MSFP Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue-1, January –March, 2016
Inside this issue
The Ninth Meeting of the Programme’s
Steering Committee
Local Entrepreneurs Participate In the
International Trade Fair
Sustainable Forest Management Practices Have Increased Income and Employment
Setting An Example: Women Entrepreneurs in Jajarkot District
Third Party Monitoring Visit to MSFP
Districts Conducted
Livelihood Improvement Programme :
Towards Transforming Lives
The Big Switch: Forest Encroachers
Turn into Forest Protectors
Dear Readers,
This is the latest issue of
MSFP Newsletter. It gives the
MSFP team great pleasure to
share with you the events and
news related to MSFP activities. You can send your views
and feedbacks on our newsletter through our website
(www.msfp.org.np) or email
(ssu@msfp.org.np)
Thank you for reading this !
Editorial Team,
Services Support Unit
MSFP
The Ninth Meeting of the Programme’s Steering Committee
The ninth meeting of the Multi Stakeholder Steering Committee (MSSC) for
the MSFP was held on 18th February,
2016 in Lalitpur. The meeting was
chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry
of Forests and Soil Conservation
(MoFSC). The meeting followed up on
decisions made in the 8th MSSC meeting and updated the progress on different outcomes. MoFSC shared the salient feature of the Forest Sector Strategy
in the meeting, and MSFP also highlighted the initial phase exit plan.
Major Decisions of the 9th Steering
Committee Meeting
 MSFPmade
Annual
Report
2014/15
apPresentation
by SSU
in the
workshop
proved.

Assets handover process approved.
Local Entrepreneurs Participate in the International Trade Fair
MSFP has been regularly participating in the
international trade fair organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (FNCCI) since 2013. Learning
from experiences of last year, MSFP encouraged more entrepreneurs from its programme districts to participate in the 5th International Trade Fair this year from 17th to
21st March 2016 at Bhrikuti Mandap in
Kathmandu. Entrepreneurs showcased different products (bamboo and wooden, lapsi,
allo and lokta products, bel juice, handicrafts,
sisnoo powder and essential oils) produced
by them and their communities at the fair.
This event proved to be a learning experience for most of the entrepreneurs and also
helped them establish networks with other
traders. Entrepreneurs were able to make a
good income at the trade fair by selling their
products.
Entrepreneurs and Customers at the MSFP stall
in the Trade Fair
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Volume 4, Issue-1, January –March, 2016
Sustainable Forest Management Practices Have Increased Income and Employment
Forests in many parts of Nepal contain generally old trees
which are not optimally utilized. Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) is a practice which helps to generate both socioeconomic and environmental benefits to the user communities, as well as optimizing forest and ecosystem conservation
efforts. MSFP has been promoting SFM practices in the local
forestry groups which it supports. The Jashpur and Miwang
Community Forest User Groups in Rolpa district are two
such groups practicing SFM with the support of MSFPRupantaran Nepal and the District Forest Office; MSFP has
provided NRs 1 lakh to each user group to promote SFM.
This has generated employment for 22 ultra-poor households
who were trained and mobilized for 3 months to manage the
forest area, each hh earning Rs. 300/day over the 3 months,
and making an additional income from transporting timber
purchased by users. 52 ha of forest are now managed
through SFM practices, and 1,647 cubic feet of timber, 184
poles and 3,106 packs of fire wood have been harvested
from these two CFUGs, which made an income of NRs.
232,560 by selling the fire wood, timber and poles at the minimum rate, fixed by the CFUG committee to the users.
User group being oriented on SFM
Selling these forest products to households outside their user group would generate even more
income as the process of will be 3 to 4 times
higher.
Such sustainable forest management practices
have not only generated employment and income but have also enhanced the condition of
the forest and increased its regeneration capacity.
Setting An Example: Women Entrepreneurs in Jajarkot District
The Kuse micro enterprise of Khalanga-2 in Jajarkot district
was established initially as an all-women cooperative in 2011
by the 25 women shareholders. They identified Chiuri as a
viable option for establishing the enterprise and started processing Chiuri butter.
