Kathmandu : A vibrant ceremony marking the first anniversary of the Sustainable
Development Experimental Village was held in Dharmasthali of Tarakeshwor Municipality. The
event celebrated the successful completion of various comprehensive projects by the China
Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD) in the municipality. On the historic day marking the
69th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and People’s
Republic of China, the significant ceremony anticipated to strengthen the relationship and
cooperation between the two countries further.

In May 2023, with the overarching goal of transferring successful rural development practices
from China to Nepalese communities, thereby fostering sustainable development and improving
living standards, the China Foundation for Rural Development Nepal Office launched its
"Sustainable Development Experimental Village in Nepal" in Tarakeshwor. CFRD executed a
number of integrated projects in community water supply, education, nutrition, and skill training
sectors, with a total investment of more than 776,861 USD, directly benefiting 11,976 individuals.
The integrated projects included four major components: the construction of a whole village
water supply system, educational support, child nutrition support through school feeding, and
skill enhancement for farmers.

Celebrating the accomplishment and dedication of 80 farmers who received a 3-month long free
training service to enhance capacity and farming skills for off-seasonal vegetable production, the
event further boosted joy of farmers with free agricultural tools and equipment support.

Additionally, beneficiary schools of the Smiling Children Program received extended support of
kitchen materials to sustain the feeding program smoothly, along with provision of rewards for
Mothers’ Group Members, in appreciation for their invaluable support in meal preparation and
feeding activities. With gracious presence of Ambassador of People’s Republic of China to Nepal
His Excellency Chen Song, Mayor of Tarakeshwor Municipality Mr. Krishna Hari Maharjan
attended as Chief Guest for the ceremony and Country Director of CFRD Nepal Office Ms. Zou
Zhiqiang as special guest. The ceremony was witnessed by other distinguished guests from
Tarakeshwor Municipality, Chinese Embassy, Political Leaders, Social Activists, including national
media representatives and local community people.

The ‘Agriculture Training Project’ signifies as one of the major projects under integrated
development approach through launch of the "First Sustainable Development Experimental
Village in Nepal" at Tarakeshwor Municipality in May 2023. These comprehensive projects also
include whole village water construction, school children feeding, panda packs (school bags,
stationeries, hygiene kits & warm clothes) distribution, school library installation and sports
material distribution, aiming to disseminate successful rural development practices from China
to Nepalese communities.

Training activities were conducted by the New Light Foundation (NLF) in collaboration with MultiTrade Technical Training Institute (a CTEVT affiliated training institute), through facilitation of Tarakeshwor Municipality and relevant ward offices for selection of trainees and smooth
execution of training activities. 80 farmers received training services for off-seasonal vegetable
production in four batches of training events, while the graduation and material support had
been already accomplished for first batch in August 2023.

Post-training support to farmers also marked as a significant activity during the ceremony, where;
50 farmers were provided with a 1000-liter water tank, Electric water pump, 18-Liter Sprayer and
15m Rubber Pipe each, and rest 10 with ploughing tractors, with the aim of boosting motivation
of farmers and enhancing their agricultural practices.

Likewise, another major project under the sustainable development village is Smiling Children
project, it aids 3,315 students across 16 schools, providing a total of 729,591 meals. The program
aims to reduce child hunger, improve nutrition and health, enhance learning abilities, and
democratize education. Additional goals include increasing attendance, reducing dropouts,
offering livelihood opportunities for local women, and raising awareness about child nutrition.
Schools are also provided with kitchen materials to prepare and serve nutritious meals effectively.

Briefing about the training, Training Coordinator of Multi-Trade Mr. Ramesh Pandey highlighted
various aspects of practical and theoretical knowledge delivered to farmers based on the Level1 curriculum of CTEVT, boosting their farming skills. Similarly, one of the project beneficiaries Ms.Shiv Kumari Aryal shared her joyous experience, detailing her journey while participating in the
training and its impact in her livelihood.

Delivering her remarks, Ms. Zou Country Director of CFRD Nepal Office expressed gratitude to all
relevant stakeholders and individuals, supporting smooth completion of the training program
and execution of other projects within the Municipality area. She also cited that the success of
the training program has been possible due to dedication of the trainee farmers and
congratulated them for their achievement, and also thanked the implementing partner and
training institution for conducting training activities efficiently.

H.E Chen Song, congratulated the China Foundation for its rigorous efforts since past eight years
to support social welfare and development activities in Nepal and successful accomplishment of
the agriculture training program. He also appreciated dedication and achievement of trained
farmers, which has capacitated farmers to adopt systematic farming skills, thus enhancing their
agricultural productivity and income generation opportunities.

Mayor of Tarakeshwor Municipality, expressed his pride in the trainees' achievement and efficacy
of training program, reaffirming the municipality's dedication to supporting such initiatives. Mr.
Maharjan also ensured for future endeavors in joint collaboration with China Foundation for
Rural Development in the sector of agriculture promotion

The program not only celebrated the trainees' accomplishments but also reinforced the collective
effort of various stakeholders in promoting agricultural innovation and sustainable practices,
reflecting a shared commitment to the holistic development of the municipality.