How does transparency give people hope?

In Nepal, families are 22% more likely to believe that their daughters can get a job than they used to be—a sign of improving gender equality and hope for the future.

An important part of the change was more transparency between the project and communities—and making sure that women and lower-caste families were included in project and government decision-making processes.

The AWASAR project in Nepal ran from 2015-2018 with $1.8 million in support from DANIDA. It reached 17,400 people directly (9,341 women) and 74,252 indirectly. CARE partnered with the Reconstruction and Research Development Center and Generating Income to Foster Transformation.

What did we accomplish

  • More kids go to school: On average, kids spend 15 more days in school every year at the end of the program than the beginning. 45% more families sent their kids to school.
  • Families have more food: 14% of families had enough food to last the whole year (up from 10%), and the number of families who could not even find food for 3 months out of the year was cut in half (from 38% to 19%).
  • Meals are healthier: There was a 40% increase in families eating diverse diets, and a 50% increase in families growing nutrient-dense crops.
  • Pregnant women get more better care: Pregnant women got 20% more food, and were 25% more likely to go to pre-natal visits. They were twice as likely to give birth in health centers.
  • Communities have improved access to services: Families were 3 times more likely to use local agricultural service centers, and 12% more likely to visit the health center.

How did we get there?

  • Get communities at the table: CARE hosted regular public audits of local projects—including budget information—so everyone could see what was working and what was off track. They made sure women and lower caste people were included in the process, and that they had a chance to offer feedback and suggestions.
  • Work on awareness: The project set up scoreboards about community services and help sessions to make information more available to everyone.
  • Look at infrastructure: The project worked with communities to design community-led projects to improve the quality of life. This included girl-friendly toilets in schools, solar lights, community libraries, and extra classrooms.
  • Help the most vulnerable: AWASAR set up scholarships for the poorest kids in communities, and extra class sessions for migrant students.
  • Improve agriculture: The project distributed seeds and agriculture equipment, and trained 130 local lead farmers on agricultural techniques. In turn, those volunteers reached 3,117 additional farmers.
  • Focus on local actors and planning: The project worked with partner NGOs to improve their ability to engage local government. They especially focused on local-level planning and accountability.

Want to learn more?

Check out the project evaluation.