Who are we?
Founded in March 2011, Friends of Volunteers Initiative Nepal, Netherlands, is an SDO – a Social Development Organisation. Our work centers on putting the efforts for change in the hands of local people and we actively encourage local people to volunteer within their communities, aiming to unite all sectors of society in working together to set up and run local projects. We run these programs with our Nepal-based partner, Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN).
Stichting Friends of VIN, Netherlands is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel, KvK-52433706).
Project sites
Where Do We Work?
In 2007 our partner in Nepal started a pilot project in Jitpurphedi which is located about 45 min. outside Kathmandu. It has now come so far that we have pulled out our active presence there and we're now moving on to Okharpauwa and Kavresthali (both areas within an hour drive from KTM) and Okhaldhunga about 220km east of Kathmandu.
Next Steps?
In 2011 we performed a feasibility study and one year later we conducted an extensive base line survey to assess the living conditions of 10,000 people spread over 3 VDCs* in the district of Okhaldhunga, and in March 2013 we started the implementation of the first module of our social development project; Early Childhood Development (ECD).
Diann Grimm from Partners in Sustainable Learning has visited all wards (municipalities) and trained all ECD teachers in Thulachhap, Taluwa and Bhadaure.
Current Activities
At the end of 2017, the construction of a Community Learning Center started in Nishanke, Thulachhap in Okhaldhunga District. This is largely possible due to the generous donation from Taiwan.
What do we do?
Our goal is to empower communities one at a time
Poverty is a complex phenomenon; its causes and symptoms are complex and there is no one-fits-all solution. Education alone isn't enough, healthcare alone will not create positive lasting change nor will the sole support of women's and children's programs. FoVIN's mission is to empower marginalized communities by co-creating healthy, self-sustainable communities where people have access to adequate sanitation, health care, education and economic opportunity. We focus on women and children through enhanced educational programs and community training to promote equality, economic well-being and basic human rights.
How do we do it?
In rural communities, the suffering caused by poverty can be overwhelming since the needs for basic amenities surpass the local resources.
We believe that the only way to create sustainable and lasting change is to involve and empower the local community. Firstly, together we define the priorities of the different areas that need attention. This is done by a thorough qualitative baseline survey that will aim to determine e.g. not how many schools are in the area but the level of quality of the education in those. Subsequently, we work hand-in-hand with the community role models and other leaders to develop and implement effective solutions to the challenges that exist in their villages.
Finally, after the community has reached a sufficient level of self-sustainability, we remove our active presence from the community and move on to another area to repeat the process.