People organisation
A challenging task
The geography of Nepal consists of planes, hills and mountains. And, there are winter, rainy and hot seasons. Rainy season is challenging in hilly regions because road and livelihoods linked water supplies are affected. Children can’t walk to school, teacher and Government staff travelling by road don’t reach school or their work places in time or sometime can’t attend for a long time. Those responsible to repair and maintain road and assist smoothly pass vehicles and people are unreluctant to take challenges because stones and soil are frequently and unpredictably falling that is a risk of life.
Similarly, in last year i.e. 2019 many villages in the working areas of Console Mission was affected that communication, transportation and overall lives activities were stopped. After a long – about 2 and a half months when a team visited they walked half a way for about 2 hours to reach the villages. And, it is found that everything was devastated. People were managing to continue lives activities on their own what and how it was possible. Local Village Representative of Console Mission shared about the continuation of Study Centre because childrens were distracted continuation by landslides. Beside that, water tank was swept away by flood and the place was covered by landslide. 18 households of Bhattedanda village was seeking support to manage water supply necessary for livelihoods besides drinking water like for their domestic animals, fields and hygiene purposes.
Government of the local area cannot afford to construct quickly because there are similar situations in multiple places that local people manages to stay and wait for NGOs active in the area to get help. However, NGOs like Console Mission consults the Village Representative to organise need assessment meeting and write application followed by meeting minute.
The organisational process carried on and necessary tasks are conducted like field visit and finding the initiation of the responsible stakeholders. Coming to the point, after the required or some percentage of resources is available for the construction, a meeting is organised by the Village Representative in the direction of the organisation where it is informed to the beneficiaries to contribute their skill and time. But, it is challenging because they need motivation. In many cases snacks or food must be managed that is better comparison to manage labour. Though Nepali society still follows tradition to help each other called #Pharma but when NGO initiates project or long term programmes it is a different concept. Therfore, Console Mission #practices to involve beneficiaries from the project designing stages whether it is directly initiated or indirectly, participation of individual households is inevitable.
People participation is for the sustainability of what is initiated whether a small water tank construction or awareness program
Still the people of the working area of Console Mission needs to understand that life is challenging and what they contribute for the development matters for the progressive development. To come over these challenges, an NGO who identified, developed concept and tested it works should get resources to move ahead quickly.
When the water management project started with the support from an organisation that concerns the people affected by the disaster, it was informed in written (proposal) people participation was assured. People has skills, time and concerns. And, moreover Console Mission #initiates People Participation for the People Participation Organisation. It means that this organised team protects or continues what is started or initiated. Without the involvement of the beneficiaries, the continuation and progressive development or sustainability of the initiation is at risk.
