Overall targets
The project has the following objectives linked to the overall objective of improving the health of farmers and consumers by promoting a healthy and sustainable food production in Nepal with a focus on Integrated Pest Management.
Immediate targets
Objective 1: To prevent occupational pesticide poisonings among farmers, professional sprayermen and pesticide retailers by strengthening their knowledge, attitude and practice on IPM and organic alternatives to pesticides. Objective 2: To prevent pesticide poisonings including those due to self-harm and accidents by increasing awareness in the villages among the health care workers about treatment and prevention. Objective 3: To facilitate advocacy to reduce pesticide poisonings and pollution by dissemination of knowledge, strategies and materials developed in the project at district and national levels.
Target groups
Different target groups have been chosen for the intervention, all with a strategic view to their contribution to the problem of pesticide use and poisonings, and a view to their potential contribution to the solution of the problem. A detailed description of the strategic choices and the rationale behind the different target groups can be found in chapter 4. At district level During the baseline study of the first project an epidemiological research of pesticide poisoning cases in Chitwan District was made. NPHF chose 10 Village Development Committees (VDC), 5 VDC included for the intervention and 5 included as control group. The intervention VDCs got the whole project intervention whereas no interventions were undertaken in the control VDCs.The project will now expand its operation to 10 villages in Chitwan District including the five villages where the first project took place (Bhandara, Chainpur, Jagalpur, Mangalpur, and Sukranagar) and now also the control villages (Gitanagar, Jutpani, Kumroj, Padampur, and Shivanagar). The latter have been chosen, because they themselves have expressed interested in the project after seeing the interventions in neighbouring areas. They are therefore considered highly motivated for change. Their respective organisations and authorities will select the individuals that are going to receive training. This will help to ensure that the individuals chosen are respected by their peers and thus will be in a position to transfer their knowledge to others after the training. In VDCs that were involved in the first project, those already trained will receive refresher trainings and some of them may be involved in trainings in neighbouring newly involved VDCs together with project staff. Overall, the direct beneficiaries are as follows: • 160 members of the primary target groups (youth, farmers, and women) in old and new VDCs selected by Farmers’ Cooperatives and Mothers’ Groups. Expected sex ratio 60% males and 40 % females. • 15 pesticide dealers selected in local agro chemical shops in coordination with the District Agricultural Development Office. Expected sex ratio 60% males and 40% females. • 20 professional pesticide sprayers selected in coordination with Farmers’ Cooperatives. They do not belong to any organization but work informally on a daily wage basis paid by the commercial farmers. Expected sex ratio 90% males and 10% females. • 45 health care workers from the health clinics in the old and new VDCs. Expected sex ratio 40% males female and 60% females. • 90 Female Community Health Volunteers in old and new VDCs. These women are nominated by the village unit and work voluntarily doing home visits to support families with health and nutrition issues, especially for infants. Expected sex ratio 100 % female. • 40 teachers from public schools, 2 teachers from 2 different schools in each VDC, will be offered a guide and teaching materials. Expected sex ratio 50% males and 50% females • 1500 grade 6 to 10 schoolchildren will be reached by an effort to include ‘pesticide, health and environment’ as a theme in teaching environmental issues in the schools. Expected sex ratio 50% males and 50% females. Secondary and indirect target groups are the population in Chitwan reaching an approximated 500.000 persons in the district. Advocacy will be directed towards particular groups who hold decision making power or are in a position to otherwise influence others, e.g. local leaders of Farmers’ Cooperatives. At national level Primary target groups will be: • Stakeholders from ministries, organisations of farmers and agro-dealers. They will be included in the project steering and advisory committees, and they will be encouraged to get involved in advocacy efforts, and in producing, sharing and disseminating IEC materials. Expected sex ratio 70 % males and 30% females • 10-20 students and teachers from universities of Nepal. They will be targeted through operational research on the project and revision of teaching modules to include relevant project themes at the university. Expected sex ratio 50% males and 50% females. • NPHF as an organisation will be strengthened to advice and advocate for specific matters on Pesticides, Health and Environment, but also more broadly on Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety matters. Expected sex ratio 50% males and 50% females.
Resume
Projektets formål er at forebygge forgiftninger og forurening med sprøjtemidler i Nepal og er en fortsættelse af et allerede gennemført projekt i 5 landsbyer. Projektområdet udvides nu til yderligere 5 landsbyer, hvor bønder og civilsamfundsorganisationer bliver uddannet i "integrated pest management", professionelle "spraymen" i korrekt håndtering af pesticider, sundhedspersonale i registrering, diagnostik og behandling af forgiftninger, og skolelærere får ny viden som integreres i miljøundervisning. Derudover har projektet fokus på fortalervirksomhed og spredning af viden og erfaringer. Centrale aktører er udpeget til styregrupper på distrikts- og nationalt niveau, og medlemmer herfra vil sammen med den nepalesiske partner understøtte og udøve fortalervirksomhed vedr. rationelt pesticidbrug lokalt og - især - nationalt.