This past week UMN’s Executive Director (ED) Dhana Lama visited some of UMN’s projects in Rukum East and our two local partners’ offices. In Putha Uttarganga Dhana visited child-friendly classroom in a primary school and met members of an Agricultural Group started through UMN.

Tupa village members felt honoured to receive a visit of UMN’s ED to their primary school, the first time they’ve received a visitor with such senior responsibility. Through UMN’s IDEA project in partnership with another organisation, UMN supported Early Childhood Development classroom set-up, now used by 23 children in Shree Dasratha Primary School, Putha Uttarganga.

The Ekata Agriculture Group chair Sumandra BK shared with Dhana that thanks to the SEED project, their group members who are mostly from one neighbourhood of the Dalit community have taken on new practices such as community cleaning which has improved their acceptance in the village. They are more confident to interact with outsiders and have also adopted kitchen gardening while monthly savings help to solve individual needs.

Meanwhile, at UMN’s local partner organisations of N-PAF and MIC-Nepal, their programme coordinators shared project highlights, achievements, challenges, and looking to the future, sustainability of the groups, networks and future opportunities.