A Day at Chaughare “Distributing Solar Lighting Systems”

Beautiful place in a nice sunny day.

27th July 2015, was a clear and sunny day when our team left ECCA-office for an approx two-hours-ride to a small village located in Chaughare VDC, Lalitpur. In the fond of our car, there were Solar Lighting Systems to be distributed to EQ affected families in need. Additionally, we carried various piles of note books for the students in severely damaged school in the same area. I feel it was a short trip, but the activities with a long-term impact.

Gathering of community members gathered to receive solar light.

Some families were already waiting for us when we arrive at the partly destroyed school yard (Shree Gyanodaya Lower Secondary School, Chaughare) to distribute the Solar Lighting System. The system distributed consisted of 2 bright bulbs along with the mobile charging facility and radio inbuild in the system. This reliable and environmentally friendly source of electricity for their homes. will keep the family members safe during the dark hours of night time and support the family members connected with communications and information.

As we had limited system to support the community members, Mr. Tej Lama (Chairman of School Management Committee) supported us through identifying the highly needy family members in the community. Families with old aged members, disabled members, nursing mothers, and school going children were highly prioritized in the distribution.

99 Yrs oldest lady in the community.

Amongst them, there’s a 99-year-old lady with her great-granddaughter. She still remembers her earthquake experience of 1933 and shared about her experience during that time. The great-granddaughter also shares her joy with other children and gathers together with her friends who all love dancing.

Distributing Solar System to different abilities family.

In the scenery of the partly destroyed school yard, the Solar systems stand like a symbol of hope and shows that earthquake recovery and ecology can go together hand in hand. And apart from providing electricity for the basic needs of families, there will be still enough solar power for playing music – so the girls can go on dancing!

We would like to thank Mr. Kushal Gurung (CEO) of WindPower Nepal and The Mayor Hotel for supporting the solar system for the families of Earthquake Affected families in Nepal.

A Group Snap with the families.

By:

Angel C. – Sr. Program Officer, ECCA

Nina N. – ASA Volunteer, Germany

Reusing waste

A Creative way to reuse waste and reduce environmental Impact.

Angel Chitrakar's BLOG

Pen holder made from waste paper generated after print.

These types of creation can reduce waste to be dumped in landfill sites and preserve our environment.

View original post

Plantation for Preservation – One School One Heritage Campaign

Preparing for plantation at Sauga Hiti, Lalitpur.

ECCA has successfully completed the plantation program on December 5, 2014 with the participation of 70 pupils to mark Int’l Volunteer Day and World Soil Day. It is the program led by ECCA TGG members under One School One Heritage Campaign. It was held at two heritage sites; Purnachandi Temple and Sauga: Hiti of Patan.

Preparing for Plantation @ Purnachandi Temple Premises.

The students from 4 different schools namely, Balbinod Secondary School, Tri- Padma Higher Secondary School, Prabhat Higher Secondary School and Yashodhara Bouddha Secondary School had joined hands with TGG members, staff of ECCA and members from Tole Sudhar Samitee of respective heritage sites to make the event successful.

The two hour program was completed with lots of activities going on like clean up, loosening up soil, adding fertilizers, planting the saplings and watering them. All the participants gave a very good feedback on this program. All the community members were very happy with the efforts the youth and children have contributed towards the conservation of their local heritage sites. So, they also co-operated and even provided us with extra tools and water for plantation.

So, in a nutshell, the plantation program was successfully able to place 20 new plant pots at Purnachandi Temple while 108 new plant saplings in the old pots at Sauga: Hiti, which has improved the look of these heritage sites. For the sustainability of the impact, the pots were handed over to the community itself for further care of the plants.

Few glimpses of our activities in our Facebook Album.

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Comment(required)

Submit

Δ

ECCA honored with NATIONAL CONSERVATION AWARD

On 6th Dec  2014 (Mangsir 20, 2071), ECCA was awarded “Nature Conservation Award” by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). The award was handed over by the Chancellor of the Academy and Rt. Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Sushil Koirala.

National Conservation Award

On this special moment, the ECCA family expresses gratitude towards NAST, Government of Nepal, government agencies and local government, international and national institutions, schools and nature clubs, other partners, donors, ECCA members, counsellors, volunteers, resource persons, well wishers, and staffs for the continuous efforts, support and encouragement. Certainly, all of you are part of ECCA family and the recognition of ECCA includes all of you as well.
Congratulations to all.

