The Program:

The main problem is that the individual families, who live by farming, are in a situation where the current production system does not give the optimum level of production for livelihood. Next, the problem is that the land is gradually depleted by practice of monocultures, combined with growing use of industrially produced highly soluble fertilizers. The fertilizers, is subsidized by the Government, which is only 25% of the demand. So, the farmers are forced to buy from the informal system. The qualities of these fertilizers are not up to standard. Despite the high costs, the result is lower yields in the long term and increased risk of soil erosion and devastating landslides. A risk which will increase with the extreme weather that climate change is likely to bring. The causes of soil fertility lie in the combination of relatively readily available fertilizer and lack of knowledge about sustainable farming according to ecological principles, including the handling of manure and compost, crop rotation, mixed crops, fodder trees mm.

Absolutely essential, however, that through the project created a unity that makes it possible to organize production, involve the idle resources, organize procurement, processing, transportation, storage and sale in a timely manner, while being the voice of the entire community. Here is a wide range of practical challenges in relation to the market, but also very much about creating a platform for the presentation of the conditions applicable to the rural poor. The organization of civil society will have the multiple function to improve each member’s living conditions, creating an internal unity with less focus on discrimination, show an example to follow and advocate for awareness of the rural poor living conditions.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

The Development Aid program has provided over 12 million Nepali rupees in grants to rural farming communities in the last 10 years. 9 million of the grants has been spent to provide thousands of individual micro-loans of between 5,000 and 25,000 NPR, each giving the opportunity for a rural household to purchase livestock, farming equipment, or other income generating tools. The remaining grants have been used for building construction, student scholarships, skill training, irrigation and road repair, and a large variety of other projects. For a full description of the Development Aid program and the specific projects established through it, please visit the Trianglen program site.