The Kailali District is largely comprised of native Tharus, an ethnic group indigenous to the southern foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal and India and considered to be direct descendents of Gautama Buddha. It is one of the most backward districts of Nepal, with little infrastructure and a poor educational facilities.
In commemoration of World Earth Day, the Dhangadi chapter organized a World Earth Day Campaign to raise awareness about conserving the environment.
Around 150 participants, mostly youth, attended the program and showcased their talents though poems, performance, and songs about the planet and environment. Ms. Bimala Adhikari, CEO of Bio-Gas and Environment Unit, gave a brief presentation on environmental awareness. After the program, participants and guests joined hands in cleaning and beautifying the Jokhar Taal Park, a public park in the municipality.
“Conducting a program for one day is not enough for the protection of the Earth,” said one participant, Menuka Khanal. “To protect the Earth, discussions and awareness programs should be held not only during Earth Day. I think the most important role is to be played by youth for protection and preservation of our environment.”
GPF-Nepal Far Western Region
GPF Nepal emphasizes youth and women‘s empowerment, cultural development and environmental integrity. The Far Western regional office of GPF Nepal, based in Dhangadi, the capital city of Kailali District, has already established several Global Peace Libraries, some of them were the first of the kind in the area. Several hundred secondary and college students have been given special training on “leadership through volunteerism,” building a strong foundation for the Global Peace Volunteer (GPV) program established by innovative leadership of Mr. Suresh Karki, coordinator of the Dhangadi. Several cleaning drives have been initiated recently in the city of Dhangadhi by GPVs in association with other NGOs, municipalities and government agencies.