Chiuri is one of the flagship products of the MSFP in the
mid- and far western clusters, and MSFP has been promoting this product from 2013. The programme thus provided
both financial (for equipment and machines) and technical
(including training and facilitation) support to the Kuse enterprise. With assistance from MSFP, the Himalayan Bio
Trade Limited (HBTL) company agreed to make a buy-back
guarantee of 5 metric tonnes of ghee annually from the enterprise.
By early 2016, the enterprise had grown to 221 women
shareholders, of which 40% are Dalits; there are 175 women
involved in seed collection, and 22 women in the processing.
Women entrepreneurs processing Chiuri Seeds
The enterprise will make a gross income of
NRs.1,250,000 per year after selling the agreed 5
metric tonnes of ghee to HBTL.
This enterprise is one of the most successful examples of rural women entrepreneurship, and as
the women entrepreneurs are planning to expand
their business, this story is not over yet.
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Third Party Monitoring Visit to MSFP Districts Conducted
As a part of the service to support and strengthen
MSFP monitoring systems
at field level, the
SEEPORT Consortium of consultants has been conducting regular third party field monitoring in MSFP
activity areas. Recently, the SEEPORT undertook 13
monitoring visits to Pyuthan, Rolpa, Rukum, Dang in
mid western cluster, Surkhet, Jajarkot, Dailekh,
Doti, Bajura districts in far/mid western cluster and
Terathum and Sankhuwasabha districts in the eastern
cluster of MSFP during the month of January and
February 2016.
The purpose of the mission was to monitor the activities implemented by District Forest Offices and Nongovernment Implementing Agencies (NGO IAs) in the
district. The team observed the plantation and forest
management activities, enterprise development activities, adaptation plan preparation and implementation
status and livelihood support activities. Based on their
field monitoring they have provided specific recommendations for improvement at field level as well as
programme level.
Some Glimpses from SEEPORT’s Field Monitoring Visits
Wet land Conservation Activities The LAPA Implementation
Activities by the ENPRED
by the DFO
Entrepreneur Making Madal
(Traditional Nepali Musical instrument)
Sirudanda CFUG, Ruga VDC-2, Rukum
Furniture Enterprise
Kungrinear,- 2, Rolpa
Nursery Established by DFO
Pig raising as a part of livelihood support
Jaubari Kali Khola CFUG,
Pond Conservation as a part of implementation of adaptation
plan
Sayapatri Tole-9 , Terathum
Sukrabare CFUG, ChainpurMunicipality-9, Sankhuwasabha
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Livelihood Improvement Programme : Towards Transforming Lives
A Case Study of Manoj Thapa Magar in Chaudila, Baglung
Author: Rishi Ram Pandey, GESI and Livelihood Expert, MSFP-Programme Implementation Office, LIBIRD Nepal
Background
Mr. Manoj Thapa Magar, an inhabitant of Bhakunde VDC Ward no. 3, Chaudila, Baglung, had left no stone left unturned in trying
to improve his life – but until recently, he had lived in an often miserable condition.
34 year old Manoj had no reliable income source to feed his family and four children – he had no land to cultivate, no occupation to
earn a living, and no qualifications or special skills to find a job. He had seen many organizations come and go in his VDC but none
of them had helped him to improve his livelihood – but then his luck changed, thanks to the MSFP and their implementing partners.
Process of Change
In July 2015, visitors from LI-BIRD and FECOFUN, working with the MSFP, arrived in his village aiming to improve the livelihoods of poor and the marginalized families. He asked for more details of the programme from the social mobilizer about the offered Livelihood Improvement Programme (LIP), and then, as advised, he participated in the CFUG meeting where participants for
the LIP were to be selected. He was overjoyed when he was selected by a big meeting of the Saurepakho CFUG, and then, like
others selected, he prepared his livelihood improvement plan, selecting pig raising as his immediate activity.
To implement his plan, he received NRs 15,000, at 5% interest rate, in August 2015 from the CFUG, the funds deriving from MSFP
through LiBird, the programme implementers. With this money, he bought 4 piglets at NRs. 2,500 each, and with the remaining
amount, he constructed a pig sty, and leased a plot of land for NRs 10,000 per year for 5 years.
