FORWARD Bulletin – 13 April 01, 2018 – July 16, 2018

Patronage: Netra Pratap Sen, Executive Publication Committee: Mr. Ram Krishna Neupane Dr. Ujjal Tiwari, Ms. Ashmita Pandey

FORWARD Nepal’s Bulletin five WHH‐ FORWARD partnership projects This is the thirteenth quarterly Bulletin of FORWARD implemented in Chitwan, in an analytical way. Nepal and includes a brief highlight of major activities WHH team appreciated the better sharing of implemented from April 01 to July 16, 2018. During learning and progress of those projects for a the period, some projects have been phased out and potential correction in future partnership. some new project initiated. The completed projects . Quarterly Programme Review and Planning are Meeting of FORWARD Nepal was held on June 28, 1. Girls’ Act Project (BALIKA SHAKTI) in Morang. 2018, in the chair of Prof. Dr. Durga Devkota, Vice‐chair. In the event, different 2. Gender Transformative ‐ Community Resilient programme/project activities, general (GET‐CR) Project in Morang and Sunsari. administrative and financial issues were reviewed 3. Enhancing Livelihoods of Smallholder Farmers in and discussed along with the sharing of effective Central Terai Districts of Nepal (ELIVES). feedback and suggestions for further During the same period, four New projects have been improvement. The event also remained a initiated: platform for the sharing of learnings from the national and international training attendees. 1. Dairy for Development in Nepal funded by Jersey Overseas Aid, UK in collaboration with Practical . For the programme transparency, FORWARD Action Nepal. Nepal organized a social audit at Jahada Rural Municipality‐06, Pokhariya, Morang in close 2. Girls Agency and Youth Empowerment Project coordination with Jahada Rural Municipality on (GAP) in . June 26, 2018. 3. Strengthening Community Resilience through . In the context of Dairy for Development (DFD) WASH & DRR. project implementation, coordination meetings 4. Girls and Boys Start Live Equally under Plan Nepal with Mayors and Chief Administrative Officers of ‐ FORWARD Nepal partnership. Kalika & Rapti Municipalities of , Municipality & Binayi Triveni Rural As an ongoing process, expressions of interest (EOIs) Municipality of Nawalpur district, and Manahari have been submitted to various donors for new & Bakaiya Rural Municipalities of Makwanpur projects. district in collaboration with respective Livestock Major project activities during the period Service Centres, had conducted at different . Welthungerhilfe (WHH) visited FORWARD Nepal, dates. Both the parties, i.e. Practical Action Nepal Chitwan on July 03, 2018. Ms. Asja Hanano, and the above‐mentioned rural/urban Country Director, Mr. Surendra Gautam, municipalities signed project pre‐consensus Programme Manager, Mr. Maheshwor Rijal, document (MoU). MEAL Officer and Mr. Previn Bastola, Head of . Dairy for Development project team visited and WASH project, interacted with Executive Board interacted with the chairman of Bhagawati Dairy members, Executive Director and Senior Staff of Cooperative, Rapti‐8, Brahmanagar to get FORWARD Nepal on existing status of Building information on the number of smallholder dairy Community Enterprises of Smallholders in farmers, average amount of milk produced, Bangladesh and Nepal (BCES Project) along with collected and chilled by the dairy cooperative, a review of the overall projects run by FORWARD availability of and accessibility to veterinary Nepal, in Chitwan. Mr. Ram Krishna Neupane, services, number of active agrovets, Programme Director, briefed about FORWARD paravets/vet., technicians, artificial inseminators, Nepal to the visitors. Mr. Rishikesh Dhakal and commercial dairy farmers, etc. Ms. Ashmita Pandey presented the scenario of . Dr. Prem Bahadur Thapa, Head of Policy and Address: Bharatpur-2, Kshetrapur, Chitwan Contact No.: +977 (0) 56 527734; 56 527623 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] P.O.Box: 11(Bhp) Practice Unit and Dr. Sujan Piya, Head of . Two‐days training on anchoring and public Agriculture, Food Security and Markets unit of speaking was organized for 14 members of young Practical Action Nepal visited FORWARD Nepal, women organization (YWO) of Morang on May Chitwan on June 15, 