On its third year anniversary edition, Nepal Reconstruction Authority’s (NRA) newsletter has covered the story of Employment Fund/ HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal.

Please go through the newsletter of NRA for the month of April. Click on to following links for detail:

link to NRA Newsletter 

The post YOUNG MASON BECOMES AN INSPIRATION appeared first on Employment Fund.

Please click on the link below for details.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/apr/25/nepals-female-masons-dig-deep-to-lay-foundations-for-change-and-renewal 

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The story is the first page anchor news (meaning at the bottom end of first page where visibility is high).

Please click on below link to read in details:

Link: The Rising Nepal

The post Young Women fill vacuum of masons in reconstruction appeared first on Employment Fund.

SINDHULI, Nov 24: Unlike his neighbors, Bir Bahadur Bhujel of Purano Jhangajholi in Sunkoshi Rural Municipality of Sindhuli, is using new technology to retrofit his quake-damaged house.

This means Bhujel’s mud and mortar house, which sustained multiple cracks in the 2015 earthquakes, will have the same two and half floors to accommodate his family and store food grains. His house will be stronger to the earthquake of similar intensity.

The father of three daughters and two sons told this scribe that he plans to shift to the retrofitted house very soon“ “I am very happy as my house will be as safe as the earthquake-resistant houses in my neighborhood built after the 2015 earthquake”,” he added.

Many of his neighbors demolished their old houses, though they were not severely damaged, to built new house. But the houses that they have built are narrower than the previous ones and also do not have sufficient space to store their belongings and food grains. This is because the government’s building code does not permit them to add second floor on the low-strength masonry house.“

“This house will remain intact and stronger, thanks to cement and strong pillars built in four corners of the walls and four pillars at different locations inside the walls,” Krishna Lubanjar, the main trainer of Build Change, a technical partner of Employment Fund/ HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal, told Republica.

The retrofitting training is being provided by Rural Infrastructure and Management Consultancy, a private sector partner of Employment Fund/ HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal in financial support of UKaid Department for International Development.

The cost of retrofitting the house is less than 50 percent of amount invested by his neighbor“. “My old house has been preserved. It is larger compared to my neighbors. On top of that, the retrofitting cost is only around Rs 300,0”0,” said Bhujel.
Bhujel’s real investment will be only Rs 200,000 as he will get Rs 100,000 government grant for retrofitting purpose.

Sindhuli is the least affected of the 14 earthquake-affected districts. A total of 2,408 quake-hit houses in Sindhuli are eligible for retrofitting grants, according to National Reconstruction Authority (NRA). However, people demolished even the houses that could have been retrofitted because of the lack of retrofitting technology and also the housing grant of Rs 300,000 announced by the government, government officials involved in reconstruction said.

The cost of building a two-room mud and mortar house designed by the government is between Rs 600,000 and Rs 800,000. Owners of these houses are not allowed to add floors in this house.

Unlike his neighbors, Bhujel spent the money only to buy cement, steel, sand and aggregate and corrugated sheets. His house was retrofitted as a part of an on-site retrofitting training organized for locals by Employment Fund/HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal.

Bhujel’s neighbors are impressed with retrofitting work. He and four local youths, who participated in the training, have already received request to retrofit six old houses in the neighborhood.

Another house, which sustained more damage than Bhujel’s house, is also being retrofitted. Owner of the house, Bimala Dahal, is also participating in the retrofitting training. Trainees, including Dahal, have recently completed shoring work to protect the walls.

The retrofitting training is being provided by Rural Infrastructure and Management Consultancy, a private sector partner of Employment Fund/ HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation Nepal in financial support of UKaid Department for International Development.

“After seeing retrofitting of the houses, we can now say that houses which sustained fewer damages and are technically sound can be made as strong as the new house through retrofitting,” Basudev Humagain, chief of National Reconstruction Authority in Sindhuli, told Republica.

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https://www.clickmandu.com/2017/11/34700.html 

The post तालिम लिएर भूकम्पपछिको पुनःनिर्माण, कमाई मालामाल appeared first on Employment Fund.

लाक्पा देवाङ तामाङ ३४ वर्षका भए, काठमाडौंमा निर्माण क्षेत्रमा मजदुरी गरेर गुजारा चलाउँदै आएका उनी २०७२ सालको भूकम्पपछि आफ्नै घर अर्थात् पार्वतीकुण्ड रसुवामा पुगे। उनी त्यहाँ पुग्दा उनको घरमात्र होइन ७२ घरधुरी भएको गाउँ नै भग्नावशेषमा रुपान्तरण भइसकेको थियो।

आफैं पनि निर्माण क्षेत्रमा काम गरिरहेका तामाङलाई आफ्नो घर आफै बनाउन सक्छु भन्ने त लागेको थियो तर उनी सरकारी निकायको परामर्श र सल्लाह बिना बनाउँदा पाउनु पर्ने अनुदानबाट बन्चित हुन सक्नेतर्फ सचेत रहे। यस्तैमा उनले भूकम्प प्रतिरोधी घर कसरी बनाउने भन्ने तालिममा सहभागी भए।

उक्त तालिमपछि उनले आफ्नो मात्र होइन अरुसँग मिलेर वा पर्म गरेर घर बनाए। गाउँ पुननिर्माणमा सरिक भए। यतिमात्र होइन उनी अब दक्ष डकर्मी पनि बनेका छन्। यसले आगामी दिनमा रोजगारमा सहयोग पुग्ने उनको विश्वास छ।

