Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal

Newsletter
of the Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal
September 2012
Dear readers, I am happy to share with you the 11th issue of the Newsletter of the Embassy of Switzerland in Nepal. After 53 years of cooperation and despite Nepals situation, Switzerland remains engaged in development and peace building activities in the country. The Team is currently preparing the next Swiss Cooperation Strategy, which will replace the existing one from January 2013. The Swiss government will continue its support to state building as well as improving the livelihoods of the disadvantaged groups through investing in rural infrastructure, natural resources management, vocational education to name a few. In this newsletter, you can also read about a project to rebuild police posts, our vegetable seed project, news of a documentary about rescue operations in the Himalayas, and of course welcome Mr. Thomas Fisher, our new Head of Consular Affairs to the Embassy team in Nepal. I hope you will enjoy the read. Mandakini KC Information and Knowledge Management Officer Cooperation beyond 50 years The Embassy Team is currently preparing its new strategy. Nepal is a priority country for Switzerland and in line with its foreign policy including its development objectives, the Swiss activities are oriented towards establishing a peaceful, democratic and developed Nepal. For this goal, the targeting of women and of Disadvantaged Groups will continue and the programme will be implemented countrywide with special emphasis on two cluster areas - in central and in western Nepal. The overall budget to implement the programme will range between 35 and 40 million CHF per year. In the course of preparation, various meetings and discussion were held internally with the team from Switzerland as well as externally with the representatives from the Government of Nepal, Nepalese Civil Society and the International Development Partners.

New Head of Consular Section On the 28 September, Mr. Thomas Fischer joined the Embassy team as the new Head of Consular Section. Mr. Fischer served in the Swiss Embassy in London from 2008 to 2012 and prior to that he was in Berne with the Directorate for Admin and Resources (DAR). During his initial days in Kathmandu, he looks forward to discover the city and surrounding areas and he enjoys listening to music and watching movies. We welcome him to Kathmandu and look forward for fruitful collaborations.

Celebrating Swiss National Day The Nepali Swiss Friendship Society (NSFS), with the patronage of the Embassy of Switzerland, organised an evening to celebrate the Swiss National Day on 1st of August at the GATE College, Mandikhatar, Kathmandu. The celebrating crowd gathered at the college decorated in true Swiss style and exchanged news, small talks and memories of Switzerland over a glass of wine from the Valais as well as delicious appetizers prepared by the college students. The Nepali Swiss Friendship Society also launched its website (http://www.nepalswiss.org/) during the same event.

A GATE to a secured future The GATE College of Tourism and Hotel Management bid farewell to its second batch of graduates on the 9th of September. The college is equipped with excellent infrastructure where youth from economically poor and socially discriminated background acquire theoretical as well practical knowledge in the hospitality sector from qualified trainers. Promising 76 young hospitality graduates from all over Nepal were handed over the certificate amidst a programme at Mandikhatar, attended by H.E. Ambassador Thomas Gass. Most of the past graduates are working in different cities of the country and earning a good income. Since 2009, Swiss supported programme, Employment Fund, implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation is working together with GATE College as Training and Employment Service provider (T&E).

H.E. Ambassador Thomas Gass with the out-going graduates. Source: GATE College of Tourism and Hotel Management

Mending the broken In our January 2010 issue, we presented Switzerlands engagement in peace building activities through the Nepal Peace Trust Fund. This fund was created in February 2007 to place the state at the centre of the peace process and is supported by UK, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, Germany and the EC. After five successful years and currently in its second phase, the Nepal Peace Trust Fund has been able to achieve various results. One of these is the reconstruction of a first set of 100 Police Units that were damaged during a decade long armed conflict. After the construction of the units, there is an enhanced feeling of security within the Reconstructed Police Unit vis-a-vis destroyed unit. community due to which an increased level Source: http://www.nptf.gov.np of economic and trading activities has been noticed. A cordial relation has been developed between the communities and the police force because of collaboration during the reconstruction and the number of female security staff has significantly increased as the new units offer more gender sensitive services, such as toilets etc. To continue this joint effort, the NPTF Board approved the reconstruction of 80 additional post in 2011 and 77 in 2012. During the civil war a total of approx. 700 units were destroyed. For more information, please visit the official website of the Nepal Peace Trust Fund at: www.nptf.gov.np/

Building leadership through hardship Ms. Ganga Maya Sarki aged 47 from Nerpa-8, Khotang is the president of the Rupakot Vegetable Seed Production Group and an active member of a newly established vegetable seed production cooperative. She is also the president of the Dalit Samiti in Nerpa. This was a dream- come-true for Ganga. Three years ago, she owned seven Ropani of land (less than a half hectare), and she bought vegetables from distant markets to feed her family. With only Nrs. 2000 per month income and her lands produce of less than six months food sufficiency, Ganga was desperately looking for other options to improve her and her familys life. That is when she came across the Swiss funded 1 Vegetable Seed Project being implemented by CEAPRED . Convinced by the prospects of vegetable seed production, she joined the Rupakot Vegetable Seed Production Group and underwent training. Soon she started producing seeds as well as fresh vegetables. With dedication and hard work she started earning better and today she makes more than Rs. 20000 per month. This has also improved her family diet. Ganga is now able to feed her family sufficient vegetables throughout the year. She is very happy to be capable to support her family economically and with the savings, she has fulfilled her sons aim to go to Malaysia for better employment and income. With the technologies and inputs provided by the project, she is determined to increase her seed production venture to a commercial scale and establish it as a business to accumulate sufficient amount of money to support her family.

1 Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research Extension and Development Centre for Environmental and Agricultural Policy Research Extension and Development

The sling operation After their successful documentary on the Sherpas, the Swiss national television team led by Frank Senn and Hari Thapa followed and filmed another unique and important story. It is about the collaboration between the Swiss helicopter company - Air Zermatt and the Nepali helicopter company - Fishtail Air, to use human sling operation in a professional way to save climbers, trekkers and people in danger at heights of 6000 metres and above. The documentary Die Bergretter im Himalaya follows the rescue missions and shows the work of helicopter pilots and technicians including the feelings of the people being rescued and the rescuers. The risks that pilots and rescuers take are also highlighted. The documentary somehow also raises other questions, such as: What does rescue really mean in Nepal? Can common Nepali people also avail of such rescue operations? When tourists up in the Himalayas are lazy to walk down, they call a helicopter; but on the other side, an ailing poor Nepali struggles to get the flight to reach an urban hospital for urgent treatment. These issues will make the audience think about the rescue situation in Nepal. The film is mostly filmed in the Khumbu region, Manaslu and Kathmandu. It has been produced in three parts in German language and has already been aired on Swiss National Television (SF) and Servus TV, Austria, in December 2011. For international audience, a cinema length documentary is being produced in English language and its international premier is expected to take place during the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KIMFF), in Kathmandu in December 2012.

Guest House managed by the members of the Swiss Community in Nepal If you are looking for a centrally located and a quiet place to stay that gives you a home-like feeling, then Dev Guest House is a place to be. Situated in Jhamsikhel, the guest house is owned by Rajendra and Ruth Kser Gurung and it promises you excellent service no less than a starred Hotel. For more information and reservation call: 5528778 or visit the website: www.devguesthouse.com

Weblinks
Embassy Kathmandu Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC Nepal http://www.swissworld.org

Contact
Embassy of Switzerland Jawalakhel, Ekanta Kuna P.O. Box 113 Kathmandu Nepal Tel: +977 1 554 92 25 Fax: +977 1 554 92 24 E-Mail: kat.vertretung@eda.admin.ch