Upper Marsyangdi

The Annapurna Circuit is the popular name for a 300 km trek in Nepal around the Annapurna mountain range in the Himalayas. The Upper Marsyangdi-2 Hydro Project location falls in this region. GMR Varalakshmi Foundation started its activities in Marsyangdi in September, 2009. A total of 28 villages with an estimated population of 5331 under three Village Development Committees (VDC); Dharapani of Manang District and Taghrin & Ghermu of Lamjung District come under the working area.

Providing better education and health care facilities are major challenges here. The ‘Amma Samuhs’ (Mothers’ Groups) formed by Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) in every village are the most vocal and powerful social group in this area.

The approach of Foundation’s activities is to work in partnership with local institutions - primarily Amma Samuhas, Yuvak Clubs and Baal Clubs to address the education and health care issues. Skill development opportunities for the youth are also being explored.

Education
Foundation works to improve the quality of education in 6 schools by providing TLMs, sports items and furniture to the schools benefiting about 300 children. Apart from infrastructure support, Foundation also provides support teachers, organizes extracurricular and co-curricular activities, parents’ committee meetings etc. Meetings with teachers and villagers also help to strengthen community participation in improving the quality of education.

Foundation works with 3 Child Care Centres (CCC) benefitting 92 children. Meetings with the community members, parents and teachers, formation of Mothers’ Groups and orientation on importance of education are some of the strategies used by Foundation to augment the quality of the Early Childhood Education.

Health, Hygiene and Sanitation
For improving the functioning of Government Health Posts of this area, Foundation has provided medical equipment like dressing sets, suture sets, delivery sets, clinical fridge, medicines and first aid kits. The Foundation has provided one Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) to the health post at Tal village which caters to about 7-8 villages. Due to the hilly terrain of the area, it is very difficult to bring sick people to the health posts and hence stretchers have been provided to 4 Amma Samuhas catering to 700 people of the area.

Empowerment and Livelihoods
Amma Samuhs in different villages have been supported by the Foundation to initiate income generation and health and hygiene related activities. 9 Self Help Groups have also been formed by the Foundation which are involved in saving and internal lending activities.

Community Development
GMRVF team has started working with the existing youth and children’s groups of the area to re-organize and strengthen them. 9 children’s groups with 500 members are reached out through this. Sports are the most important link to work with the youth and children groups. The youth groups have been provided sports items and also supported for local level tournaments.