RRN works with the poor and marginalised people in rural Nepal to empower them in the process of meeting their basic needs, improving livelihoods and building their own institutionsRRN, with over 500 staffs and volunteers, has been able to successfully implement diverse community development programmes and projects in several districts of the country; covering the Mountain, Hills and Lowlands (Tarai) ecological zones. It is estimated that these programmes have benefited over 800,000 households.
Agriculture provides employment opportunities to 66% of the total population and contributes about 36% of the GDP. Therefore, the development of the agriculture sector is key to the development of the national economy.
RRN promotes market-driven approach to increase incomes and improve livelihoods resource poor and vulnerable communities
RRN places tremendous emphasis on ‘Rural Revitalisation’ and ‘Inclusive Economic Growth’ through agricultural development Value Chain Development and Inclusive Business (VCD-IB), livelihood diversification, ensuring food security, reducing gender disparities and greater inclusion of disadvantaged groups. RRN empowers communities and farmers for the market-led production of high value commodities that has demand.
RRN has been engaged in the education sector for over 25 years. RRN’s education development approach is primarily concerned with raising awareness and social transformation in rural areas. This transformation includes vocational training for girls and out-of-school children, as well as adolescent adults who are excluded from the educational framework. RRN has been successful in establishing and operating programmes such as ECDS, CLC, Girls Samvad, and building adequate educational infrastructure.
Majority of the rural population of Nepal do not have access to clean sanitized water, thus causing sanitization issues. RRN builds water stations around communal settlements which is free from contaminants. Wash programs that adopts Sustainable Service Initiatives (SSI) to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation has been implemented =on numerous account by RRN
RRN educates about health rights and preventive diseases by setting up health post near to the community thus giving them easy access to information and medical supplies.
For more than 25 years, RRN has continuously been engaged in the development and implementation of community managed rural infrastructures, such as paved paths, schools, health post, drinking water tanks. These infrastructures has benefited more than 2 million people directly.
As the name states these infrastructure needs are addressed by the community, using as much raw materials from the community itself. The construction of every such infrastructure is headed by the local government and the members of the community.
RRN has received numerous awards for its contributions to the development and construction of CMI. RRN has so far contributed to the construction of 100 kilometers of agricultural roads, 100 school buildings, and 200 co-operative and community buildings. It has also constructed 100 bridges and culverts, as well as over 200 drinking water schemes. In addition, RRN has constructed 500 health posts.
Flooding, by far is the most destructive force of nature that causes erosion of agricultural lands and human settlements.RRN is also a consortium member of DFID funded Nepal Emergency Relief Fund (NERF) since 2018 and also managing warehouse of emergency relief supports of non- food items in Morang, Chitwan and Nepalgunj.
Recently, RRN implemented a comprehensive project entitled Water Induced Disaster Risk Reduction Project (WIDP) on the periphery of Badarmudhe tributary of Madi Municipality in partnership with Shapla Neer by adopting the river basin approach, named as ‘One River One Community Approach’, covering the entire communities residing on the corridor of Bandarmudhe river, up-stream through down- stream. The project has been implemented in Madi Municipality and Lothar Rural Municipality of Chitwan district with the overall goal of strengthening the disaster resilience capacity of communities.
Community based disaster management committees (CDMCs)are directly involved in the construction and plantation activities. Consequently, CDMCs have been operating as organisations and undertaking DRR management activities such as: informing the people in the community and beyond about the potential disaster/danger through the use of siren, mobile phones and other means and to be in safe side during the disaster (e.g., moving to higher grounds, take along important documents, medicines, etc.).
Nepal is a diverse, unequal and fragmented society, with 103 different social groups, distinguished by caste, ethnicity, religion and language.The Department for international development (DFID) supported ‘Community Development Programmeme (CDP) -Extension is one such project being implemented exclusively focusing on the people from geographically remote, marginalised caste groups, especially Dalits (so-called untouchables as per the Hindu caste system), Janajatis (indigenous ethnic groups), single women, and physically disabled people
The programmes have successfully brought the women out of their homes breaking the traditional restriction on them that they as such are not supposed to go out of their homes. The participation of women in community awareness centre (CAC) led them to become productive member of the households, community leaders and entrepreneurs, thus indicating social and economic empowerment.
RRN undertakes various activities regarding awareness-raising and empowerment of deprived and marginalised communities, organizing and mobilizing them to claim their rights and campaign against prevailing socio-cultural malpractices.
The EU funded Girl-SAMVAD Programmeme organised more than hundreds of social campaigns against trafficking, discrimination and other violence were organised in Bara and Parsa districts. More than 85% girls are confident enough to prevent themselves from child marriage, trafficking and other social taboos. These kinds of social mobilisations have also helped to improve good governance and service delivery at the local level.