Emergency Support Following Natural Disasters in Nepal
Peace Winds teams began providing disaster relief for Nepal following severe flooding and the major earthquake that occurred there in 2015. In the long term, this disaster-affected area experienced damage to its water infrastructure and agricultural land, an important part of the local economy.
In March 2023, a group of Nepalese women had the opportunity to travel to the Peace Winds Japan headquarters in Hiroshima to pilot an agricultural training program. The women visited a variety of agricultural processing factories and distribution facilities, and they participated in training courses where they gained hands-on experience. Trainees were excited to learn about cutting-edge agriculture practices so they could implement them at home in Nepal.
Peace Winds is also helping local farmers learn how to assess the local produce market to ensure they sell their products at the fairest price for both them and the consumer. This also includes reducing the cost of transporting produce to the market as well as building relationships with other farmers, the local government, and market stakeholders.
In June 2021, the Melamchi district–one of the areas where Peace Winds is active–was hit by major flooding. About 260 homes were damaged, and 600 villagers were forced to evacuate. Peace Winds has provided training on disaster risk reduction and direct aid in recovery in the region. Along with preparedness for future flooding, Peace Winds provides agricultural training to local farmers, helping them learn to grow vegetables in every season. The training has helped strengthen farmers’ skills and ability to sell produce at local markets despite the challenges brought by the flooding.
From 2020-2023, Peace Winds worked to bring safe drinking water to villages in hilly and mountainous areas of the Sindhupalchok County, which was severely impacted by the 2015 earthquake. Through the project, Peace Winds built water supply systems that now serve nearly 900 households.
