We have so much good news about CLN projects that we want to share a mid-year update!
Safe House
Our Women’s Safe House, Samridhi Ghar, is going to have a permanent home! We recently secured a substantial land donation from the local Nepali government, which represents a big step forward in fulfilling our original vision of creating a self-sustaining program that can serve the women of rural Nepal for years to come. Towards that end, we’ve also helped bring together the local police, hospital, and municipal government to create funding agreements for long-term government budget allocations, and the local offices have been impressed with initial operation of the home and the need in the community. The land donation represents deeper commitment from the local government entities, and their support is key for the future of our Safe House. The construction of a permanent home will eliminate rent costs and provide a garden to grow food for the women staying at the home. Our aim is for local funds to cover most or all of the annual operating costs in the future. But first, construction!
We are very pleased to announce Another Brick in Nepal (ABIN) as CLN’s building and construction partner for the Women’s Safe House project! ABIN is a Canadian non-profit which has generously offered to design, build and be the primary funder for a permanent building to serve as the Women’s Safe House, which is amazing! ABIN was founded in 2015 to help address earthquake damage and other unsafe conditions by rebuilding rural schools. We knew two of the founders and introduced them to CLN’s long-term partner SODEC as we thought they would be a good match. Since then, ABIN has successfully built four schools in six years in partnership with SODEC in Sankhuwasabha District where CLN works.
CLN Safe House manager Tulasi Ghimire (in hot pink cardigan) meets with a mothers’ group to build awareness about women’s rights and our safe house services.
In the village, safe house operations are going well. Our local team recently conducted a training to create a case management system that will track the women for two years, connect them with local support in their home villages, and provide feedback to develop an increasingly effective program. The SH Manager has also been facilitating programs with mother’s groups and in schools to help build awareness about women’s rights.
CLN will continue to oversee ongoing operations of the safe house and also provide supplementary construction funds, furnishings, and other necessary items as needed. We are excited that our Safe House project is growing, and welcome ABIN as the newest partner! Deeply grateful also to our initial SH partners All The Sky and Mountain Madness for their start-up funding and ongoing support.
Coffee & Macadamias
A coffee farmer spreads beans to dry in his attic. CLN aims to start collecting more coffee for centralized drying and processing next year in order to standardize and improve quality.
CLN’s coffee harvest is already double the volume of last year, and more beans are still ripening! Coffee prices have risen this year as demand increases in Kathmandu for coffee grown in high-altitude, mountainous regions like ours. This in turn increases the profit for farmers. We are working on quality improvements and plan to construct a simple centralized processing building with drying racks. This year, we also plan to purchase a machine that will save water and labor while improving the processing technique
CLN Farmers pick up seedlings from the nursery and carry them back home for spring planting.
More than 4000 macadamia seedlings will be planted when the rains arrive this month and soften the soil, and we have been distributing seedlings from the nursery to farmers in preparation. Our nut project should be self-sufficient in seedling production beginning in 2024, and CLN will continue to support agricultural training, connecting farmers to market, and more.
Girls’ Hostel
Our girls are excited about starting their new school year in Talamarang! Our new hostel supports girls in Grades 6-9 from remote villages who would otherwise have to walk more than an hour to school.
Our Children’s Home is in the process of converting over to a Girls’ Hostel which will open this summer for the start of the next school year. Local Nepali partner TEAM Nepal’s vision is that this transition will lay the foundation for long-term sustainability and create deeper support for girls’ education in the region. All of our children who have lived in the Children’s Home will remain in residence at the new hostel to finish their education, or have graduated high school and are continuing their studies elsewhere, or are working in Kathmandu and living on their own or with extended family.
We’re feeling abundant and happy about the progress in Nepal and the start of springtime here at home. Wishing you all joy as the wildflowers bloom!
Warmly,
Deana, Nancy, and the CLN Team
