In Bijayanagar, in southwest Nepal, Jitman Sunar is one of those who refuse to give up in the face of everyday challenges. He is the vice-chairperson of his village’s Better Future Council (BFC)—a group of residents committed to improving community life in the long term. Here, the future is built together: step by step, meeting after meeting, action after action.
This BFC is one of the longest-standing groups supported by Karuna-Shechen. And it is still active today—proof that a local collective can become a lasting force.
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Even after the end of the project, we continued to meet regularly, organize ourselves, and remain active in community activities.
Jitman Sunar
Building trust over time
For Jitman and the other members, this continuity is no coincidence. Over the years, the BFC has become much more than a committee: it is a space for decision-making, cooperation, and trust. Members have strengthened their ties with local authorities, developed new skills, and most importantly, realized their own capacity to take action.
« We felt the need to be legally registered, and we registered our BFC with the rural municipality. »
Turning a local crop into an opportunity
One of their most meaningful initiatives focused on a product deeply rooted in the area: turmeric. For Jitman, this step became possible because the group felt stronger and better prepared. With Karuna-Shechen’s guidance, training, and technical support, the BFC gained confidence and skills to go further.
The group then set up a fully local process—from purchasing to selling, including processing and packaging. As Jitman explains: “We focused on commercializing turmeric farming. After processing and packaging, we sold the turmeric in the market.”
Today, the profit they generated is not seen as an end in itself. It has become a way to keep moving forward. Jitman puts it clearly: “This generated a profit that we reinvested to sustain the group.
Acting for the community, every day
Beyond this initiative, the Better Future Council plays an active role in village life. The turmeric project was not a standalone effort, but part of a broader momentum: a group mobilizing on the ground for the common good.
«We are involved in a wide range of community activities. »
Over the months, members have taken part in monitoring and maintaining toilets built in the community to ensure they remain functional and truly used. They have also joined monitoring teams for local construction projects, helping to support progress and ensure that the work responds to the village’s needs. At other times, they mobilize around food security—by joining trainings in nursery management or kitchen gardening, and then sharing what they learn with others in their community.
A collective voice that matters
For Jitman, one of the most important outcomes is not only what can be seen, but what has been built over time: the ability to engage in dialogue, coordinate effectively, and be recognized by local stakeholders. “The network we have developed has been instrumental in helping our BFC sustain itself.”.
And this journey has brought a deeper shift inthe way residents see their own future. “Our community now steers its own future.”
In Bijayanagar, one thing is clear: when people come together, trust each other, and organize, change is no longer a distant hope—it becomes a reality driven from within.
