The Rural Enterprise and Remittance Project (RERP) SAMRIDDHI, a collaborative initiative by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply (MoICS), has significantly impacted the lives of women from underprivileged and marginalized communities across 16 districts in the Koshi, Madhesh, and Bagmati provinces. SAMRIDDHI focuses on equipping women with technical skills and financial literacy, enabling them to enhance their economic conditions. These skills not only improve their livelihoods but also empower them to make informed decisions regarding the use of remittances sent by their migrant worker spouses.
By Keshab Poudel Jun 17, 2024
With technical skills, knowledge, and grant support for purchasing tunnels, seeds, and fertilizers provided by the Rural Enterprise and Remittance Project (RERP) SAMRIDDHI, a joint initiative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply (MoICS), returnee migrants from Urleni, Ward 14 of Diktel-Rupakot-Majuwagadhi Municipality in the Khotang district are transforming their living standards. With women taking on leadership roles, these returnees are now earning more income than they did in foreign employment. At a time when the Nepalese government is seeking ways to reintegrate returnee migrants into society, the lessons learned from RERP in Khotang offer a viable solution. Migrants, who had left Nepal with a bleak future and subsistence-based agricultural practices, are now benefiting from RERP’s on-farm program. Implemented in the Koshi, Madhesh, and Bagmati provinces, this program demonstrates how the commercialization of agriculture can reintegrate returnees, enhancing their income and living standards.
By Keshab Poudel Jun 16, 2024
Amidst a widespread liquidity crisis impacting many cooperatives due to high withdrawals and bad loans, three cooperatives operated by returning migrants with majority women members have demonstrated resilience and success. Supported by the Rural Enterprises and Remittances (RERP) SAMRIDDHI Project—a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supply (MoICS) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)—these cooperatives have thrived under challenging conditions. The Financial Education and Entrepreneurial Knowledge (FEEK) component of the SAMRIDDHI Project has played a pivotal role. Through comprehensive training and institutional support, FEEK has significantly enhanced the capacity of cooperative employees and management. This support has helped institutionalize processes for delivering remittance-based savings and loans to women from poor and vulnerable communities and returnee migrants. As the RERP nears completion, the FEEK initiative has demonstrated how small interventions can lead to substantial improvements in cooperative operations and the livelihoods of poor women, marginalized communities, and migrant workers across 148 Palikas in 16 districts of Koshi, Madhesh, and Bagmati Provinces.
By Keshab Poudel Jun 12, 2024