World Student Community for Sustainable Development

Update from Tulsi Giri, Individual Member of Nepal

Youth Participation in Social Development Work Camp, Rivan, Kaski, Nepal

August 1-5, 2008
USSHA Foundation

‘Work Camp for Youth Participation in Social Development’ project had two phases of implementation. The first phase was conduction of work camp. The work camp was conducted in the ‘Community Building’ of Janajagriti Youth Club (Public Awareness Youth Club) in ward number 6 of Rivan VDC from August 1-5, 2008.

Teamwork to cross the river.

The second phase of the work camp is implementation and follow-up of the Aggregated Youth Club Action Plan (AYCAP) developed at the end of the work camp. During the work camp the participants were
kept in home stay with different families of the ward number 6. There were altogether 13 homestay families (6 brahmin families, 3 giri families and 4 magar families). Each family got one or two participants as their own family members for the 6 nights. One family, nearby the community building, was the center point
which was responsible for preparing tea and snacks for the work camp participants according to the schedule. All the home stay families got some financial support from the project for hosting the participants.

Outcomes

1. 25 participants from the rural and urban communities participated in the work camp and learned about the sustainable social development.

2. The participants learned the knowledge and skills to identify and prioritize the problems, issues and needs of the communities, and resource identification and mobilization for the social development.

3. The participants identified the basic need of the community and youth, and prepared the action plan i.e.
establishment of the ‘Community Resource Center’ for addressing the prioritized needs.

4. The work camp has initiated an environment for the community youth to participate in the social development in organized way where at the same time it has established a network between the inside and outside youth for two-way assistance for the social development of the rural communities.

Planting tea in the local community

The work camp which was focused to generate youth resource for the social development was completed successfully with very positive response from the community, local youth clubs and participants. USSHA Foundation is hence motivated to follow-up and to implement the action plan very successfully for the social development of Rivan VDC. And also, is looking ahead to establish and widen up the scope of this work camp model in other rural communities to encourage and support youth of that community to involve in social development.