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Project Advisory Committee meeting creates grounds for improvement and coordination
Heifer Nepal held a Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting in Chitwan from 23-25 January 2010. The members also visited project areas in various stages to witness how Heifer projects are helping families’ lead dignified lives and become sustainable. The new project participants in Shaktikhor showed signs of positive change and were making a head start in building their lives. “Project in Shaktikhor with the Chepangs seems to be headed towards success. Similarly in Vijaynagar, I saw how Heifer’s low cost approach has appreciable visible impacts. It is very practical and replicable as there is better correlation between tangible and intangible support,” said Raju Joshi the Director of Social Welfare Council (SWC). In Vijaynagar, they witnessed better livestock and conserved environment resulted through improved and large scale forage production. The cooperative in Girouna portrayed a clear picture of how in the long run; resources from the community itself could contribute to its economy through various social entrepreneurial initiatives. Dr. Rajwar, Deputy Director General of the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) expressed, “It is refreshing to learn that mental poverty is also addressed by Heifer’s projects. All the physical inputs are useless if attitude does not change.”
A meeting held afterwards discussed on the various aspects of Heifer projects and sought out ways to strengthen it further. Prioritizing mountainous reasons, where Heifer has not ventured, in planning future projects was given emphasis. Promotion of local products and increasing Heifer’s role in facilitating market-links was also emphasized. The committee noted that Heifer’s work in helping the resource-poor lead better lives and to build their confidence and capacity to think of and act towards the development of their own community, was a successful one. Existing coordination with other development actors and the government, it was said, should be increased as it can help reinforce Heifer’s work and reach more communities. A multi-faceted program, like that of Heifer, the committee concluded, is what is needed to battle the fiend of poverty. “Heifer’s projects can be replicated and scaled-up to serve more people. The Social Welfare Council can play a vital role in coordinating this,” said Dr. Chhewang N. Lama. Sherpa, Member Secretary of the SWC.
The PAC, a government requirement, which consists of representatives from the related Ministries, Social Welfare Council and Heifer Nepal, meets semi-annually and undertakes the task of advising Heifer’s work in Nepal to adhere to the country’s needs. Dr. Chhewang N. Lama, Member Secretary, Social Welfare Council; Dr. Shubh Narayan Mahato, Country Director of Heifer Nepal; Raju Joshi, Director of Planning of Social Welfare Council; Bhim Koirala, Section Officer of Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare; Rudra Singh Tamang, Program Director of National Planning Commission; Dr. Nar Bahadur Rajwar, Deputy Director General of the Department of Livestock Services and Renu Adhikari, Senior Agriculture Economist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives attended the meeting. Representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Local Development, who are also members of the committee, were unable to attend the meeting.
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