Nepal

The Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation was a partner in CARE's Forestry Partnership Project in the Terai, a narrow strip of fertile land along the southern border of Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world. Because most of Nepal's arable land is in the Terai, it is home to nearly half the country's 22.8 million people. Forests are an important income source for these communities. But lack of sustainable forestry skills, limited resources, and a low literacy rate hampered their ability to earn sufficient income from their land.

Located in the Banke and Bardia districts of the Terai, the Forestry Partnership Project improved people's lives by teaching them sustainable forestry, reading, and writing, as well as by encouraging community decision-making processes.

A better life for community forest groups

Results from the Forestry Partnership Project in the Terai include:

• Improved ability of communities to maximize their use of forest resources and earn a reliable income from their land while practicing sustainable forestry, protecting habitat and biodiversity, and conserving soil and water
• Increased literacy of women and men who would otherwise have no access to education
• Increased self-sufficiency of women in a male-dominated culture where women bear most of the responsibility, yet only 21% are literate (compared to 61% of men)
• A framework for community decision-making within each forest group, with elected leaders and one vote per household—again aiding the development of women, who head more than half of the households

The Siddhi Bihayale Community Forest Group

The Siddhi Bihayale forest community comprises 1,200 people in 159 households. Today, 100 of the households are self-sufficient and able to feed their families from their forest income for six months of the year. They plant trees on the forest border, with tomatoes, wheat, rice, and maize in between.

To supplement their forest income, the group at first grew seedlings seasonally in the community nursery, sold them, and put the extra money into a community fund. They have since decided to grow seedlings year-round to increase the fund, which will be used to build a community center and a fence around the nursery.

Members say that their literacy and forest management classes have increased their self-esteem, self-confidence, and independence.