District Coverage Map

WASH Uddhyami Project

With support from Simavi Netherlands, SEBAC Nepal (a national level NGO) is implementing the project in 5 municipalities of Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk districts. The project will adopt two-pronged approaches that will ensure access to affordable good quality WASH facilities, and will enable women and girls’ economic empowerment to address the biggest challenges faced by women. The WASH Uddhyami project aims to empower women to become entrepreneurs, to enable them to earn money and to ultimately increase sustainable access to WASH and livelihood development of women in the project areas.

During our assignment from July to December 2022, tentatively 200 women respondents from project target municipalities were interviewed for baseline survey. The baseline was conducted using the M Water software and a baseline report was prepared and submitted to the client. Two focus group discussions (FGD) in each target districts were conducted with community women to garner qualitative and quantitative information about preference, opportunity and challenge to establishing WASH-related enterprises. In addition,10 key informant interviews (KII) were conducted in target districts using structured questionnaire with project related stakeholders. After completion of field-based activity, an entrepreneurial ecosystem mapping report was prepared based on the KII, FGD and field observation thus a recommendation report was prepared and submitted on Potential Enterprise Modality and Training Package.

Safer Migration (SaMi) Project/Foreign Employment Board (FEB)

The SaMi is a bilateral initiative of Government of Nepal and Switzerland. The objective of the project is to provide vocational skills training with demand in foreign employment to economically poor and socially discriminated men and women. From November 2019 till July 2021, our firm was assigned to coordinate with Migrant Resource Centers (MRC) and select participants for free of cost skill training. Manage free of cost residential training in Janakpur, Dhanusha who have decided to go for foreign employment as industrial electrician helper. Use industrial electrician curricula designed by the project for 30 days (240 hours). Facilitate skill testing and Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) certification process for trained participants. Establish collaboration with reliable recruitment agencies and link trainees to foreign employment opportunities. After conduction of 6 training events to 85 participants, the program was discontinued due to COVID-19 lock-down.
Similarly during 2023, MDS was contracted by Foreign Employment Board (GoN) to implement Plumber training (240 hours) targeted to potential migrant workers and returnee migrant workers. The skill development training was conducted in Nepalgunj, Banke to 40 youths from June to July 2023 with provision of NSTB skill test.

The Freedom Fund UK

The Freedom Fund (TFF) is a new philanthropic initiative designed to bring much-needed strategic focus and financial resources to the fight against modern slavery. In south-eastern Nepal, a recent survey found that 97,000 adults and 13,000 children are in forced labour, through a system called harawa-charawa. Within these families, men work growing crops, and women, children, and the elderly work as cattle herders or as domestic servants. Two-thirds of these households are from “dalit” castes, traditionally considered “untouchables”. Most have no assets or land, so when they face financial emergencies their only option for a loan is from a landlord resulting in acute access to finance. Once a loan is taken, lenders expect families to provide labour to pay off the debt – often indefinitely. In another recent study, nearly a quarter of haruwa-charuwa respondents interviewed said that they worked 13-17 hours a day and nearly all families interviewed had experienced violence of various forms.

Building on our work experience garnered with Geneva Global Inc. and The Freedom Fund from September 2016 till December 2019 to improve the livelihood opportunities of Harawa-Charawa youths and communities, we organized vocational skill training programmes in close coordination with partner NGOs (PNGOs) for 150 youths (men: 110, women: 40) in Siraha, Saptari, and Dhanusha districts. Considering the low socioeconomic status of the project beneficiaries, we integrated different elements to implement the programme effectively with measurable results.

Firstly, following a quality-focused two-month vocational skill training course, we provisioned the selected participants with individual toolkits (valued at NPR 5,000 per person) to enable them to work immediately after completion of training. Secondly, we provisioned daily allowances of NPR 200 per person/day as an opportunity cost to learn the skills. Thirdly, we conducted an additional business and life skill training for those who are willing to work independently. Moreover, we organised government-certified skill test examination to 36 trained participants so that the accredited certificates would drive the job-linking process locally, nationally, or overseas.

• Door to door visits
• Stakeholders and Community based group discussions/interaction
• Capacity building of local government authorities
• Round table discussion with local government authorities
• Local school campaigning
• Hoarding boards, wall painting, street dramas
• 28 weekly television episodes broadcasted from News24 channel and social media
• 8 digital stories broadcasted from News24 channel and social media
• Radio FM program
• Visual documentary on earthquake awareness
• Social messages (PSA)

Seven Days Head Mason Training in Earthquake Resistance Building Construction

In partnership with Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Center Level Project Implementation Unit (CLPIU), extension of reconstruction activities was prioritized in 17 moderately hit districts. MDS was contracted to conduct training in earthquake resistance building construction in selected districts using DUDBC approved 7 days training curricula. The target participants were collected in coordination with local government units and also using different marketing and networking activities. The resource person was ToT certified instructors with civil sub-overseer and overseer qualification. The expected outcome of the intervention ensure trained participants will be gainfully employed in the trained occupational areas in self or wage employment in their respective ward. And also, capable to work as practical trainer during OJT mason training.

Employment Fund Secretariat (EFS)

Employment Fund, a fund jointly established by Swiss Cooperation Development (SDC), Department of International Department (DFID) and Helvetas Nepal and funded by SDC, DFID and The World Bank to provide services to economically poor and socially discriminated youths in Nepal using outcome-based payment modalities. Our firm was contracted to implement program procurement under “training and employment services”, “micro-enterprise for job creation”, “path to prosperity”, and “skills for reconstruction (SR)” from 2013 till 2017. We were allocated to provide our services in inaccessible and remote districts of existing Karnali Province.

GIZ (German Development Cooperation)

Support of Measures to Strengthen the Peace Process (STPP) Project
On the request from Government of Nepal (GoN) and the Maoists group, in its bid to support the peace process in Nepal, since 2007, GIZ-STPP has been extending its support to improve the living conditions in the Maoist army cantonment. As per the agreement with Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction (MoPR), STPP envisions to upgrade the existing skill level of army combatants and community surrounding the cantonments. Due to the sensitiveness of the target population, the company was contracted to provide specialized vocational training services by integrating social counseling, employment service center, skill accreditation facility in Kailali and Banke districts.

After assessing social challenges and a need for transformation for Maoist army combatants and community surrounding the cantonments, the STPP project felt the need to operate “employment service center” (ESC) to bridge the gap of employment linkages between the market and trained participants. Hence, MDS as a partner of the project established ESC in Kailali, Surkhet and Banke districts from November 2012 to June 2013 (1st phase) and July 2013 to March 2014 (2nd phase). During the implementation of ESC, the following activity were conceptualized and processed:

• Outreach activities
• Linkages and networking
• Development of graduate profile survey
• Development of current and potential employer survey
• Wage employment support service
• Self-employment support service

Capacity Development of New Municipalities (CD-Mun) Project

After the Nepal National Building Code (NNBC) came to enforcement in 2003 and the Government of Nepal declared 133 new municipalities in the year 2014/15, the selected municipalities are struggling for well-planned urbanization and physical infrastructure development. The major constraints for application and enforcement of the building code are lack of technical capacity, low level of awareness and insufficiently trained mason/builders especially on earthquake resistant construction of buildings at local level. Therefore, in close coordination with the selected Municipality partners, the project contracted our firm to extend 10 days training in 6 target districts.