Doti East Area Program

Program Type

Community Development

Planned Life Cycle

2014 - 2029

Location

Nepal

Areas of Focus

Education | Child Protection and Participation

Program Timeline

Status: Active

Progress

632people participated in activities aimed at supporting child protection and ending violence against children

Progress

266children and adults were trained on child protection, including positive parenting, children's rights and early marriage

Progress

6,268patient consultations were provided by health professionals through projects supported by World Vision.

A white jeep driving through a muddy path, featuring a rainbow and trees in the background.

Program Details

Context

The Doti East community is located in one of the most remote, mountainous districts of Nepal's far western region. The majority of families here grow crops like wheat, maize, millet, tomatoes, and citrus fruits. Since this region is vulnerable to natural disasters like landslides, harvests are often unpredictable. To make ends meet, many people, including children, cross the border into India seeking work.

Many families in Doti East are from marginalized people groups, including the Dalit, who were traditionally considered the lowest of the caste system. Even though the government has banned discrimination against Dalits, customs are hard to break, and these families feel the sting of exclusion very acutely. About half of Doti East's children are considered marginalized and vulnerable.

Families in Doti East also struggle with alcoholism, harmful gender beliefs and a lack of hope for the future. This affects children, who are vulnerable to exploitation through child labour or early marriage. In fact, 67% of girls in Doti East get married and have children before they are 20, perpetuating a gap between the genders. Only 16% of women and girls in the area can read and write, compared to 61% of men and boys.

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Challenges
Education
From a young age, children in Doti East struggle to receive a proper education. Since most parents energy is focused on survival, education is not prioritized at home, and many families can't afford school supplies or uniforms. Besides this, most children have significant household responsibilities and have to work in the fields alongside their parents during peak season.

Even for those who can attend, local schools don't provide a high quality education. With poor infrastructure, few resources, and teachers who often rely on harsh disciplinary measures, the school dropout rate is very high. This is particularly true for girls, who receive less support than boys, and who are often given by their parents in early marriage.

Health Care
Health conditions for mothers and children are very poor in Doti East, especially among marginalized families. Mothers malnutrition, exposure to disease, and poor hygiene affect their children's health and development.

The popularity of early marriage means that many mothers are young, and not physically or psychologically equipped to give birth. In addition, they are often left to care for their families alone while their husbands seek work in India. Unfortunately, since most women don't seek health care during their pregnancy and delivery, maternal and child mortality rates are very high.

Many mothers are not educated about the value of breastfeeding, how to use locally available nutritious foods, or how to prepare balanced meals. They often don't recognize the warning signs of life-threatening illnesses requiring immediate attention, or know about the government-provided health care services available to them.

Economic Development
Local families often work in agriculture and rely on traditional farming techniques, but their efforts often yield only enough feed their families. Farming families aren't able to earn income and have no safety net during natural disasters or poor growing seasons. Those who can't make ends meet often migrate to India to seek work.

The region's natural resources, suitable climate, and growing infrastructure are all signs that farming could be a viable industry here. However Doti East's farmers don't have experience with modern farming techniques and lack confidence in their own ability to break out of their cycle of poverty.
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Plans
Education
To ensure children can access and benefit from quality education, World Vision will assist the community to:
  • Provide children with a positive learning environment by training teachers in effective teaching methods and improving local schools.
  • Teach parents about the importance of education for all children, both in the home and at school.
  • Empower Doti East's youth to be voices of change in their own community and schools.
  • Equip the community and especially parents to get involved in the operation of their education centres.

Health Care
With the partnership of Canadian sponsors and the community, World Vision will work to:
  • Strengthen existing maternal health services and encourage awareness of reproductive health.
  • Train mothers to grow and prepare nutritious food for their children.
  • Prevent childhood illness by teaching families about early warning signs of disease, as well as the importance of proper hygiene, sanitation, and latrine use.

Economic Development
To ensure parents in Doti East can provide for their families, World Vision will partner with the community to:
  • Increase families agricultural yields by teaching improved farming techniques.
  • Empower families to use farming as a means for income generation rather than simply subsistence.
  • Educate farmers about organic farming and production so they can rely less on expensive chemicals.
  • Enhance irrigation systems. Strengthen the capacity of local farm cooperatives.
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An image of children sitting on the ground in a classroom, writing in workbooks.

Results

Unless otherwise stated, data presented on this page reflects the most up-to-date results of World Vision Canada programs reported between October 2022 and September 2023, and any previous fiscal years available. Previously reported data may not match the current presentation as we continuously receive and refine data from our programs. If you have any questions, kindly reach out to us.