Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ)
Despite notable progress in improving access to electricity for Nepal’s rural population, the reality of indigenous Chepangs in Makwanpur district of central Nepal is different, whereby between hundreds of Chepang families still do not have access to any or stable electricity yet. Building on the impacts and learnings from the CbREP pilot and Phase 2, this CbREP Phase 3 Project is thus aimed to strengthen the CbREP initiative to electrify additional indigenous communities in Makwanpur depending on the requests sent to us and preliminary feasibility studies undertaken on them. It will also include dedicated support for socio-economic empowerment of indigenous women and initiation of a local network of community-based micro hydropower technicians and operators in the project area.
Community-based detailed feasibility studies and social assessments have been undertaken for at least two pico/micro-hydro plants with meaningful consultation with or participation of the communities. Feasibility studies have been effectively disseminated to the users’ committee and the wider community to shortlist at least one pico/micro-hydro plant for support under the Phase. Equipment and technical services to set up and operationalize the CbREP have been procured. The CbREP has been initiated in a ceremony attended by at least 200 persons. Plan(s) for targeted socio-economic empowerment of indigenous women and youth is formulated and implemented with dedicated seed fund made available for such empowerment activities. A local network of at least ten indigenous technicians and operators of the pico-/micro-hydropower plants that we have supported will be initiated with necessary basic training on micro hydropower functioning and repair.