2018, and had a meeting 27, 2018. The training focused on introduction to with the senior management team of FORWARD Master of Ceremony, types of programme and its Nepal in relation to project partnership. design along with the use of Podium, Microphone and Impromptu Speech Presentation. . Total 30 participants from eight communities from Morang and Sunsari districts participated in . Mr. Sushil Ghimire, Programme Manager, WHH "Family safety and disaster response visited Ichhakamana‐1, on May 08, 2018 to preparedness planning workshop" conducted monitor the project activities. Project team from June 2‐9, 2018. Participants prioritized shared the progress of the project in Kaule. hazards through group discussion and prepared During the visit, he observed the progresses mitigation plan for each individual. achieved in Padampuri vegetable Collection Centre, Hattibang and the farmers' registration . FORWARD Nepal’s Morang Office organized a and sensitization work for the facilitation of Line Agency Monitoring meeting in collaboration participatory guarantee system (PGS), with DCC, Jahada rural municipality Team, District undertaken by Development Voyage Private Youth Committee (DYC), Plan International Limited (DVPL), in Kaling village. Nepal, and media personnel on June 07, 2018, at Jahada Rural Municipality Office. The meeting Training/Workshop/Meeting/Visits was followed by a visit to a Commercial vegetable . Mr. Netra Pratap Sen, Executive Director, farming site, meeting with Young Women FORWARD Nepal participated in a joint stakeout Organization members and interaction with visit to Rautahat and Siraha districts with Ms. Asja vocational trainees with a start‐up support to the Hanano, the Country Director of Welthungerhilfe Participants. (WHH) and her team, and Mr. Naval Kishore Yadav, Executive Director of AASAMAN Nepal and . Pragati Young Women Organization, Letang his team in relation to the potential livelihood organized a one‐day workshop on Early Child resilience project in Siraha and nutrition‐smart Marriage in close coordination with Letang villages project in Rautahat and Saptari districts Municipality and PLAN/FORWARD project. The from July 4‐9, 2018, along with a trip reflection organization received NPR. 10,000.00, from meeting in Janakpur, Dhanusha. Letang Municipality and NPR. 29,000.00 from PLAN/FORWARD "Girls' Act Project". . Mr. Netra Pratap Sen, Mr. Ram Krishna Neupane and Mr. Rishikesh Dhakal visited the . Participatory Capacity and vulnerability representative of DAI in Kathmandu on June 25, Assessment (PCVA) has been conducted in four 2018. The team discussed on different prospects communities of Morang. They assessed the risk of CASA project and further collaboration in the of the community and recommended response future. plan for developing Community‐Based Disaster and Climate Resilience Plan (CBDCRP). . Mr. Rishikesh Dhakal, Programme Manager, FORWARD Nepal, participated in the Rural . Under IFAD/ICARDA project, 15 metal seed bins Entrepreneurship (RE) training in Ghana from with 200 kg capacity each, were handed over to June 11‐22, 2018 under the sponsorship of the Sahlesh Fulbari Seed Producers Group Lahan. The Netherlands Fellowship Programme (Nuffic). It bins will be used in storing lentil seeds produced was facilitated by Centre for Development by seed producer farmers. Innovation (CDI)/Wageningen University (WU) . BCES project has piloted Moringa (Shital Chini) and organized by Innovative Learning Centre promotion activity through the nursery (ILC)/ Kwame Nukrum University of Science and establishment and its seedling distribution. The Technology (KNUST), in Kumasi, Ghana. The overall objective is to promote Moringa in the training was supportive in understanding foothills of Chitwan and orient the producers on knowledge on value chain approach on agro‐ moringa production, utilization, post‐harvest business promotion for rural entrepreneurship management, and marketing. The nurseries have development and poverty reduction. The training been established in six clusters in Kalika knowledge can be contextualized for the Municipality ward No. 8, 9, 10 & 11 of Chitwan promotion of rural farm enterprises in Nepal. District. . Mr. Krishna Bahadur Bhandari, Internal Audit and

