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Whom we Work
The target population includes vulnerable and needy communities including women, children and elderly. These include Dalit, Tamang, Gurung and other ethnic groups.
Tamang
The Tamang are considered an ethnic group. They speak Tamang language and their major occupation is agriculture and rearing livestock. Some are also agricultural labourers. They are known for their skill in making bamboo baskets (doko and nanglo) which are sold in Kathmandu and other places in Nepal. Those who are educated and have access to resources and opportunities join the police force or work in private jobs. During the insurgency a number of Tamang youth joined the Maoists. The women are usually illiterate, do agricultural work, care for the livestock and are dependent on their husbands for money. The Tamang are spread out in the Central, Western and mid Eastern development region and are in majority in 5 districts - Dhading, Ramechap, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk, and Makwanpur.
There are different family groups within the Tamang caste such as Galan, Bhomjan, Waibha and Ghising. They are a closed community and usually marry within their own caste. Their staple food is maize. They have less vegetables in their diet. They use wooden utensils for cooking. The kitchens and the shelter for goats and poultry are usually in the same room in the Tamang homes. As a result diarrhea is common.
They are hard working, easily trust others and do not interact much with the outside world.
Gurung
The Gurung people groups also depend on agriculture and livestock for a living. They have small land holdings. Gurungs are spread out in different districts of Nepal. Many of them work in the Armed Forces. They are considered an ethnic group in Nepal. They speak Gurung language. Gurungs are known for their physical strength, capacity for hard labour and are considered highly trustworthy caste from whom water is not accepted and whose touch requires sprinkling of holy water".The Dalits or Backward castes are either landless or work as agricultural labourers
in others fields. They are considered untouchable. Though they live within the larger
community and collect water from the common water source, other castes do not consume food or water from the Dalit homes. Literacy level is poor. Their surnames are usually Bishwakarma, Sivabhakti, Nepali, Parki, Purkuti and Mangranti. According to their occupation, Dalits have different sub groups such as Kami (blacksmith), Sarki (shoemakers), Damai (tailor). Some sub groups are considered lower than the others such as "Damai".
The total population of 10 Dalit groups according to 2001 Census is around 2.6 million. The overall literacy rate of dalits is only 22.8% in 1991 Census as compared to the national average of 39.6 percent.
Health, nutritional and social status of Dalit women is poor. The political participation is much lower than that of Dalit males. About 50% of the Dalit houses surveyed have food deficiency and only 1.8% have concrete houses. The mean annual income of Dalits is lowest as compared to other groups. More than 54% do agriculture and wage labour.
Life expectancy is lower than the national average of 57 years. Political participation is low and the government plans and strategies for their upliftment have not made much impact in improving their quality of life.
(National Dalit Strategy Report Prepared for National Planning commission, HMG, Nepal, Supported by ActionAid Nepal, Care Nepal, Save the Children, Kathmandu May 2002)
Disadvantaged Groups
Disadvantaged population groups are usually educationally disadvantaged, are landless and have marginal farm households. Of the 29 major ethnic groups, 15 of them are educationally disadvantaged and have very low literacy rates. These are Musahar, Dhusadh ,Chamar, Mallah, Muslim, Kewat, Dhanik, Sarki, Kurmi, Kami, Yadav, Tharu, Tamang, Damai and Khushwha. These groups account for 6.4 million people. Landless and marginal farm households are considered the most disadvantaged groups. (Districts of Nepal - Indicators of Development, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1997)
Majority of the population in the target areas are dependent on the rains for agricultural produce. The major crops are maize and barley. Rice and wheat are also grown. Some areas are well known for potato cultivation. Other vegetables are seldom grown. In some of the VDCs there are problems of water shortage. Sale of agricultural produce at profitable rates is also a struggle for farmers.
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Weather
Exchange Rate
| Currency |
Buying |
Selling |
| US $ |
74.55 |
75.15 |
| Pound £ |
114.96 |
115.88 |
| Australian Dollar |
67.67 |
68.21 |
| Euro € |
95.54 |
96.30 |
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