Human Rights and Environmental Development Centre (HURENDEC).

HURENDEC believes that poverty and the gap between urban élites and remote rural poor are major causes of conflict in Nepal, and that it is essential to address this and utilise local resources carefully in order to build a lasting peace. HURENDEC works in the Kalikot, Jumla, Mugu and Dailekha districts to improve living standards, promoting renewable sources of energy, including bio-gas and water mills, and also developing infrastructure such as trail bridges and water taps.

Integrated Development Project

HURENDEC established community organisations with 20-25 members in targeting four villages in the Kalikot district. HURENDEC then provided training for the organisations in managing accounts, revolving funds, leadership, human rights and social inclusion. The groups then set up bank accounts, and received funding in the form of loans from the Poverty Alleviation Fund, money which could then be used as the community organisations saw fit, for example training, infrastructure, or business funding.

Trail Bridge Programme

Kalikot is one of Nepal’s poorest districts, with very limited infrastructure. This project builds trail bridges which help local people take goods to market, send children to school, make contact with neighbouring groups, and access district headquarters. Another NGO – Helvitas – contributes materials, HURENDEC provides technical support, and groups of local people help build the bridges. So far three bridges have been successfully completed and are very popular among local people. Four more are being planned.

Rural Sanitation Programme

This project addresses the unequal access to basic services in Nepal by providing a clean water supply. The project establishes water taps throughout Kalikot to provide drinking water, and also provides training in basic sanitation. HURENDEC formed groups of water ‘consumers’ who helped plan where the taps would be built. Mother-and-child groups were then formed and trained in maintaining the taps. So far 26 taps have been built, and 74 more are planned, and as a result child mortality is gradually reducing and sanitation has improved.