We held a project closing meeting Holeri, Rolpa, for our 6-year GOAL II Project to share major highlights, results, impacts, and best practices among local implementing partners and local governments and show appreciation for their support.
Executive representatives and project staff from all implementing partners, such as ADRA Nepal, FIRDO Nepal, and RUDAS Nepal, as well as representatives from both local governments, including mayors, chairpersons, deputy mayors, vice-chairpersons, and chief executive officers, participated enthusiastically.
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Kabir Ratna Sthapit, Team Leader for Livelihood at ADRA Nepal. Mr. Purna Lal Shrestha, Senior Project Officer, gave a brief overview of the project journey (2019–2025). Mr. Sthapit presented key highlights on project results, impacts, best practices, and major milestones.
The project has made a major impact in both municipalities bringing economic improvement, empowerment and development to the area. Successes include:
- Over 65% of farmer group members adopted improved agricultural technologies and practices in their vegetable production and goat rearing businesses, significantly increasing their household income.
- 2,409 poor women and men increased their income through project-promoted livelihood options.
- Members initiated the improvement of goat breeds after the support of improved breeding bucks of 85 by the project. A total of 9,772 baby goats of improved breeds were produced.
- A total of 69,441 quintals of vegetables (in years 4-6) were collected from farmers and marketed by 3 agriculture collection centres, which is the amount of NPR 346,318,486.
- The agriculture collection centres started the collective marketing of goats in both districts, which is a total amount of NPR 6,957,589.
- 36 Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) were capacitated and mobilized in the community to facilitate gender sensitization and support the community on gender issues, where a total of 193 GBV survivors received counselling and referral services with legal aid from the 36 WHRDs.
- A total of 353 (258 women) participants from the 120 groups were capacitated on the Result Oriented Leadership Development Program (ROLDP) and implemented a total of 130 community need-based challenge projects by leveraging NPR 11,914,993.
- A total of 44 pilot initiatives/actions for resilient livelihoods were implemented jointly through collaboration, leveraging NPR 10,925,700 from the local government, community, and the project, which were selected from the livelihood sub-sectoral plan.
As a gesture of appreciation, Mr. Sthapit presented certificates to project staff, local implementing partners, and local government representatives, acknowledging their commitment and vital contributions to the project’s successful implementation. Closing remarks were delivered by Mr. Bhim Bahadur Gharti, Chairperson of RUDAS Nepal, Rolpa, and Mr. Chhanda Bahadur Basnet, Chairperson of FIRDO Nepal, Pyuthan. They expressed gratitude to ADRA Nepal for its tireless efforts, technical support, guidance, and remarkable partnership since 2014.
Additionally, Mrs. Sarita KC (Vice Chairperson) and Mr. Janak Pun (Chairperson) of Runtigadhi Rural Municipality, Rolpa, along with Mr. Min Raj Rana (Deputy Mayor) and Mr. Tek Prasad Bhandari (Mayor) of Swargadwari Municipality, Pyuthan, extended a vote of thanks. They acknowledged ADRA Nepal and its implementing partners for their strong and meaningful commitment, expertise, and innovative support in helping poor, disadvantaged, and vulnerable communities as well as their development initiatives.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. Kabir Ratna Sthapit, who appreciated everyone’s meaningful participation. He emphasized that the meeting had been fruitful in sharing and disseminating approaches, results, impacts, and best practices among partners and local governments. He expressed sincere gratitude to all for their dedication, unwavering support, guidance, and collaborative efforts throughout the successful implementation of the project.
As the project ends, we thank our partners, donors, programs, finance and other supporting staff who worked so hard to make the project a success.
The GOAL II Project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and ADRA Australia. It is implemented by ADRA Nepal in partnership with FIRDO Nepal in Pyuthan and RUDAS Nepal in Rolpa. The project focused on empowering women and increasing the income of poor and vulnerable populations, particularly in the Swargadwari Municipality of Pyuthan and the Runtigadhi Rural Municipality of Rolpa.
