This report describes the learning of CCDRR project is Nepal.

1. FINAL PROJECT EVALUATION AND
LEARNING
Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction
Project, Nepal
Evaluated by
Dhruba Raj Gautam, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Disaster Risk Reduction Centre (NDRC) Kathmandu, Nepal
November, 2011
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2. Final Project Evaluation and Learning of
Child Centred Disaster Risk Reduction in Sunsari
(SUPPORTED BY IRISH AID)
Lead Evaluator: Dhruba Raj Gautam, Ph.D.
Contact Details: National Disaster Risk Reduction Centre Nepal
Kathmandu-34, Sangam Chock, Nepal
Phone: +977-1-4115619 / 98510-95808
Email: drrgautam@gmail.com
Project Title: Child Centred Disaster Risk Reduction in Sunsari
Implementing Agency: Plan Nepal
Project Start Date: 01 July 2010
Project End Date: 31 October 2011
Duration of evaluation: 15 days
Field visit dates: November 15-22, 2011
Goal: To protect the rights of children, young people and
communities during disaster-induced emergencies and
reduce negative impacts of disasters and climate change
through preparedness and mitigation.
Specific Objectives: To increase the capacity of Local Government and
government’s District Disaster Relief Committee to
prepare for and respond to disasters using a Child-
Centred Disaster Risk Reduction approach
To increase the capacity of children, youth and local
communities to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate
against emergencies
This report has been produced and financed at the request of Plan Nepal. The comments
contained herein reflect the opinions of the Evaluators only.
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3. List of abbreviations
AIN Association of International NGOs in Nepal
BCC Behavioural change communication
C/VDRMP Community/VDC-level disaster risk management plan
CBO Community-based organisation
CCA Climate change adaptation
CCCD Child-centred community development
CCDRR Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction
CPiE Child protection in emergencies
DDC District Development Committee
DDRC District Disaster Relief Committee
DEO District Education Office
DLSA District lead support agency
DPRP Disaster preparedness and response plan
DRR Disaster risk reduction
ECA Extracurricular activities
HFA Hyogo Framework of Action
HUDEP Human Development and Environment Protection Forum
HVCA Hazard, vulnerability, capacity analysis
I/NGO International/Non-governmental Organization
INEE Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies
LDMC Local disaster management committee
LS&R Light search and rescue
MDG Millennium Development Goals
MoHA Ministry of Home Affairs
MoLD Ministry of Local Development
NDRC National Disaster Risk Reduction Centre
NRCS Nepal Red Cross Society
PTA Parent-teacher association
PU Programme Unit
PwD People with disability
S&R Search and Rescue
SMC School management committee
ToT Training for trainers
VDC Village development committee 3
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4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the people who contributed to this
report in many different ways: by sharing their experiences, their thoughts and opinions
about the DRR program, and by contributing time, advice and hospitality during the
entire period of fieldwork in Sunsari District of Nepal.
I want to acknowledge the hard work that is being done under the Plan Nepal Sunsari
programme Unit by LDMCs and their respective leaders, mostly village people of
different caste and ethnic backgrounds, youth and child clubs and youth-led cooperatives.
Local-level stakeholders, VDC officials, and HUDEP (Plan partner) were valuable
resource persons and fine company during my fieldwork. Their observations visits were
extremely valuable sources of information.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Plan Nepal for entrusting me for this
task. I am particularly grateful to Mr. Subhakar Baidya, Mr. Krishna Ghimire, Mr.
Shyam Jnavaly, Mr. Nabin Pradhan, and Mr. Bhagwan Shrestha for coming up with a
conceptual framework and providing me with illuminating insights from the outset of my
work. I thank them all for all their support, critical observations and overall guidance.
They have been instrumental in giving shape to this process and their inputs and insights,
extremely valuable. At PU, I thank Ms Kalawati Changbang, Mr. Yogesh Niraula, Mr.
Om Shrestha, Mr. Mitra Rai, Mr. Nabin Lamichhane, Mr. Lilam Bhandari and Mr. Shiva
Thapa for their valuable support and suggestions. I am indebted to Mr. Sonu Shah for his
painstaking support, particularly in ensuring that the study went smoothly and
managing scattered data in good shape.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to HUDEP, who worked hard during the
field consultation. Their support in facilitating the consultation process and in holding
interaction meetings was very helpful. Thank also goes to all the teachers, students,
youths, community people and government staff for their invaluable suggestions and
feedback, which, in fact, constitute the foundation of this report. I am particularly
grateful to the children and teachers and youth-led cooperatives for their ideas and
information about the change observed at local level. They all made a special effort to
ensure that they met me answered all my queries. Last but not least, my thanks go to the
supporting agency, the central-level management team of Plan Nepal, which entrusted
me with the task of conducting this work.