Manoj would not have to wait long for his pockets to fill, and his hopes of a better life to take proper root. Soon after, he bought 4
young mother goats for NRs. 22,500, and in late 2015, he had 4 mother pigs, 4 medium sized pigs and 10 piglets in his sty.
Impact
Within just 7 months, by February 2016, he had sold 14 piglets at NRs. 2,500 each and earned himself NRs 35,000. "I can make at
last NRs. 80,000 from the mother pigs, NRs 25,000 from the piglets, and NRs 50,000 from the medium sized pigs when they are
ready for meat", says Manoj, who spent NRs 29,000 on feed during this period, and kept good records of expenditure and income.
With just NRs 15,000 investment, Manoj thinks he will earn around NRs 190,000 in his first year of pig farming. He adds. "I had
never thought that even a small scale activity like this could bring about so much change in my life - these piglets have really raised
the hopes of my family".
Plans for the Future
Dhana Kumari Ashakuwar besides her biogas plant
Mr. Thapa was asked to prepare a livelihood improvement plan with a "vision" – where he wanted to see himself in the long run, his
long term livelihood objectives and life time goals.
One of his hopes was that he could use the goat manure to grow vegetables on leased land.
Now, in March 2016, he has 5 mother goats and 6 kids as well, with a minimum market
value of NRs 70,000. Asked about the differences between IGAs implemented by other
development organizations and this MSFP/LI-BIRD option, Manoj said that the livelihood
improvement plan incorporates a long term vision and concrete activities, and is just not just
a one-off handout – this is it’s advantage, it is not just about cash benefits, it allows people to
dream and actually plan for a different life, an alternative way of thinking about livelihoods
MoUinSigning Ceremony
their future. "MSFP/LI-BIRD opened up our eyes", says Manoj.
Manoj and his wife Parbati have now divided their roles in the household. Parbati has started
a small tea shop and looks after their four children, while Manoj takes care of the pigs, goats
and expanding vegetable farm. They are determined to scale up all these businesses in future.
They have a dream of living a decent, successful and healthy life and moving onwards through different activities.
They are now confident that they can give a good education to their children, provide two good meals a day to all the family, and
can change their clothes when needed. "We used to live in acute poverty until recently, but our situation has now begun to change
quite fast, and I can see a smile on my husband's face", says Parbati, and Manoj adds: “the livelihood improvement plan transformed
our lives!".
One of the unique features of the MSFP/LI-BIRD livelihood improvement programme is that the selected individuals prepare a
livelihood improvement plan, which is implemented with a commercial perspective, and strongly monitored by the CFUG and the
LI-BIRD partner organization, which helps in recording income and expenditure for a cost benefit analysis of each plan. As the
programme envisaged, changes in the lives of poor and the vulnerable families have been observed within a short period of time.
The progress by Manoj and Parbati shows that improving livelihoods does not always require high tech interventions, but proper
utilization and diversification of existing options – these can bring equally positive change in the living conditions of poor and the
marginalized.
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The Big Switch: Forest Encroachers Turn into Forest Protectors
- a case in Jalimbagiya of Thuniya VDC of Kapilvastu
Author: Dhananjaya Jayasawal, Cluster Programme Coordinator, Butwal Cluster, MSFP
Introduction
Encroachment of forest areas for cultivation purposes continues to be a serious problem throughout the country and Kapilvastu
District is no exception. Some of the newly established settlements of Thuniya and Manpur VDC, located near the Kapilvastu
collaborative forest are examples of a heavily encroached area. Within Kapilvastu CFM area, over 100 ha have been encroached.
Previously, Yadav and Dhari (Dalit) communities predominantly inhabited this area – then during the Maoist insurgency period,
many migrants from affected areas moved to this location for safety, security and livelihood. As time passed, the community
became thoroughly mixed with Brahmins, Thakuris, Dalits (Sarki, Kami and Damai) as well as other ethnic groups. As a result of
this migration, encroachment to the forested areas became an issue, made worse by unclear forest demarcation and insufficient
human resources to guard the forests. Ultimately, an extensive forest area turned into cultivation and homesteads, and the ongoing political instability, emergence of new political parties, bandhas and blockades in the last few years have fuelled the problem,
and accelerated illegal felling of timber and firewood trading as a regular occupation. Very significant deforestation and encroachment has taken place - according to recent records, about 11,359 hectare of forestland has been encroached just in Kapilvastu
district.