‘मलाई यसअघि पनि सामान्य डकर्मीको काम आउँथ्यो तर भूकम्प प्रतिरोधी र आधुनिक सीप शैली भने थाहा थिएन’ उनले भने, ‘यो तालिमपछि मैले आफ्नो घर पाउने मात्र होइन रोजगारीमा पनि आफूलाई दक्ष डकर्मीको रूपमा पाउनेछु।’

भूकम्प गएको दुईवर्ष बितिसक्दा पनि रसुवाको पार्वतीकुण्ड गाउँपालिकाको विकट गाउँमा पीडितहरु टहरामै बसिरहेका थिए। उक्त ठाउँमा हेल्भेटासको रोजगार कोषले पुर्ननिर्माणको लागि तालिम अभियान चलायो। यो अभियानबाट मिलीजुली गाउँ नै बास निर्माणमा जुटेको छ।

दश जनाको समूह बनाएर दिइने त्यस्तो तालिममा सहभागीलाई ५० दिनको डकर्मी तालिम दिइन्छ र उक्त समूह मध्येका दुई जनाको घर त्यही क्रममा निर्माण पनि हुन्छ। त्यसरी निर्माण भएको घर सहरी विकास तथा भवन निर्माण विभाग तथा राष्ट्रिय पुननिर्माण प्राधिकरणका प्राविधिकहरुको अनुगमन हुने भएकोले सरकारी अनुदान पनि सजिलै पाउने छन्।

तालिमको क्रममा र तालिमपछि एक आपसमा सहयोग आदानप्रदान गरेर घर निर्माण गरिरहेको स्थानीयको भनाइ छ। यदि बाहिरबाट डकर्मी ल्याएर घर बनाएको भए सरकारले दिने अनुदानबाट मात्र घर निर्माण सम्भव नहुने तर आफैं सीप सिकेर बनाउँदा खर्च पनि थोरै लाग्ने स्थानीय शान्तप्रसाद तामाङको भनाइ छ।

‘यहाँ परम्परागत डकर्मीहरू केही संख्यामा भएपनि तिनिहरुले भूकम्प प्रतिरोधी र सरकारी मापदण्डको घर निर्माण गर्न सक्दैनथे । यस्तोमा हामीले बाहिरबाट डकर्मी ल्याएर घर बनाउन सक्ने अवस्था नै थिएन,’ । उनले भने, ‘हामी आफैंले यो सीप सिकेपछि एकआपसमा मिलेर घर बनायौं।’

बहत्तर घरधुरी भएको उक्त गाउँमा रोजगार कोषले ३० जनालाई तालिम दिएको र त्यही जनशक्तिबाट अहिले गाउँमा भूकम्प प्रतिरोधी घरहरु निर्माण भइरहेको उक्त परियोजनाका रसुवा क्लष्टर कोअर्डिनेटर सन्जिव राईले जानकारी दिए।

रसुवाका विभिन्न स्थानमा संचालित उक्त कार्यक्रममा हेल्भेटासले तालिम दिने निजी कम्पनीलाई जिम्मा दिएको छ। तालिम र त्यसपछिको रोजगारीको आधारमा त्यस्तो कम्पनीलाई भुक्तानी गर्ने नीति भएकोले रोजगारी नै मुख्य केन्द्रबिन्दु भएको राईको भनाइ छ।

‘तत्कालको लागि तालिम र पुननिर्माण मुख्य कुरा हो,’ उनले भने, ‘तर तालिमपछिको रोजगारी हाम्रो मुख्य केन्द्रविन्दु हो।’

तालिम पाएपछि एकातिर आफ्नो घर आफैं निर्माण गरेको र अर्कोतिर अन्यत्र काम गर्न जाँदा पनि पहिले भन्दा ज्याला पनि धेरै पाउने भएकोले आफू एकदम खुसी भएको स्थानीय लाक्पा देवाङ तामाङको भनाइ छ।

‘सरकारले दिएको अनुदानबाट मात्र हाम्रो घर निर्माण हुन्थ्यो वा हुन्नथ्यो त्यो आफ्नो ठाउँमा छ तर तालिम पाएपछि हामी आफैंले बलियो घर बनाएका छौं, त्यो पनि सस्तोमा’ उनले भने, ‘जिन्दगीभर काम लाग्ने सिप नै सबैभन्दा सुखद कुरा हो।’ तामाङका अनुसार अहिले उक्त गाउँमा अब २० वटा घर मात्र बन्न बाँकी छन्।

भूकम्प प्रतिरोधी घर बनाउने दक्ष कामदारको अभावमा जताततै समयमै निर्माण सम्पन्न नभएको भन्ने खबर आइरहे पनि उक्त विकट गाउँ (नेसिङ) मा भने आफैं मिलेर भूकम्प प्रतिरोधी बलियो आवास बनाइरहेका छन्।

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The post House construction with active participation of women appeared first on Employment Fund.

Photo by: Ashok Sujan Shrestha

The post Women fill in for men in quake reconstruction appeared first on Employment Fund.

Women in reconstruction

Women in reconstruction

The post Women in reconstruction appeared first on Employment Fund.