VILLAGERS' CONTRIBUTION TO PROJECTS
All NSP supported projects are local initiatives planned
and to a large degree implemented by the recipient communities. All project planning and
implementation coordination takes place on the village level by the Village Project
Committees elected for this purpose. By putting the villagers in charge of development
activities within their own communities should not only enhance their capacity and
organizational skills that may be needed in planning future community projects, but also
contribute toward long-term sustainability of completed projects.
Although the villagers who benefit from NSP supported projects are unable to make any cash contribution, they do make a substantial contribution both in the form of both voluntary labor and locally available materials. Our project support criteria requires the donation of all locally available materials needed for the project such as stone, sand and timber, the transportation of all materials both local and those donated by NSP to the project site, to perform any excavation work that may be required and to assist the skilled tradesmen during project implementation. NSP donates only essential project related materials such a pipes, plumbing hardware and cement that cannot be provided through local community resources and also provides technical expertise during project implementation to assure the highest possible level of workmanship and project durability.
The topography of southern Mahabharat region of Kabhre
Palanchok district can be best described as rugged mountain terrain with steep hillsides
and very narrow valleys. The human habitation is scattered throughout the hills. When the
villagers are seeking assistance with school construction, they are often faced with the
dilemma of finding a suitable flat site large enough to accommodate the relatively small
building (60 feet or 18 metres long). As this photograph illustrates, the villagers in
this Majuwa village spent eight months of hard labor in creating a suitable school
construction site. This was in addition to the collection and transportation of local
building materials needed for the project.
The geology of the Nepalese hills (mountains might be a more appropriate definition) varies from hill to hill. Some hills may be formed from solid rock, others are all clay with imbedded boulders. Therefore, depending on the project location, often virtually all the stone needed for school or health post construction in roadless rural Nepal must be brought to the construction site by manpower.
The in-kind contribution and labor content of all school
and health post projects provided by the benefiting communities often far exceeds the
contribution made by NSP in the form of technical expertise, skilled labor and materials.
The substantial local contribution also results in highly cost effective projects.