It is related to issues of public health hence sustainable livelihood would also be addressed.
Public awareness on the Tharu indigenous healing system and conservation of biodiversity will be promoted to general public and indigenous Tharus as well.
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
Since the project is focused on traditional healing system of indigenous Tharus, their participation will be significant.
Capacity - Building Component
The local Baidawa and Guruwa will also be oriented in modern medical practices.
Project Results
1. Established Tharu Baidawa and Guruwa: It has established and promoted 2 Baidawas and/or Tharu medicinal practice to have medical treatment. Baidawa Fularam Tharu is conducting his Ayurvedic dispensary (baidhyakhana) at Dhadhawar VDC of Bardiya district as a orthopedic and Baidawa Ramkrishna Tharu is specialist of gallstone. He is conducting his Baidhyakhana at Tharkurdwara VDC of Bardiya district who had enrolled in every activities of the project. Besides them, Rajman Tharu and Bhadra Bahadur Tharu have also been practicing curing sick people by using medicinal plants and Tharu medical knowledge in respectively Motipur VDC and Deudhakala VDC as well.
2. Scope of Tharu Baidawa practices widened: After different types of training workshop and conference on 'Tharu Baidawas and Guruwas', the practices of Tharu Baidawas and Guruwas is promoted. All these activities empowered and motivated Tharu Baidawa and Guruwa to further promote their practices for welfare of human being. A Baidawa Ramkrishna Tharu who used to only practice of solving stone problem in stomach, has now been delivering medicinal services for different types of health problems as well. Similarly, Baidawa Rajman Tharu has widened his scope and constructed a separate house to give continuity to Tharu Baidawa practices.
3. Biodiversity and its conservation knowledge and practices increased: Before the project implementation, there was destructed immeasurable quantity of biodiversities. Under the project, different training courses on importance of medicinal plants were offered to the selected participants who have very crucial role to play in the area of conservation of medicinal plants. Such training had some positive effect at community level for protection of biodiversities. As a result, some forest groups have started raising medicinal plants in a larger scale. The Kulanath community user committee of Dhadhawar VDC of Bardiya has been conserved three types of medicinal plants, namely, Bhurkun, Neem and Kurilo in own land of 3 kattha.
4. Check up patients' with modern equipment: Baidawa and Guruwa have been familiar with modern equipment. They check up to sick people using clinical equipment, like, thermometer, stethoscope, B.P. set etc. Besides of 2 Baidawas (Fularam Tharu and Ramkrishna Tharu), other 5 Baidawas are replicating at Motipur, Deudhakala, Gola and Daulatpur and Thakurdwara VDC their Tharu medicinal practice. After capacity building training, they immediate bought modern equipment individually.
5. Capacity build-up for curing sick people
Baidawas, Guruwas and local peoples have built up their capacity for curing sick people. They have trained to handle B.P. set, thermometer, weight machine and other modern equipment; identify sickness from lab report. They have got knowledge to make variety of medicinal plants by different mixing method. 426 Baidawa Guruwa and local peoples have built up their capacity by different capacity building training. Similarly, the technique of harvesting and storing of medicinal plants got on it. They started to preserve and collect medicinal plants. Furthermore; it is frequently coming up the request for having capacity building training of Baidawa from different districts, namely, Dang, Kailali and Banke as well.
6. Increased sick people to diagnosis with Baidawa and Guruwa: After having the project implementation; it was disseminated by Newsletter, Newspaper and training/workshop of Tharu Baidawa system in the peoples. The reliability of Tharu Baidawa system enlarged in the peoples. And, the numbers of patients started to grow up to diagnosis with Baidawa and Guruwa. As per Record of Baidawa (Dhadhwar and Thakurdwara) from January 2012 until March 2013; 5386 peoples have been cured by Baidawa. Among of them 2345 are male and 3041 are female.
7. Formation Mid and Far west level "Tharu Guruwa Baidawa Samaj": Before of the project implementation; it was no any committee, group of the Tharu Guruwa Baidawa. Now, it has been formed committee, name, Tharu Guruwa Baidawa Samaj having 13 members in the chairmanship of Chandra Prasad Chaudhary representing from 6 mid and far western Tharuhat districts.
8. Tharu Baidawa system promoted: The two movie documentaries on Tharu Baidawa system and its practices developed and released for all. It is the first kind of movie related to Tharu Baidawa system and practices. The second is the transferring of Tharu Baidawa knowledge in new generation. Lots of people have appreciated the effort. It is contributing to help establish Tharu Baidawa practices for all.
9. Knowledge on Tharu medicinal plants documented: UNYC Nepal has documented more than 200 types of medicinal plants and their uses for taking care of sick people. Among of them, UNYC has published an entitled 'Tharu Jadibuti Gyanko Avyas Part-2' enlisting 156 types of medicinal plants. Also details on use of medicinal plants for different types of health issues along with their symptoms given. This is the historical document related to knowledge of Tharu medicinal plants and their uses.
Immediate benefits received by the participants and/or the recipient communities:
1. Curing sick people by modern equipment: It has been easy to identify sickness of patients to Baidawa and Guruwa using modern equipment in their Baidhyekhana. They use the thermometer to check up temperature of patient. They know blood pressure level using BP set. Such, the measurement of weight of patient knows from weight measuring machine. And they take cure sick people by medicinal plants.
2. Low cost treatment: Local people have got chance to diagnosis sickness in low cost because of nearby home the baidhyekhana. They do not go to outside for diagnosis.
3. Economic benefits to Baidawa and Guruwa: Baidawa and Guruwa are earning money by curing sick people. They have started to take as service fee, dose of medicine fee etc. from patients. But, the rates of service, dose of medicine charge can differ by individual Baidawa and Guruwa.
Long term benefits:
1. Medicinal plants availability: Due to the availability medicinal plants nearby Baidhyekhana of Baidawas and Guruwa in Community forest user committee, it would be easy to harvesting medicinal plants for curing sick people to Baidawa and Guruwa. It helps time save (harvesting time) of Baidawa and Guruwa and local people earn money through selling medicinal plants.
2. Knowledge documentation benefits new generation: The knowledge of medicinal plants has been documented in the book form. The details on use of medicinal plants for different types of health issues along with their symptoms given. It helps to practitioner of medicinal plants, new generation including non-Tharu indigenous and other peoples on curing sick people.
3. Continuity/transfer of Tharu Baidawa system: The Tharu baidawa system is in practice of using medicinal plants by Tharu Baidawa. It is increasing the Tharu baidawa system and practice in wider knowledge. The new generations (Suraj Chaudhary-32, Ramvarose Tharu-30) are practicing medicinal plants knowledge as being assistant together with Baidawa and Guruwa for curing sick people. Thus, tharu baidawa system is transferring in new generations.
4. Legalize the Baidawa and Guruwa: It is in legalization process of Baidawa and Guruwa system. It handed over a memorandum letter to government of Nepal through CDO of Bardiya district by Baidawa Guruwa Samaj. It is expected that it will be supportive to have positive influence in policy for Baidawa and Guruwa system.
