There is too much happening here to just write one update. For about seven years now, World Accord supported a Program named SCOP, SCOP II and SCOP III. SCOP stands for Strengthening Civil Society Organization Program. It was designed to provide training to local area Youth Clubs all over the country. SAP Nepal, World Accord's partner, is a national organization with projects and trained leaders in almost every district in the country.
The Civil War raged for about 10 years. Most development stopped as the security situation deteriorated. There was a strong argument for World Accord to cancel funding to the program or at least suspend funding until the war calmed down. It is safer to stop. Monitoring for World Accord staff was not possible with any guarantee of personal safety. Without monitoring, projects are prone to stall or fail or be subject to corruption and loss of funding. Backing out was the "safe" thing to do .... especially for "risk adverse" agencies and governments. World Accord did not withdraw. Nor did we suspend our funding. Here is why.
The Youth Club from this village of Dhikurpokari near Pohkara is a good example. Life in the village was hard. There were few opportunities or choice for the youth. (Editor's Note: Youth Clubs in Nepal are similar to service clubs in Canada but participants are youth - younger than 40. So of course Terry bought a lifetime membership.) SAP Nepal with World Accord funding offered training to the Youth Club leadership through the SCOP program and they decided to give it a try. Training consisted of workshops and travel to other areas for exposure visits to see what other Clubs were doing. The inspired youth followed the examples of activities they liked. They started a community plant nursery. They hosted a local Agricultural Fair to promote the nursery concept and motivate the local farm families. It worked! Club membership grew.
As they surveyed their community, some of the club members did not like how their culture treated single mothers. It is a tradition there that only married women can wear red. One of the rejections a woman faces is how the community expects her not to wear red if she is a widow. As if she has not lost enough already. To help change local custom and tradition, the youth club wrote and organized street theatre to raise the issue and challenge this discrimination against widowed women. Women formerly stigmatized stood and told us of how they were able to regain dignity and work more successfully for their children after the loss of their husband.
I have a whole page of notes on activities and outcomes achieved by the few trained and motivated leaders. One young woman went for training and is now teaching the community about environmentally sustainable organic agriculture. The success of every family in their increased agricultural production and increased net profit is largely due to the establishment of a cooperative farmers marketing centre. They cleared away the wild crop of Ganja (Marijuana) growing around the village. Their street theatre was expanded to inform everyone about HIV and AIDS. The list is long.
Remember, the Civil War was raging in the country during this time. Impatient young people and even children joined the armed groups fighting for a better future for Nepal. But this Youth Club lost none to the war effort. Peace is a desired goal of development. It is part of the "Well Being for all" in World Accord's Mission Statement. Withdraw from a program during civil strife? No way! The World hunger Fund of the Community of Christ, individual donors and the Board of World Accord all chose to give the Nepali youth a chance and they are making the most of it!
Many tourists come every year to Nepal to trek (or hike) in the mountains or even climb Mount Everest. The majesty of the mountains is awe inspiring. But this youth group is just as inspiring!
From an inspired pilgrim in the shadow of the highest mountains in the world,
Terry Fielder
executive director
World Accord
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