2004 Progress Report
Our KRD/14 three-year drinking water and sanitation program (2001-2004) has been completed. Due to considerable fluctuations in the value Canadian currency, especially during the early stage of the program, when our expenditures were relatively high due to the acquisition of project related materials and also by the introduction of a ten percent value added tax by the local government on all commodities, we were unable to support the construction of all drinking water systems originally scheduled for implementation. However, the completed program still provided many villages with access to safe drinking water.
The new KRD/15 three-year drinking water and sanitation program has been approved by CIDA, however, due to the delay in the approval process, new project activities would be started only in the latter part of the current fiscal year. We have currently eighteen new water systems fully surveyed and ready for implementation. Although we have assisted more than 600 households with the construction of permanent latrines during the 2003-04 fiscal year, there are still more than nine hundred of households on the waiting list to receive assistance with sanitation.
The above illustration shows a water system reservoir tank that feeds the water to the village located several kilometers below. The locations and the types of tanks needed (intake, collection, break pressure) are determined during the location field survey by the system design engineer.
During the current fiscal year, we have assisted one village with school construction in a newly established primary school location in Antare Danda village, in Ward No.4 of Phalametar VDC illustrated below. The picture shows the typical Mahabharat countryside where NSP assisted schools are located. The school was being constructed with funds donated by the family of Peter White of Dorking, England in his memory.
Furthermore, as part of our assistance with educational facilities, we shall continue to upgrade previously constructed schools with additional facilities as needed. Our field staff also reported a noticeable increase in school attendance since the school buildings were completed and a number of school management committees have been requesting the addition of an additional classroom. Since the majority of schools within our target region are located on relatively small platforms along very steep hillsides, the school administrations in such locations have been requesting the construction of fences to prevent accidents when the children are at play during school breaks. Although there are still many VDC Wards without schools, we can provide assistance with the construction of new facilities only after the District Education Office has authorized the establishment of a new school location and agreed to provide the teaching staff at government's expense. The same rule is applicable to the establishment of new health posts.
Michael R. Rojik, Executive Director
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