construct toilets for the needy family in the community.
- Approximate working days (in a week)/ hours
Approximate working hours: 6 hours x 5 days (weekdays) in a week (can be changeable)
Accommodation
Type of building: The host family identify by VIN in the working site in a simple building.
- Sleeping: Sharing with other vols.
- Meals: Cooked by vols. & locals
- How and how long to go to work: 10-25 minutes’ walk from their family.
- Smoking: Only outside building
- Internet access: In working site internet is not available. It is available in half an hour travel by public vehicle. They can also use internet in VIN’s office which is in 40 minutes distance by public bus. VIN will provide them the local SIM cards to use in their phone.
Location
VIN has been implementing its programs in the Jitpur community of Kathmandu District,
which is only about 10 km away from main ring road to Balaju. There are mixed castes within the communities. Dalit (otherwise known as ‘untouchables’) and Balami (a mongoloid tribe) seem to be particularly marginalized. Most of people follow Hinduism There are 61 women’s groups following income-generation activities facilitated by VIN. The community area is dirty because of a lack of hygiene awareness and schools are deprived of basic facilities, such as toilets, drinking water and teaching resources. There is a total of 6 public schools in the VDC – 3 Primary, 1 Secondary and 2 Higher Secondary schools – and they are all eager to see positive changes. The Government-run small sub-health post and pharmacy at Tinpiple are the only health centres providing services to the community. The health post lacks a qualified health service provider and sufficient basic medicines.
Jul.-Aug.: This is also the monsoon season in Nepal. The weather is hot and wet at times. It rains almost everyday with occasional thunderstorms in the evening. The rain spreads the pleasantness around with lush green vegetation. September is also the touristic season in Nepal. It is the best month to visit Nepal as weather is beautiful in this month. Summer season ranges between 23-25 Degree Celsius (73-77 Degree Fahrenheit)During the rainy monsoon season between June to August, it rains on average between 200-375 millimeters in Kathmandu. The volunteers should come with raincoat.
Terminal
- Nearest international airport: Tribhuwan International Airport. VIN’s staff will pick the vols. up.
- Transportation from the capital or other major city: VIN arranges the hotel/ accommodation,food and transportation to go to the project. The flight detail should be sent in 2 weeks prior.
Other activities
The volunteers will be involving in different local festivals and events with their host
families. They also can go for sightseeing around Kathmandu valley and outside Kathmandu like Chitwan Jungle Safire, Pokhara, Lumbini in their own costs. VIN can organize these visits if they are interested.
Qualification for volunteers
- Required: Those who can communicate in English, motivated and who want to contribute for marginalized communities.
- Preferable: The volunteers who are from health background are given preference.
Attraction for volunteers
The volunteers will get chance to work with children, women and community people. They can develop the construction skills, presentation, communication and so many other skills. The volunteers will be working with VIN’s community staffs especially doctors and Women Empowerment program officer. They can learn the community development process of the organization.
Financial condition
- Fee to be paid for the full period: 900 Euro (1,213 US$ as of 2014 Feb. 02)!
- Pocket money to be paid for the full period: None
- The extra travelling cost during the weekends is of their own.
Meetings
- On arrival training: for a week at the beginning. It will be conducted at VIN office.
- Special care during Project: VIN coordinator will visit twice on the first week and every two weeks to the project or the family. Besides, we make phone calls, text message/ email (where available) regularly. VIN’s local community program staffs will be always available around in the community/ project site.
- Evaluation meeting: Monthly at VIN office. We conduct written evaluation every month to the working site and final written and oral evaluation and send it to the partner organizations with pictures.