Paper and Power Project (NEP/01/03)
Project Details & Results
The project site has been shifted from Khunkhani to Lekhani VDC of Baglung district due to increased insurgent activites. From the Baglung district headquarter, it takes 3-4 hrs walk to reach the project site. Lekhani VDC offers a magnificent views of snow capped Himalayas. The Dhaulagiri and the Annapurna range in the north extend from east to west. Mt Dhaulagiri and Mt Annapurna are among the highest Himalayan peaks in the world.
Lekhani VDC covers an area of about 11 Sq Km with 536 household of which majorities are Magars, Brahmins, Kami, Damai and Sarki. All households use fuelwood for cooking and kerosene for lighting purpose. About 400 ha of the land is covered by the forest and managed by 2 community forest users group.
The vision of the Paper and Power project is to provide community households (SHS)to encourage communities for carrying out productive activities by producing handmade traditional papers from Lokta (Daphne sps) with value addition and marketing the products nationally and interanationally via e-commerce.
Upto now 92 households have installed solar home system and people are trained to build their capacity to establish village level lokta factory.
Notable Community Participation
The project applies the paradigm of social mobilisation. The formation of settlement level groups with at least of 80% coverage of households, weekly meetings and savings are the major thrusts which ensure the community participation to a significant level. Thus formed groups are eventually transformed into Community Based Organisations (CBOs), who are responsible in executing the project.
Establishing factory at village level mobilising community has been a tough challenge but for the significant peoples' participation, it is gaining momentum. A VDC level solar Development Committee (SDC) has been formed to manage and mobilise the community. And various functional committees such as Lokta collection group, paper production and dying group, stationery production group and marketing groups are also formed under the SDC. The people have contributed their kind contribution to establishing the paper factory. The people not only carried their respective solar panels but they also carried the equipment necessary for paper making along with the parabolic solar boiler set. They have also dug a small water harvesting pond for continuous water supply to making the paper.
Capacity - Building Component
The project emphasised on generating village level specialist to producing paper. Different units of paper making groups are formed. In collaboration with Cottage and Small Industry Board, these various groups have been trained in different disciples of paper making such as Lokta harvesting, paper making (both local and Japanese method), paper dying, stationery making, machine operation etc. A total of 68 persons are involved in these extensive training programme. Likewise, 2 solar technicians have also been trained who have not only helped installed the 90 solar sets but also render their services in maintaining the solar home system.
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
44% of the total budget (US $ 21,560) is allocated as endowment fund which is known as Community Environment Trust (CET) fund. This fund would be made available to the villagers to install the solar home system in credit basis without any collateral. Through this facility, 92 solar home system has been installed in the village. Parts of this fund and community fund generated through weekly saving would be mobilised for micro enterprise and/or sustainable livelihood. All the solar beneficieries are engaged in paper making business to repay the loans, which they have taken during the installation of the Solar Home System (SHS)
Gender Focus
The Community based organisations (CBOs) are of three types- men women and mixed with both men and women. Formation of such groups is solely depended upon the interest and decisions the community members.During the project tenure 9 women groups have been formed which comprises 129 women members. Likewise, the women members can also significantly contribute to paper making and collection of the raw materials.
During the training package of the paper cottage inductry, 53 women members are trained in various disciples of papaer making such as lokta collection and peeling, pulp production,dying, paper and stationery production and are currently working in the paper cottage industry.
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
Of the 92 SHSs beneficiaries, 20 lower caste people are received the SHSs.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
The installation of solar home system would significantly decrease the use of kerosene. Thus this project would not only increase the public awareness but also help addressing the problems. The formation of eco clubs and children club would also help in disseminating the message against the wildlife hunting and managing the forest.
Project Results
The project has installed 92 solar home system and also installed hand made Lokta paper cottage industry in the village. The villagers pay back the loan taken during the installation of the solar home system by working in the village cottage industry. Prior to working in the factory, the beneficiaries were trained in the different disciples of handmade paper production. The villagers not only produce the papers but also statineries in the village adding values to the papers.
Not only the installation has reduces the demand of kerosene in the village, it has also produced a very positive results in the conservation of forest and its biodiversity. During the establishment of the paper factory, the field covered by aloe (Agave americana) was cleared. This was a rather cumbersome process and during the training when they learned that aloe is very good raw material for the paper, they repent as they had already thrown out the aloe thinking it has no use. This incident lead the villagers to carry out various experiment. They cooked all kind of agriculture waste, weeds and fruits to find out what is good for paper making and what is not. The result is they are able to produce papers from bark of fruits of orange, pomegrantes, walnuts etc. They also found out the Eupatorium also yields very good vegetable dye to color the paper. These experiments have led villagers to a conclusion that every plants has its value, so they must be conserved. They have also started to practice sustainable harvesting of Lokta (Daphne species-major raw material for the paper) and prepared a community led mangament plan of the forest.
The concept of this project along with Solar village electrification and demonstration project is in the process of upscaling to medium sized project. Draft PDF A has been prepared and under the discussion with Ministry of Finance-the political focal point of SGP.
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