Sparking change in rural Nepal

The sun beats brutally onto the courtyard of Shree Sabitri Secondary School, in Kerabari Rural Municipality, Morang District, Nepal.

But thanks to fast-spinning ceiling fans, cool air twirls through the school’s classrooms, making learning a breeze for Shree Sabitri’s students, who are between 3 and 18. Previously, faulty wiring had left many of the fans in disrepair. Moreover, the underlying electrical issues presented a grave fire risk.

School leadership first learned of the electrical hazards through a meeting with participants in the Youth Empowerment and Eco-Entrepreneurship Project (YEEP), an MCC-supported project that equips young adults in Kerabari with the skills they need to find economic stability and lead their communities.

In addition to spotting new ways to expand their own incomes and opportunities, participants learn how to identify challenges in their communities, raise awareness about them and find solutions together.

Mamata Parajuli is a business student at a university in Morang District. She learned about YEEP when staff from MCC partner Hilly Rural Development Organization of Northern Morang (HRDON) visited her community in Kerabari to promote the project, which they started in late 2022. Parajuli has had an interest in serving her community since childhood, so the advocacy side of the project immediately spoke to her.

At a two-day training, she and other participants developed skills like conflict mediation and social mapping, which entails traveling around one’s community and collecting data about properties and families.

“After getting back from the training, we felt that we were the responsible ones for our society,” Parajuli says. She soon formed a small advocacy group with other participants, including Ganesh Magar. 

Local socioeconomic challenges have led many young men from Kerabari to find work elsewhere. Magar worked as an electrician in Qatar for four years and gained an additional two years of experience in Kathmandu. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, his work prospects dried up, so he moved back home to Kerabari. Through YEEP, he has begun growing mushrooms to earn income, while using the knowledge he gained as an electrician to look out for his neighbors. 

When Magar and Parajuli’s group began mapping their community, they discovered that at least five homes had burned down in electrical fires in the past year. Magar saw that many buildings in the area featured exposed wires, overloaded circuits, misplaced meter boxes and other hazards.

To save money, families often wire or re-wire their homes themselves, not realizing the safety risks that improper configurations bring, says Tek Bahadur Limbu, who chairs the board of the Yangshila Rural Electricity Cooperative.   

Magar, Parajuli and their groupmates decided to raise awareness about electrical safety.

Parajuli, who is considering a career in mass communications, says they reached out to neighbors through community events and social media posts, often planned in conjunction with the electricity cooperative.

Residents come away from these events feeling more comfortable approaching the electricity coop­erative with questions. The coopera­tive's staff and board members have become more proac­tive in communicat­ing electrical risks to households.

Tek Bahadur Limbu has appreciated the chance to collaborate with YEEP participants. “I feel really very happy that they are working to draw attention . . . they bring fresh ideas.”

Group members have also conducted outreach with government-run institutions like Shree Sabitri Secondary School.

A teacher, Buddha Kumar Limbu, recalls that when Magar and Parajuli’s group visited the school, a fire had recently occurred at his neighbor’s home. Talking to the YEEP participants, he realized, “Rather than wait for that incident to happen, it is good to be proactive.” He soon got his own home rewired and is hopeful that YEEP will inspire more community members to follow suit. 

Parajuli has long been interested in a variety of causes, including education and wildlife conservation. But community members weren’t always so receptive to her ideas. “After being part of this project, they take me seriously and they recognize me, and they try to connect me with other people,” she says. She now feels confident advocating for herself and her community and feels a responsibility to do so. “Our elders have done a lot for us and it’s our turn.”

YEEP has given Magar a chance to reengage with his community after his time away, and he hopes that YEEP, which also offers training  for farmers, will inspire more young people to stay home and make a local impact.

Moving forward, Magar and Parajuli plan to continue raising awareness, seeking to reach as wide an audience as possible. “A collective impact has the force to create a change,” says Parajuli.