Ke garne – what to do?
The DFO realized that the forest law and policy was not helping to control encroachment and therefore made efforts to reclaim
the forest area following the GoN's Encroachment Control and Management Strategy 2068. The DFO together with the Kapilvastu Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) team made a ground measurement forest survey to demarcate the area actually
actual encroached within the CFM. The DFO then called a series of meetings with local people, the district administration and the
District Forest Sector Coordination Committee (DFSCC, which includes local political leaders and journalists) to make everyone
aware that the GoN was committed to reclaiming forested areas, and to minimize potential future conflicts with encroachers.
While doing this, the DFO gained ideas and confidence, and the Kapilvastu CFM’s first success was in banning encroachment in
about 100 hectare in the southern part of the CFM. Around 58 households who had been living in and cultivating the area for
some years were resettled in a small nearby area, on areas of 1 katha per hh.
In addition, with the support of the Multi Stakeholder Forestry Programme (MSFP), 92,800 seedlings of teak, and other multipurpose trees species have been planted in 35 hectare of the re-acquired encroached land already – and as there is now complete
protection, through fencing and guarding by forest watchers, there is zero grazing and natural regeneration of different valuable
species has also been good - with a survival rate of over 90%. There are 10 forest watchers, paid NRs. 5000/month throughout
the year,. to guard the replanted areas – and as incentive and encouragement, these forest watchers have been selected from the
same communities who were encroachers before. Now they are guarding the same forest where they used to live, they have a
place to live together with employment.
MSFP Support to Livelihood Improvement of poor and disadvantaged households
The livelihood support initiative through MSFP has helped to calm any potential tensions that might have arisen between DFO,
Kapilvastu CFM and the encroaching communities. Through collaboration with the NGOs working with MSFP, the DFO provided livelihood improvement support to the poor and disadvantaged hhs amongst the ex-encroachers - 58 hhs, who previously
cultivated forest land, made plans, and then were provided over NRs. 5 lakhs.
Outcomes and Impacts
On the basis of the success in this first encroachment area, the DFO was able to reach consensus with other communities based
inside the forest area – where, subsequently, clear demarcation with fencing, plantation development, and forest resource conservation was undertaken. In all these recovered areas, the CFM has involved the ex-encroachers, who are all from poor hhs, in
different forest protection and management activities (eg. forest watcher, fire fighter, forest patrolling), either part time or full
time, and especially during silvicultural operations, providing another small source of income. Thus, through the DFOs initiative
and MSFP assistance, hhs who used to be encroachers, earning a living from firewood collection and illegal felling and trading of
timber, are now protecting and managing the forest.
What Next
DFO and the Kapilbastu CFM are planning to form a group of resettled hhs, to intercrop valuable medicinal and aromatic plants
with seasonal vegetables to enhance their livelihoods. A second initiative to augment social harmony and cohesiveness is to include one or two resettled hhs on the CFM executive committee in decision making positions. The DFO Kapilbastu’s excellent
initiative, and his strategic and sensitive management of this issue has ensured reclamation of forest areas as well as simultaneous
livelihood improvements amongst those displaced – new initiatives, such as agro-forestry be promotion within and around the
collaborative forests, are in the pipeline.
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Page 6
The Multi Stakeholder Forestr y Programme
“Contributing to sustainable forest management, poverty reduction and tackling climate change”
MSFP Working Districts
For further information, and to provide us feedback, please write to:
The Multi Stakeholder Forestry Programme
The Programme Coordinator’s Office (PCO)
Forestry Complex, Babarmahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977-1-4239531
The Services Support Unit (SSU)
Ekantakuna, Lalitpur, Nepal
Tel: +977-1-5000689-90
Email: adm@msfp-pco.org
P.O. Box 12095, Kathmandu, Nepal
Website: www.msfp.org.np
Email: ssu@msfp.org.np
P.O. Box 12095, Kathmandu, Nepal
Website: www.msfp.org.np