World Neighbours Canada

Nepal: Ramechhap Water & Sanitation Program

Partner: Tamakoshi Sewa Samiti (TSS)

While it is famous for Mount Everest and while mountain trekking brings a lot of revenue to the country, most of the people in Nepal live in poverty. Preventable illnesses are widespread, water is often in short supply, and arable land is under great pressure. Politically, it is a new democracy after centuries of being ruled by a monarchy.   After many years, a new constitution was recently approved by the Nepalese parliament.  Although not a unanimously approved document, the hope is that it will result in political stability, which in turn will help improve the economy.

TSS (Tamakoshi Sewa Samiti) is one of the oldest and most respected non-government organizations in Nepal. It works in Ramechhap District (in the eastern part of the country) to alleviate poverty and help rural communities become more self-reliant. TSS helps village groups to organize themselves, manage finances, hold effective meetings, and undertake improvement projects. Their initial strategy is to establish and mobilize villagers to plan, organize, build and maintain water systems. When the water systems are installed, villagers often then choose to install sealed, sanitary toilet systems, which TSS and WNC also help them with.  The combination of easily accessible potable water and greatly improved sanitation systems has greatly reduced the incidence of gastrointestinal disease in Ramechhap.

World Neighbours Canada, since 1989, has had the privilege of providing and facilitating financial support for the village water systems and the sealed, hygienic toilets that are all installed and maintained by local people.  TSS provides only technical guidance and training, and the people themselves provide all local materials and all of the labour needed.  Non local materials such as pipe, valves, cement, toilet pans and re bar, are purchased by TSS as needed, and are carried by men, women and children, from the end of the road to their remote villages.

Because the villagers take ownership of the projects from the earliest stages of planning and design, and because they are in charge of long term maintenance and repair, the projects have proven to be very successful.

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Partner Website: Click here to visit the Tamakoshi Sewa Samiti (TSS) Program Website

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Programme des communautés de Fada

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, north of Ghana.  Called “Upper Volta” in colonial times, the country lies in the savanna and Sahel zones, the wide band of semi-arid grasslands with scattered trees that separates the Sahara from the forested areas to the south. World Neighbours Canada supports the burkinabé NGO, APDC, (Association d’Appui à la Promotion du Développement Durable des Communautés ) and it is this organization that organizes and implements the project activities.

Role of the Canadian Government:

Currently, funding for the activities is being provided, in large part, by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) as part of the Canadian government’s initiatives for improved Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in developing countries. These initiatives will contribute to the reduction of mortality and morbidity, especially in mothers and infants, and also to improving nutrition and development of young children. The current funding grant from GAC covers the period March 2016 to the end of March 2020.

Program Description:

In Burkina Faso, the project aims to encourage prevention & treatment of childhood diseases, family planning, improved family food security and increased consumption of nutritious foods by children as well as increased participation of women in leadership roles in community organizations. Project activities will take place in 18 villages of the project area of Fada, a region in eastern Burkina Faso.. Our partner NGO, APDC, uses a participatory approach and has activities planned that include educational sessions as well as practical hands on training and monitoring activities. A total of 2000 women, 1000 men and 4800 children will be direct beneficiaries, with an additional 7000 women and 7000 men considered as indirect beneficiaries.

APDC is a small NGO with an executive director and four full-time employees. During the current project, an employee with gender equity qualifications will consult with the APDC team on a part-time basis.

APDC staff:

Executive Director of APDC: Charles Tankoano
Fada Project Director: David Lankoandé
Field Workers: Diaboado Oboulbiga, Hortense Lompo
Gender Consultant: Lydia Tapsoba

History of WNC involvement in Burkina Faso:

In July 2008, World Neighbours Canada began sponsorship of a new development program in eastern Burkina Faso, in the province of Fada N’Gourma. WNC has partnered with APDC, a local NGO that grew out of the work begun by World Neighbors U.S. in the late 1980s and 90s. Thanks to the previous work in soil and water conservation, short cycle crops and green manure technologies, villages in the neighbouring province of Gna Gna that used to have food for only 5-6 months per year now have food security 12 months of the year with enough food left over to sell. With support from World Neighbours Canada, APDC has expanded their support to include villages in the the province of Fada in southeastern Burkina Faso.

