In a major milestone this year, Changing Lives Nepal (and partner Another Brick In Nepal) completed construction of the Women’s Safe House in Sankhuwasabha and handed it off to the local community. At a ceremony in March that was attended by district officials, community members, CLN, and ABIN, we formally handed over the building, along with financial and operational responsibility, to the local government. We’re incredibly proud that this project went from vision–through operation and construction–to full long-term sustainability in less than 4 years! The local government is now managing the safe house and also has a written policy to ensure there is an ongoing budget for operations in the years to come. It’s a profound fulfillment of our vision to involve local stakeholders in development and ensure local ownership of the projects!
Our work since March has been to collaborate with the district and staff to support a smooth transition in operations. We have also seen the need for expanded mental health services beyond what the Safe House Counselor can provide in some more serious circumstances. Our team at SODEC is creating a partnership with mental health professionals in Kathmandu to deliver remote mental health care to women with more severe conditions and also to provide protocols and training to our Counselor so that she can effectively support the women on-site. Help us expand our mental health services…
We also want to give you an update on the political unrest in Nepal that made international headlines recently. What began as a peaceful demonstration against government control and corruption grew into a massive protest with violence and vandalism—an outlet for years of frustration with corruption and also a simple opportunity for crime as 13,000 prisoners escaped from jail and contributed to theft and property destruction. Thankfully, all of our people and projects are safe! The country is slowly recovering and feeling some optimism with the installation of an anti-corruption crusader as the interim Prime Minister and new elections to be held, but it is a long road ahead for better governance and stability. That said, CLN has a long history of working amidst Nepal’s political instability, and we have plenty of good news to share!
More photos for you…
