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From Chulo Group to NGO in Nepal
The story of this Health Development Project (a collaboration of the Trabhuvan University, Kathmandu and the University of Calgary, Canada) comes from a village in a hilly region of mid-western Nepal. It has a semi-tropical climate but is cold in the winter. Its high domestic fuel demand has a serious impact on the forest resources of mid-western Nepal. The project initiated community development activities in one of the Village Development Communities (VDC) by organizing village meetings and helping villagers to form interest groups. The women in this village reported, somewhat shyly, to their community group meeting that of the various activities they had seen on a recent 'observation tour' to another village, the one they liked most was the improved cooking stove or smokeless chulo project. This new business of group meetings, activity planning and local investigation, in which women were included with men was an unfamiliar but exciting experience. The women were attracted to a chulo programme because of the prospect of a smoke-free kitchen and less demand for firewood. They were also excited about a project they could do themselves. The women's group having decided to develop their own stove programme, chose eight women to take training in stove construction and maintenance from the Appropriate Technology Unit in the district town. These women formed a 'chulo group' to pass on their information verbally. They took applications for stoves from interested neighbours and made an installation timetable. Householders had to assemble the required wood and stones and work with the chute trainer in the construction so as to learn the skills to pass to others. The trainer follows up at one week and one month intervals to advise on maintenance and chimney cleaning. The smokeless chulo (see Figure 2), an enclosed, two-pot stove with a chimney, is intended to replace the three stone fire. Most people were very satisfied with the stove but some still use both the new stove and their three stone fire according to requirements at the time. In the cold season the open fire is used to heat the room. Some stoves had problems with draft because of improper chimney height or internal restrictions. K.M. Sulpya, from RECAST at Tribhuvan University, trained community members to design and produce improved chulos to overcome these problems (see BP33 page 5/6). As the women gained experience they varied the external size of their stoves (not the firebox or chimney) to provide more shelf space. As a result they became more mobile and more appreciated in their community. Several factors explain the increasing number of chulo users
The chulo programme brings new social relationships as men and women work together in construction teams and people of lower castes enter the houses and kitchens of the higher castes. For example, a skilful chulo maker of lower caste might team with someone from a higher caste to build a chulo in the home of a higher caste family. In 1991 approximately 65 per cent of women interviewed claimed they could build a chulo unaided. In one village the local builder has learned how to construct a chulo so that he can incorporate them in his new houses. Some community group members formed other interest groups such as sewing, bamboo planting and forest conservation. As villagers increased their confidence and skills, their organizational and management abilities and vision, they developed new networks and helped neighbouring VDCs to follow the same development processes and train new chulo groups. By this time the older groups were functioning independently of project staff. Within three years, three VDCs registered the formation of Savings and Credit Co-operatives. Simultaneously, five VDCs formed a local, self-help NGO, an association in which each VDC is an autonomous branch. It has asocial code which requires each member to have a chulo to increase their awareness of energy, health and forest conservation issues. About 20 per cent already have chulos. Apollonia Lugemwa pointed out in BP27 page 11 that the user, the woman, is the key factor in the success and sustainability of a stove programme and that stove programmes need to be evaluated within the broad, rural development context. Our experience confirms this; most of our chulo trainers are women, and women also form the majority of our NGO membership. Chulo programmes have taught women that they can now gain some control over their personal circumstances and the local environment. Project sustainability necessitates institutional changes to allow for changes in personal attitudes and behaviour. [top] [end]SummaryThe main factors in the success of this community development programme are:
This programme is to be only the first of many grassroots activities which will make social changes in their communities. We are now seeing changes in caste and gender relationships, in awareness and action for forest protection, even the formation of a savings and credit co-operative and our local NGO, all part of a broad, integrated community development process. [top] [end]Contents: Boiling Point 35: How Much Can NGO’s Achieve
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Page created:
17 August 2007; Last edited:
17 August 2007; Version: 0 | |||||||||
Pagename: FromChuloGroupToNGOInNepal @HEDON: HRGA | |||||||||
