Luxembourg Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, Franz Fayot and Director Christophe Schiltz returned after completing the visit to Nepal.

During their stay in Nepal, the minister led delegation visited projects supported by Luxembourg in Nepal and met higher government officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs N.P. Saud.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two Ministers exchanged views on various aspects of bilateral relations, development cooperation, climate change and other areas of mutual interest. https://twitter.com/MofaNepal/status/1653988528408395777

Similarly, European Ambassador to Nepal Nona Deprez and Team Europe hosted the minister. “Ahead of Europe Day 2023, an honor to host Luxembourg Minister for development cooperation and humanitarian action Franz Fayot, Director Christophe Schiltz, Ambassador Frantzen and delegation on their visit to Team Europe,” tweets Ambassador Nona Deprez.

The purpose of this one was to visit the projects of a number of Luxembourgish NGOs, namely the NGOD FNEL Scouts et Guides, Cooperation Humanitarian Luxembourg, Handicap International Luxembourg, ECPAT, Aide à l'Enfance de l'Inde et du Nepal (AEIN), and Life Project for Youth (LP4Y).

“The visit was successful as he visited various projects supported by Luxembourg government. He met higher government officials including foreign minister NP Saud,” said Shree Ram Lamichhane, honorary consul general of Luxembourg to Nepal. “The minister told before leaving Nepal that he was extremely touched by the love and affection and friendship shown by Nepalese.”

His visited schools and other projects supported by Luxembourg. In Dakshinkali, near Kathmandu, Franz Fayot visited the Agriculture Learning and Resource Centre of the Shikharapur Community Learning Centre (SCLC), a local partner of the NGDO FNEL Scouts and Guides.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Action https://gouvernement.lu/fr/actualites/toutes_actualites/communiques/2023/05-mai/06-visite-travail-fayot-nepal.html

, the organization's activities include creating an environment for young people to improve their skills, learn to work independently, and explore opportunities for young people. Thus, the Minister was able to get an image of the SCLC's farm school, the Bottle House, which offers practical training in innovative and sustainable agricultural techniques.

In Pokhara, the NGO Cooperation Humanitarian Luxembourg is supporting a development project implemented by its local partner SOS Bahini, which aims to improve access to protection, education, vocational training and health care for vulnerable children and women which aims to protect children from early and forced marriage, and a regionally operating project to combat human trafficking in Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

The Minister received briefing from the beneficiaries on the functioning of the programs and was able to see the various infrastructures of SOS Bahini, including an eco-village and a training center.

Minister Fayot then visited the activities of Handicap International Luxembourg (HIL) in the district of Gorkha. As disability is not considered in education, health or economic development in Nepal,

HIL's operations notably pursue the objective of improving access to education for children with disabilities, and enabling people who are injured or have a disability to benefit from rehabilitation sessions and integration services.

During discussions with the beneficiaries of the NGO's economic inclusion program, the minister was able to learn more about the difficulties and challenges faced by people with disabilities in Nepal.

In the capital, Franz Fayot visited three different projects supported by ECPAT. It was a project to prevent the trafficking of young girls in the adult entertainment sector, a project which aims to protect children from early and forced marriage, and a regionally operating project to combat human trafficking in Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

With the aim of improving justice and social transformation, as well as the socio-economic development of the disadvantaged and marginalized people of Nepal, the NGDO AEIN supports, among others, projects in the fields of education, community development, livelihoods and sustainable agriculture.

In this context, Minister Fayot paid a visit to two projects supported by AEIN, namely a rural women's fruit and vegetable cooperative and a school that was rebuilt after the 2015 earthquake.

In addition, Franz Fayot visited the Green Village of the ONGD LP4Y, which welcomes young women from rural provinces of Nepal and accompanies them towards their social and professional integration. In order to enable women to create their own income-generating activities, the program offers training in areas such as creativity, marketing, English, communication, as well as project management, pro-activity and leadership.

Finally, in Kathmandu, Minister Fayot had a bilateral meeting with Narayan Prakash Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, during which they underlined the good relations between Luxembourg and Nepal as well as the importance of the contribution of NGOs On the sidelines of the project visits, the Minister also had a working dinner with Nona Deprez, Head of the European Union Delegation in Nepal.