CFRD marks success of Sustainable Development Experimental Village

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Aug. 1: China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD) marked the first anniversary of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Experimental Village today.

A ceremony was held to mark the anniversary at Dharmasthali of Tarakeshwor Municipality where the the programme has been implemented.

The event celebrated the successful completion of various comprehensive projects by the China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD) in the municipality.

On the historic day marking the 69th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and China, the significant ceremony anticipated to strengthen the relationship and cooperation between the two countries further.

The CFRD Nepal Office launched its "Sustainable Development Experimental Village in Nepal" in Tarakeshwor in May 2023, with the overarching goal of transferring successful rural development practices from China to Nepali communities, thereby fostering sustainable development and improving living standards.

Over the year, the CFRD executed a number of integrated projects in community water supply, education, nutrition, and skill training sectors, with a total investment of more than 776,861 USD, directly benefiting 11,976 individuals. The integrated projects included four major components: the construction of a whole village water supply system, educational support, child nutrition support through school feeding, and skill enhancement for farmers, according to the CFRD.

Celebrating the accomplishment and dedication of 80 farmers who received a 3-month long free training service to enhance capacity and farming skills for off-seasonal vegetable production, the event further boosted joy of farmers with free agricultural tools and equipment support. Additionally, beneficiary schools of the Smiling Children Program received extended support of kitchen materials to sustain the feeding program smoothly, along with provision of rewards for Mothers’ Group Members, in appreciation for their invaluable support in meal preparation and feeding activities. 

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, Mayor of Tarakeshwor Municipality, Krishna Hari Maharjan attended the ceremony along with Country Director of CFRD Nepal Office, Zou Zhiqiang. The ceremony was witnessed by other distinguished guests from Tarakeshwor Municipality, Chinese Embassy, political leaders, social activists and local community people.

The ‘Agriculture Training Project’ signifies as one of the major projects under integrated development approach through launch of the "First Sustainable Development Experimental Village in Nepal" at Tarakeshwor Municipality in May 2023. These comprehensive projects also include whole village water construction, school children feeding, panda packs (school bags, stationery items, hygiene kits & warm clothes) distribution, school library installation and sports material distribution, aiming to disseminate successful rural development practices from China to Nepali communities, said the CFRD.

Training activities were conducted by the New Light Foundation (NLF) in collaboration with Multi-Trade Technical Training Institute (a CTEVT affiliated training institute), through facilitation of Tarakeshwor Municipality and relevant ward offices for selection of trainees and smooth execution of training activities. 80 farmers received training services for off-seasonal vegetable production in four batches of training events, while the graduation and material support had been already accomplished for first batch in August 2023, according to CFRD.

Post-training support to farmers also marked as a significant activity during the ceremony, where; 50 farmers were provided with a 1000-liter water tank, Electric water pump, 18-Liter Sprayer and 15m Rubber Pipe each, and rest 10 with ploughing tractors, with the aim of boosting motivation of farmers and enhancing their agricultural practices.

Likewise, another major project under the sustainable development village is Smiling Children project, it aids 3,315 students across 16 schools, providing a total of 729,591 meals. The program aims to reduce child hunger, improve nutrition and health, enhance learning abilities, and democratize education. Additional goals include increasing attendance, reducing dropouts, offering livelihood opportunities for local women, and raising awareness about child nutrition. Schools are also provided with kitchen materials to prepare and serve nutritious meals effectively.

Briefing about the training, Training Coordinator of Multi-Trade Mr. Ramesh Pandey highlighted various aspects of practical and theoretical knowledge delivered to farmers based on the Level-1 curriculum of CTEVT, boosting their farming skills. Similarly, one of the project beneficiaries Ms. Shiv Kumari Aryal shared her joyous experience, detailing her journey while participating in the training and its impact in her livelihood.

Delivering her remarks, Ms. Zou Country Director of CFRD Nepal Office expressed gratitude to all relevant stakeholders and individuals, supporting smooth completion of the training program and execution of other projects within the Municipality area. She also cited that the success of the training program has been possible due to dedication of the trainee farmers and congratulated them for their achievement, and also thanked the implementing partner and training institution for conducting training activities efficiently.

H.E Chen Song, congratulated the China Foundation for its rigorous efforts since past eight years to support social welfare and development activities in Nepal and successful accomplishment of the agriculture training program. He also appreciated dedication and achievement of trained farmers, which has capacitated farmers to adopt systematic farming skills, thus enhancing their agricultural productivity and income generation opportunities.

Mayor of Tarakeshwor Municipality, expressed his pride in the trainees' achievement and efficacy of training program, reaffirming the municipality's dedication to supporting such initiatives. Mr. Maharjan also ensured for future endeavors in joint collaboration with China Foundation for Rural Development in the sector of agriculture promotion

The program not only celebrated the trainees' accomplishments but also reinforced the collective effort of various stakeholders in promoting agricultural innovation and sustainable practices, reflecting a shared commitment to the holistic development of the municipality.