APDC approach to development:

APDC has experienced great success by using the empowerment of women as a starting point for community development.  This begins with motivation and training of women in maternal health and child nutrition.  In addition, APDC encourages the women to participate in State organized training sessions in literacy and numeracy.  Women are encouraged to form savings and credit groups, and use or borrow from these funds to engage in income generation activities. Villagers are now growing more vegetables and learning how to care for livestock such as chickens and sheep. Since 2008, the programme has slowly expanded to include 8 more villages, now up to 18 from the original 10.

APDC is providing support in a number of ways:

• training and re-training sessions to strengthen the organizational capacity of women’s leadership groups
• offering training sessions to help build capacity for food production (engaging in sheep fattening or poultry-raising activities, and creating market gardens)
• training villagers about the importance of sustainable management of natural resources (keeping and protecting local tree species)
• training villagers in sustainable agricultural techniques (construction of stone bunds and the use of green manure)
• offering training sessions to address general human rights issues and women’s issues and provide a venue for sharing common concerns

Partner: Vecinos Honduras

Funding provided by Global Affairs Canada for 2016-2020

Summary of Program

Vecinos Honduras works to empower vulnerable people in rural and remote communities to holistically manage their development. Under the current program supported by World Neighbours Canada and Global Affairs Canada, Vecinos Honduras is working with over 900 families in the El Paraiso and Valle departments to promote maternal and child health and nutrition.

Program Description

The Maternal and Child Health Project is being implemented in the area of the Integral Development Programs of San Antonio de Las Guarumas Sembrando Esperanzas in the department of Valle (southern Honduras) and in the Michael Newman Program in the department of El Paraíso (east part of the country). The purpose of the work of Vecinos Honduras in these areas is to “Build greater capacity in families, organizations and communities to improve the health conditions of families and have healthy communities.”

The Maternal and Child Health Project will contribute to reduced mortality and morbidity, especially in mothers and infants, and also improve nutrition and development of young children.

Data from baseline surveys in the intervention communities shows the need to promote changes in food and hygiene practices at household level and water supply and sanitation at community level.

Volunteers health monitors and guide mothers and village health committees will lead support actions in their communities. One of the key elements for training of these volunteers is Integral Care for Children of the Community. There is support and collaboration for the project from the Regional Offices and Units of Health Services of the Ministry of Health.

World Neighbours Canada works closely with the Kenoli Foundation of North Vancouver in implementing and monitoring activities in Honduras.

Vecinos Honduras’ Approach to Rural Development

Vecinos Honduras uses a very effective and proven approach to empower local people to manage their own affairs. The organization typically stays in an area for 6 to 8 years. Initially they generate interest by training people in specific techniques for growing more crops, raising healthier children, and so on. They also begin to train local leaders to: organize activities among themselves; include women in decision-making; run effective local organizations such as health committees; and manage finances. Gradually Vecinos Honduras staff phase themselves out and local leaders take over. After 6 to 8 years, the goal is that people will have the knowledge and skills to initiate village development projects on their own, and seek technical support and funding from government, national or international organizations as needed.

Poverty in Honduras

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. In terms of per capita GDP, at $3,883 Honduras is the third poorest country in the region behind only Nicaragua and Haiti. Worldwide it ranks 106th of 169 countries in the United Nation’s Human Development Index. Over 50% of Honduras’ total population lives in poverty and 35% of Hondurans live in extreme poverty (income of less than $2/day), with poverty concentrated in the rural areas where half the population of 7.6 million resides. Chronic malnutrition of children (stunting) is widespread. Violent crime has plagued the country for several years, related to the drug trade, corruption and political turmoil. (Sources: Vecinos Honduras, World Bank, Insightcrime.org)