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Nepal

Population: 29.9 million

Life Expectancy: 66.3 years

GDP: US$444 per capita

Unemployed: 46.0%

77.6% earn less than US$2 per day

Nepal, Asia

NEP02a - Ray of Hope Society - Saptari clinic

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Partnership Overview

The Ray of Hope Society is based in Kathmandu, but they seek to bring holistic community development to rural areas of Nepal. They have set up a health clinic in a poor area of the south-east of Nepal. Clean water and improved sanitation has become a means of helping those who have no access to these services and is a basis for encouraging church growth and health.

History Of Partnership

The Ray of Hope Society was founded by Niranjan Adhikary who was a SAIACS graduate in 2005. Bright Hope World personnel interviewed him at SAIACS and were immediately impressed by his extraordinary drive and energy. He had an intense passion for the Nepalese people and could not wait to be back training, church planting and sharing his new found knowledge.

After his return to Nepal Niranjan consolidated his relationship with a core group of Christians in Kathmandu. He started a new church and started discipling a small group of men. He remained in close contact with Bright Hope World staff and this communication led to a development plan that became the basis for a project to help the very poor of Nepal.

Niranjan had a heart for the people of Saptari, a district on the south-east plains of Nepal near the Indian border. In many ways they are a forgotten people as most missionary endeavour focuses on the hill country of Nepal. The plains are covered with scattered villages of 1000 to 5000 people, all subsistence farmers using depleted soils and subjected to regular flooding in the monsoon season. Services are poor and spasmodic. Many areas lack schooling, health care and communication of any form.

The project chosen was the building of a health clinic and water and sanitation improvement in a strategic location – a village that was central to five others that could be serviced by the central site. The concept was based on the appalling statistics that showed a high mortality rate among children, recurring disease problems, polluted water and unsafe sanitation. The project was to be a model that could be replicated in other villages setting up a ‘package’ deal that could be easily established in other areas as funds became available.

The other important factor about the village chosen was that there was a small Christian witness in the village with a handful of Christians who were keen to have a reason to share their faith with others who wanted to know why other Christians were keen to help them with such an important facility.

Beneficiaries

The people who stood to gain the most from this project were the six villages in the Saptari region. The health clinic was the first organized and permanent facility in the district dedicated to the health needs of the locals. The most benefit has occurred to the women and children. The health clinic is used by visiting nurses to teach hygiene, child raising techniques, preventative medicine etc. This combined with the better quality water and the proper disposal of waste has led to much improved health outcomes for everyone.

What We Like About The Partnership

The value of this project is that so many lives have been improved health wise especially the children who were riddled with worms and suffering a range of deficiencies and diseases. It is also an extraordinary platform for sharing the gospel message.

 

Key People

Leadership Profile

Niranjan is married and has three children. Increasingly he is in demand as an evangelist and a Bible teacher throughout Nepal. His love is in mentoring young men to follow his leadership and have them take the gospel to the poor and needy across all Nepal and the surrounding countries of Bhutan and Tibet.

 

Vision And Annual Strategy

The concept of taking the model for health clinics, water improvement and sanitation to other villages has merit. The project cost of $25,000 represents good value for the amount of benefit obtained and the potential to improve the lives of many people now and on into the future. Niranjan is very busy being in demand from many quarters and arrangements need to be sorted out for any future project to be properly managed. This may well be achieved through one of the people in his church. Nepalese respond positively to inputs that benefit the whole community and they readily respond to the gospel message when such a project is set up.

 

Annual Budget

This project has now been completed and no further funds are required.