Where heaven touches the earth - Nepal

Today we play in international waters with our Podcast Smut and
Smaat.


We speak to Narayan Dhakal from Kathmandu, who is the Executive
Director of EcoHimal, an NGO that supports sustainable
development projects in several regions in the Himalaya -
Solukumhu region of Nepal.


These rural regions face poverty, they are underdeveloped and
they are very difficult to reach.


The focus for EcoHimal is to support these regions in terms of
supporting health management, providing access to clean water,
supporting sustainable agriculture and regional development,
investing in the infrastructure, promoting, and sustaining the
cultural life. All projects pursue ecological, economic, social
and cultural objectives, which are implemented hand in hand with
the local farmers and people. EcoHimal tries to improve the
living standards and conditions for the local population on a
long-term basis.


One of the latest EcoHimal projects focusses on educating and
empowering girls and women who are still very disadvantaged in
the Nepali society, particularly in the rural areas.


EcoHimal has a HQ in Salzburg, Austria and Kathmandu, Nepal.
EcoHimal is financed from public funds, as well as aid
organizations, such as Lufthansa Help Alliance and through
private donations. Nepal is a young federal democratic republic
with the current population of over 27 million people. Nepal has
risen from a 'low-income' country to the rank of a
‘lower-middle-income’ country with the gross national income
(GNI) per capita of $1,090 as per World Bank’s latest country
classifications by income level report. The global pandemic COVID
has upended Nepal’s economy as well and because of this existing
crisis, incomes at both homeland and abroad are expected to
decrease sharply this year with its impact extending to next year
as well. The gross national income will therefore suffer severely
and will drag Nepal down among the low-income countries.


Agriculture is the main sector for employment and two-third of
the national labor force depends principally on the agriculture
sector for livelihood. This sector contributed 27.59% to the
national GDP in the year 2017/2018. However, per capita cereal
production has declined and livestock production has remained
stagnant over the last decade due to problems in agriculture
sector.


Trend of youths going abroad for work is increasing day by day
leaving only women, children and old aged people. This has
limited them to perform agricultural activities on a subsistence
way just to join hand on mouth.


Timur (Nepali Pepper) is prominently found in the project
districts, which EcoHimal supports. Along with its abundance in
the barren lands, surrounding areas of the croplands, and forests
of the project districts; there are specific challenges related
to harvesting, sorting, storing, packaging and transportation
facilities in project area.


The Cardamom cultivation has been adopted recently and is in its
starting phase, where not much has been done in this sector.
People lacks skills and knowledge of nursery establishment,
plantation, weeding, harvesting and processing of the plants. The
cardamom cultivation is slowly shifting from the Eastern part of
the country to the Western part and it need more support to
flourish it. Its commercialization may lead to employment
opportunities, creating economic spaces for women.


In case you can spare some money for a very good purpose kindly
donate at:


EcoHimal, Salzburger Sparkasse


IBAN: AT64 2040 4015 0015 3569


BIC: SBGSAT2S