• Project Area: Practical Community Solution Project-HU
• Project Duration: 2020-07-01 to 2021-09-30
• Donor: Humanity United (HU).

In a crisis that many are saying is worse than the devastating earthquakes that struck Nepal in 2015, COVID-19 has brought Nepal to a near standstill. As of June 23, 0,099 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, resulting in 24 deaths (SitRep#135, GoN, MoHP). The country has been in lockdown since March, with families, especially those relying on daily wage earnings, taking a severe hit to their income and ability to provide for their families. This is further widening the gap for the most marginalized, increasing the urgency of assistance to daily wage workers and those living at or below the poverty line. Marginalized community members, such as daily labour including brick kiln workers, have been heavily hit by the crisis.

To ensure their needs are being met, and that READ Centers can be responsive to their evolving needs and priorities, READ Global and READ Nepal respond based on the following a situational analysis and emergency COVID relief activities conducted by READ Nepal and READ Centers. READ has designed an updated programming approach that contains the community outreach and Human-Centered Design (HCD) activities included as per the changing needs presented by the COVID-19 pandemic in close partnership with Greater Good Studio (GGS) with financial support from Humanity United (HU). The programme has started to implement the HCD programming through two Centers namely Jahada Community Library Resource Cneter Nawalparasi and Sirjana Community Library Resource Center Lahan Siraha. Each Center would identify two different communities with a high proportion of daily labour including brick kiln works in its catchment area through PRA tools in which to implement the program (four communities total across the two Centers).  The major objectives of this project are as follows;

• Marginalized and vulnerable communities will be empowered through a practical solution with skills-based training to build greater cohesion and reliance from the learning of their daily problems and challenges.
• Marginalized and vulnerable communities will engage to identify the root cause of facing problems & challenges by themselves.
• Marginalized and vulnerable communities will access viable practical solutions related to their livelihood, health, education, GESI, etc. services, and facilities.
• Marginalized and vulnerable communities will raise their voice in decision making and agenda settings in their shared expectations for future initiatives after empowerment,
• Marginalized and vulnerable communities will satisfy the matching fund & financial support to address their immediate needs during crisis and emergency periods.