National Conservation Award being received by Mr. Yogendra Chitrakar, Director, ECCA.

ECCA Citation Translated in English.

Drawing the line : Wireless Flood Warning System

Photo Courtesy: AP/PTI

The monsoon this year did a little more than nurture the crops. Numerous floods swept away hundreds of houses and displaced thousands of people. Many lost their lives and others, a pawn of destiny, were left helpless between a rock and a hard place. The calamity wiped away hope of the people, as they looked for courage and patience for invisible relief amenities from the concerned authorities’. All they had in the name of their houses and properties, were inundated spaces, a cruel joke on their sorry circumstance.

The disaster that people faced this monsoon shouldn’t repeat again. For that, we need to adopt measures that will prevent such unfortunate events and prepare the people from potential calamities from today. Each day we put off doing that means risking the same tragedy again.

People have to be pro-active to save their lives and properties, and because of various circumstances, prevention of such events are still considered ambitious. Preparedness is what we can focus on right now. So ECCA, as an attempt to prepare the locals of Ward 7 and 8 of Mallaj Majhfant VDC of Parbat District in Dhaulagiri zone, is teaming with Li-Bird, to install Community Based Wireless Flood Early Warning System.

Mallaj Majhfant’s ground level is very near to the river water table, which makes it a danger zone for the 250 families living if flood were to come. This system is entirely based on communal activities; the people of Mallaj Majhfant rely on Tatopani, where the sensor would be installed to inform them. So it depends on the residents of both places to be communicative.

This system doesn’t save lives, it only provides the information for which, the people have to stay alert. This system helps in reducing risk by making the community alert before the disaster occurs, providing them enough lead time so that they can save themselves.

This is the first time that such system is going to be installed in Nepal. Already in use in India, the machine has been very efficient and effective to alert the downstream communities of the upcoming flood.

A single minute or a second can draw the line between life and death. With the rise of new technologies, we can hopefully thicken that line.

The Generation Green and My THAT Hour

TGG Mentor and Mentee Interaction Program

WWF, Nepal in the collaboration with its associate partners, namely ECCA (Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness), SENSE Nepal, Youth Alliance for Environment and Green Youth of Lumbini announced the long awaited “mentorship” program under “The Generation Green Campaign”. Mentors and Mentees were the profound character of the program. The mentees were the youth of aged 16-26 of various academic background from different regions of Nepal whereas the mentors were the most celebrated professional figures in the field of banking, media, art and music, environment, etc. Superstar Rajesh Hamal, former Miss Nepal Malvika Subba, Chief Secretary of Government of Nepal Mr. Leela Mani Poudyal, coordinator of Hariyo Ban Program Dr. Shant Raj Jnawali, CEO of Mega Bank Anil Shah and others are to name few. The core concept of such integration was to enhance the conservation regime of Nepal with unison, thus ensuring that no loophole occurs in between various structural activities brought up for conservation in various parts of Nepal.

As the name itself suggests “The Generation Green”, this six long months mentorship program will grant an once in a life time opportunity for the mentees to be under the shade of these experts who have left no stone unturned in their respective significant field. 7-8 mentees being in average under each mentor during the mentorship period will be made familiar with the proficiency of respective mentors with an aim to develop a leadership amidst youths.

The inauguration of program was done with the official press conference at the venue of Kings Way, City Museum. The cozy room with the unique portrait frame being displayed and dazzling limelight was pleasant enough to forget the incessant rainy and extensively gloomy day of the Kathmandu valley.

I, being one of the mentee under the mentorship of Dr. Shanta Raj Jnawali would really like to appreciate the all the background efforts taken by all the organizations and its active members. Personally, my heartfelt thanks goes to WWF, The Generation Green Campaign, ECCA and other partner organization who brought us a chance to be a part of this Mentorship Program.

The interaction program in between the respective mentors and mentees were facilitated in the cubical room. Accordingly, I was blessed enough to stand next to the Dr. Shanta Raj Jnawali. His gentle attitude, soothing personality and laconic speech was enough for us to accept him as real conservationist. His appearance full of enthusiasm and his success story he shared was what motivated us even more.

Well, this was the very first day and still with the remaining 5 months and 29 days the interaction program adjourned with a word to gather again soon. This was “My that hour”.

 

Contributor: Mr. Ang Sherpa (is a member of TGG and is being mentored by Dr. Shanta Raj Jnawali).