Address: Bharatpur-2, Kshetrapur, Chitwan Contact No.: +977 (0) 56 527734; 56 527623 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] P.O.Box: 11(Bhp) Monitoring Officer participated on preparedness by different organization from the three for emergency response training, organized by countries. The major trust of the meeting was the Centre of Resilient Development (CoRD) from promotion of Conservation Agriculture Based June 19‐21, 2018, in Suraha, Chitwan. Sustainable Intensification (CASI) technologies. In the occasion, Mr. Neupane presented the . Executive Director, Mr. Netra Pratap Sen, possible intervention area on CASI technology attended a meeting called by Bharatpur out scaling based on experiences of FORWARD Metropolitan City on June 15, 2018 on NGOs Nepal. work planning and budget to be implemented in the Metropolitan City. . Executive Director, Netra Pratap Sen, Programme Director, Mr. Ram Krishna Neupane, and . Mr. Ram Krishna Neupane, Mr. Ramesh Jung Programme Manager, Mr. Rishikesh Dhakal Shahi, and Mr. Ram Dayal Tharu participated in visited the office of Islamic Relief Organization the two‐day 'Staff Induction and Planning (IRO) at Kumari Pati Lalitpur, on June 05, 2018 for Workshop' under Dairy for Development Project a brief introductory meeting with the officials of organized by Practical Action Nepal from June 13‐ the organization. The objective of the meeting 14, 2018. The project is funded by Jersey was to explore the possibility of project Overseas Aid (JOA)/practical action and being collaboration with IRO in areas of mutual interest. implemented by FORWARD Nepal among 5,000 It was agreed to have a non‐financial smallholders in Nawalpur, Chitwan and collaborative agreement and further explore Makwanpur districts. In the workshop, areas of common interest for future partnership. implementation modalities of project activities, collaboration with dairy cooperatives, and . Business and Finance Consulting (BFC) organized municipality/ rural were discussed. Experiences a meeting to share the approach of the of FORWARD Nepal were also shared in the Sustainable Economic Development in Rural meeting. Besides, the situation analysis of dairy Areas (SEDRA) project, as well as to allocate the sector of Nepal, its challenges and limitations task to the project team in the inception phase. were also identified. The representatives of the SEDRA project partners as BFC, Sambridha Pahad and FORWARD . Mr. Suraj Sharma participated in the training Nepal (Mr. Ram Krishna Neupane and Dr. Ujjal "Major Changes in Tax and Tax Management Tiwari) participated in the meeting. The meeting Skills" organized by Management Association of ended with a commitment of each project Nepal (MNA) at Hotel Marshyangdhi, Thamel personnel to smooth conduction of the tasks from June 13‐14, 2018. Around 60 participants of during the inception phase – desk study, field different I/NGO, banking, insurance, hydropower assessment and report writing. company, embassy, CIT, and cooperate sectors attended the training programme. The focus of . Prof. Dr. Madhav Kumar Shrestha, Chairperson the training was on the changes made by the and Mr. Netra Pratap Sen, Executive Director financial bill in the current tax rates and systems. visited Girl Act and Resilience Girl (CCDRM) Participants were updated on the legal status of Project in Morang and from May TDS deduction for the bilateral projects, TDS on 10‐12, 2018 for the project monitoring and the salary/remuneration of Foreigners working at coordination meeting. Nepal at projects, new tax distribution medium . Executive Director, Mr Netra Pratap Sen between different layers of the government, the participated in a workshop on Challenges and nature of transactions which are exempt from Opportunities for Controlling Invasive Plants: income tax payments, the case of donation to Learning from Community Forests of Western tax‐exempt organizations and the rules of IRD for on May 05, 2018, at the Institute updating the company data at IRD office. for Social and Environmental Research‐Nepal . Mr. Ram Krishna Neupane participated in the (ISER‐N). Annual Review and Planning Meeting of . Welthungerhilfe (WHH) organized Central Sustainable Resilient Farming System Project Advisory Committee (CPAC) meeting of Intensification (SRFSI) project organized by BCES project at Social Welfare Council (SWC) CIMMYT during June 6‐8, 2018 at Himalaya Hotel, complex, Lainchaur on April 19, 2018. Including Lalitpur. Representatives from Bangladesh, India the Member Secretary of Social Council, there and Nepal, and farmer representatives attended were participants from SWC, different line the meeting. Progress of activities was presented ministries, WHH, FORWARD Nepal, RRN, LI‐BIRD,

