Between summits and challenges
Since 2024, Karuna-Shechen teams have been working in Khaniyabas. Nestled in the high mountains of the Dhading district, this rural Nepalese municipality offers impressive panoramic views of snow-capped peaks and unspoiled nature. In this striking setting, where the beauty of the landscape contrasts with the region’s challenges, our team has mobilized alongside the local community.
In this remote agricultural region, the foremost challenges are limited access to health services and safe drinking water. In addition, a significant proportion of the population has difficulty reading and writing, underlining the need to develop educational training for the whole community.
In order to establish an effective presence in the district, our teams analyzed the level of poverty, the presence of other NGOs, the feasibility of actions and security. These criteria enabled us to rank Khaniyabas as 97th out of 119 municipalities, as a priority for intervention. Our first actions demonstrate our commitment to transforming obstacles into opportunities for local communities, while combining human development and respect for the environment.
Priority to health and hygiene
In rural areas, the physical difficulties associated with living remotely are often part of everyday life. In Khaniyabas, this reality is combined with specific health and hygiene challenges. Limited access to safe drinking water and sanitary facilities, inadequate awareness of menstrual hygiene and general health practices, as well as health services that are often lacking – particularly for maternal and child care – undermine the community’s well-being.
In response, Karuna-Shechen has taken concrete action in the field. Our teams have carried out the following :
- Training: Creation and guidance of neighborhood WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) committees; build local capacity by training women as health volunteers to support the healthy mothers group program.
- Raising awareness: The organization of education campaigns on topics such as menstrual hygiene, health education and monitoring the growth of young children.
- Prevention: Ultrasound scans, blood tests for pregnant women and eye health screening sessions.
Settimaya Tamang’s experience is a perfect illustration of how these interventions transform women’s lives in concrete ways, while restoring hope and dignity:
“My name is Settimaya Tamang and I am 64 years old. For over a decade, I have endured persistent pain in my lower abdomen, which turned out to be uterine prolapse. During a women-only health campaign, the staff at Karuna-Shechen brought me immense relief by offering surgery completely free of charge, with my travel expenses covered. After the operation, I felt a new lightness, as if I’d been freed from a heavy invisible burden. Today, I walk without pain and feel reborn, ready to share my experience to inspire other women.”
Education from an early age
In Khaniyabas, early childhood development and education face notable obstacles, such as inadequate infrastructure, rudimentary teaching methods and a lack of teacher’s training.
In response, Karuna-Shechen first carried out a needs assessment based on national minimum standards, which pinpointed the precise needs in terms of educational development. Next, there was a kick-off meeting between the municipality and the Early Childhood Education and Development Committee, ensuring effective coordination.
At the same time, training courses and workshops were organized to set up ECD (Early Childhood Development) steering committees, reinforce local governance and involve the players on the ground. To complement this approach, events such as Global Handwashing Day were celebrated, helping to raise awareness in schools and communities of good hygiene practices, essential for providing a healthy learning environment.
Niru Saru Magar, a teacher since 2018 at Khaniyabas Primary School, explains the change she has seen: Before, “past training sessions felt like endless lectures, full of theory but empty of practice. However, everything changed with the ten-day Karuna-Shechen training. For the first time, I understood how to transform a classroom into a playground for learning. Today, our kindergarten classroom is buzzing with life” – for example, ”a child shows a sketch of a mango and proudly declares its name without any instruction.”
This training didn’t just teach me methods. It has taught me to listen to the silent fears of a hesitant child, the questions hidden in curious eyes and the rhythm of a class that is now moving with joy and discovery
Niru Saru Magar, teacher in Khaniyabas
From land to food security
A number of specialized training courses have been set up to improve feed and fodder management and enhance farmers’ knowledge of livestock disease prevention and treatment. One of these provides training in disease identification and treatment, stable management and pest control, while another focuses on nursery and vegetable garden management, incorporating climate resilience practices.
As Manju BK, a member of the creative farming group, explains: “We learned to cultivate life with intention. We learned the value of building small, efficient seedbeds, selecting the right soil and planting strategically, using fewer seeds while producing more.”
Today, trust is flourishing in our community. Nursery management, once an insurmountable challenge, has become second nature.
Manju BK, Farmer
To help farmers cope with soil degradation and crop-threatening pests, material and technical support is offered. This includes the supply of natural solutions to protect crops, seeds, seedlings and gardening equipment.
In addition, soil analyses are carried out to adjust farming practices and encourage more sustainable land management. Finally, training and support for farmers’ strengthen collective skills and facilitate the implementation of larger project activities.
Looking ahead: economic empowerment and environmental sustainability
To complement our holistic approach, we have launched a program to strengthen the economic autonomy of local communities. This program begins with a three-day training course, during which we learn together about the products’ marketing and how to profit from the most of it.
The ecological aspect will also be taken further in our future projects. For the time being, we are promoting this aspect through initiatives such as raising awareness of soil health and environmental sustainability, as illustrated by the celebration of World Soil Day.
Towards a future of solidarity and promise
Thanks to our close collaboration with the local population and authorities, we are confident of developing a culture of resilience and long-term development in the Khaniyabas region. This dynamic is based on the strength of mutual aid and community solidarity, for it is only together that lasting transformations can take shape.
