THE PARTNERS NEPAL SUPPORTS THE 200 HOUSEHOLDS COVID-19 VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES OF CHAURIDEURALI RURAL MUNICIPALITY 6-7 OF KAVREPALANCHOWK

In August 2021, Chuarideurali Rural Municipality Ward 6-7 of Kavrepalanchowk District requested food assistance for COVID-19 vulnerable groups of Chaurideurali. The Partners Nepal and NepalHilfe-Tirol had considered their request to provide food assistance to those COVID-19 vulnerable groups, especially for the Dalit communities such as Blacksmiths, Tailors, and Cobblers, all considered low social status. We have chosen to support those Dalit groups in Kavre village as they are discriminated against based on caste and untouchability. Poverty, lack of education, and other means of livelihood forced the Dalits to continue their traditional occupations. Dalit women and children are also forced to work in the households of their landlords. They do not get a justifiable wage for their labor.

Dalits who can get a wage-earning job suffer from an unfair wage system. According to the Rural Municipality representatives before the COVID-19 pandemic, those Dalits experts in tailoring and shoemaking were engaged in Kathmandu Valley to make school dresses and shoes for the children of both Government and private schools, and those who had no education were employed to work at bricks factories in Bhaktapur valley, and they made some income for the family. Since the first and second waves of COVID-19, all the Government and private schools have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued lockdown. They lost the job opportunity for over a year, and the brick factories closed. So they lost all their earnings from different seasonal works. Unlike the groups, the Dalit had less opportunity to receive any form of support, and therefore, our choice to support the Dalit of Kavre is very valid and important.

On behalf of 200 Dalit households, including some very poor single women-headed households from Chaurideurali RM, 6-7 of Kavrepalanchowk, the Deputy Chairperson of the RM and Chairperson of the Ward-7 and the community had expressed gratitude to The Partners Nepal and our respected donor, i.e., NepalHilfe-Tirol, for considering the food distributions to COVID-19 vulnerable households. Dalit representatives and their groups also expressed their gratitude to the donors and the organizers for this opportunity. The Partners Nepal greatly appreciates the representatives and communities of Chauri Deurali RM for their close cooperation and support. Without their sincere dedication and cooperation, it would not have been possible.

The members of The Partners Nepal visited the Chaurideurali RM 6-7 of Kavrepalanchowk from 11th – 12th August 2021 to distribute food to the second wave of COVID-19 vulnerable groups in the Kavre district. The members for this program include: Mr. Ang Rita Sherpa, Mr. Dambar Thapa, Mr. Bhala Kaji Rai, Ms. Sushila Thing and Mr. Min Bahadur Rai. The Partners Nepal is very grateful to NepalHilfe-Tirol and Professor Wolfgang Nairz for continued supporting the COVID-19 program. Without their insight support, it would not have been possible.

Text, concept, and photos:
Ang Rita Sherpa, Dambar Thapa, Bhala Kulung Ngopocho, Sushila Lama Thinng, Minbdr Phulelee, Wolfgang Nairz

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