Address: Bharatpur-2, Kshetrapur, Chitwan Contact No.: +977 (0) 56 527734; 56 527623 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] P.O.Box: 11(Bhp) CEAPRED and Aasaman. In the meeting, Mr. the status of interventions of new project. The team Rishikesh Dhakal, Programme Manager, also visited Om Development Bank Branch, Pawan FORWARD Nepal participated on the progress Dairy, Annapurna Dairy Cooperative, Sahayogi Agro‐ review and feedback session of BCES project and vet and Chitwan Agro‐machinery in Narayangarh and improving the Livelihoods of Marginalized groups other agricultural value chain actors and bank in Salyan district (ILMC) project. WHH presented branches in during April 23‐27, the progresses of BCES project and ILMC project 2018 to acquire the information in relation to the during the year 2017. Participants from different implementation of SEDRA project activities. The team agencies provided constructive feedback to the was facilitated by Dr. Ujjal Tiwari, Planning Director, project implementers and shared some FORWARD Nepal and Mr. Krishna Bahadur Bhandari, governmental guidelines as per revised political Internal Audit and Monitoring Officer, FORWARD structure of the country. Nepal. Staffing News  Staff termination/resignation . Under BCES project, WHH and FORWARD Nepal . Dr. Ujjal Tiwari has resigned from the post of in collaboration with Development Voyage Planning Director at FORWARD Nepal and joined Private Limited (DVPL) have been piloting an IT‐ Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) from platform based Participatory Guarantee System May 15, 2018. project. DVPL has completed Farmers Profiling and Sensitization activity as per the tripartite . Mr. Ram Pukar Thakur, Project Coordinator, agreement. successfully accomplished the assigned duties and responsibilities with the completion of . Amendment of the Constitution of FORWARD ELIVES project. After the completion of the Nepal with the District Administration Office was project, he left FORWARD Nepal effective from accomplished on June 18, 2018. April 30, 2018. . Transfer of Mr. Ram Krishna Neupane, Business . Mr. Mahesh Lal Vaidya, Mr. Prakash Pulami, Mr. Development Director to the head office, Shova Ram Devkota and Mr. Durga Bahadur Chitwan from FORWARD Nepal's Liaison Office, Basnet, Field Officers of ELIVES Project, Lalitpur from May 15, 2018. successfully accomplished their assigned duties . New rates of DSA introduced from May 2018. and responsibilities with the completion of ELIVES project, effective from March 31, 2018. Upcoming Events . Annual Review and Planning Meeting of . Mr. Rana Bahadur Ranabhat resigned from the FORWARD Nepal. post of Field Facilitator in BCES Project, effective from March 31, 2018. . Piloting of "Tech Cards Preparation" in selected crops and livestock under Sustainable Economic . Mr. Omkar Raj Kafle resigned from the post of Development in Rural Areas (SEDRA) project. Field Facilitator in BCES Project, effective from March 16, 2018. . Participation in Executive Committee Meeting of Market Development Forum Nepal (MDFN).  New staff . Dr. Aashish Dhakal joined as a Project Officer for . Participation in Review and Planning meeting of the Dairy for Development in Nepal project, in IFAD /ICRISAT project. Head Office effective from June 11, 2018. . Collection of success story of IFAD/ICARDA . Dr. Subhash Chandra Chaudhary joined as a project in Siraha. Project Coordinator under the Dairy for . FORWARD Day celebration on September 01, Development in Nepal project, in Head Office 2018. effective from June 4, 2018. . Value chain study of BCES project. . Mr. Durga Bahadur Basnet joined as a Field Facilitator for the BCES Project in Kalika‐10 &11, . TOT to leader farmers on improved dairy effective from May 01, 2018. technology. Guests . Interaction between dairy farmers and agrovets. Business and Finance Consulting (BFC) team, Mr. . Organization of FORWARD Nepal’s Board Eugen Birca and Mr. Dmytro Bobyrev visited Meeting. FORWARD Head Office on April 26, 2018 to assess

Address: Bharatpur-2, Kshetrapur, Chitwan Contact No.: +977 (0) 56 527734; 56 527623 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] P.O.Box: 11(Bhp) . Publication of FORWARD Nepal’s Annual report 2017/2018.

. Arrival and work commencement of Ms. Aina

Kajisawa, Intern from Hiroshima University, Japan. . Tractor support to community enterprise and farmers' groups. . Exit meeting with local government authorities at Ichhakamana Rural Municipality and Kalika Municipality, under BCES project. . Preparation of project completion reports. . An annual audit of account for the year 2074/75 B.S. Moringa Seedling Distribution, Kalika-8, Gairibari, Chitwan . Project partnership meetings with different stakeholders.

. Organizational renewal for the year 2075/76.

Some Glimpses

Poly-tunnel Farming, Icchakamana-2, Jyandala (BCES Project) Seed bin supports to Sahlesh Fulbari Seed producer groups, Lahan

Business start-up support to Ms. Malati Chaudhary Photo taken during visit of BCF Team at FORWARD Head Office

Address: Bharatpur-2, Kshetrapur, Chitwan Contact No.: +977 (0) 56 527734; 56 527623 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] P.O.Box: 11(Bhp)