Thank you all.
Dhruba Raj Gautam, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Disaster Risks Reduction Centre Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
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5. Executive summary
Background
Plan Nepal launched its Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction (CCDRR) Project under grant
support from Irish Aid and Plan Ireland in Mahendranagar, Harinagara and Barahachhetra village
development committees (VDCs) in Sunsari District. The objectives of the project were to increase
the capacity of local governments and Sunsari District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) to
prepare for and respond to disasters using a CCDRR approach and to increase the capacity of
children, youth and local communities to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate against emergencies.
The project directly benefited 30,892 people in 6121 households.
Objectives, approach to and methods of evaluation, and limitation
The overall objective of the evaluation was to assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact
and sustainability of the project, analysing its achievement of its objectives and identifying its
limitations. The report is based on a field study conducted in the project communities. Project-
related documents were reviewed and fieldwork was conducted to understand project’s key areas of
intervention and major achievements. Focus group discussions and key informants interviews were
conducted to find out the participants’ views about the project’s key achievements and learning and
level of coordination, networking and resource-sharing.
Fulfilment of project activities
The project increased knowledge and skills through capacity-building initiatives. DDRC members are
more accountable to right holders in DRR through SPHERE, the Interagency Network for Education
in Emergencies (INEE) and child protection in emergencies (CPiE). SPHERE standards are duly
considered during the construction. Sunsari DEO has started to prepare plan to reduce the likely
impacts of emergencies on education. Key issues of INEE have been incorporated in school-based
contingency plans. The project facilitated the mainstreaming a new solution-centric curriculum to
reduce disaster risk. UNFCO shared the project’s major achievements at different levels.
The project facilitated the formulation of seven preparedness and response plans and each plan,
regardless of its scope, incorporates DRR issues and the concerns of disaster-affected people. Plans
are modified as per the need. The school-based contingency plans adhered to the principle of 'DRR
through schools' not 'DRR in schools'. In fact, DPRP helped the DDRC prepare for and respond to
emergencies effectively and timely. Some parts of some plans were executed by the drafters, but
most will execute their plans only next year. Schools have started to implement their contingency
plans. While all the contingency plans are closely aligned with the school improvement plans
developed with the support of the DEO. The project formed, capacitated and strengthened 12 DRR
institutions which were developed using an inclusive approach which supported in amplifying
children’s voice in DRR policy advocacy. The project’s various different capacity-building initiatives
induced children and guardians to take an active role in addressing their vulnerabilities. The HVCA
approach was very successful. People’s fatalistic ‘nothing-can-be-done’ point of view had been
replaced by a ‘yes-we-can’ outlook.
The project developed a variety of behavioural change communication material to build awareness
about DRR. The project used local FM radios to disseminate CCDRR-based preparedness and
response message and information. Since children respond positively to video stimuli, the CCDRR-
related video was shown at schools to understand how people in similar situations manage disaster
risks by mobilising local resources and, through their example, convincing the viewers to do so too.
The light search and rescue and first aid training increased the skill and knowledge of youths and
community members, boosting their confidence and their enthusiasm for engaging in DRM initiative.
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Locals are aware of the nature and number of materials they have and how to use them. Drills and
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street drama filled the gaps in people’s DRR knowledge and translated skills and knowledge into
practice. Youths were included in trainings for trainers and later mobilised as facilitators of trainings

6. in climate change and its causes and effects and ways to adapt to them, thus putting to use the
knowledge, skills and information they had acquired.
The project provided support for constructing two safe shelters which are found SPHERE standards.
The project conducted DRR-related extracurricular competitions among children. To reduce this
possibility by making livelihoods more resilient and to make youths better prepared, the project
facilitated the formation of youth-led cooperatives. These cooperatives are DRR-friendly: their by-
laws spell out that a certain amount of money must be kept aside for emergency purposes and
mobilised only in such cases. All these progress showed that project’s objectives are fulfilled.
Relevance/appropriateness of the project design
There is no question of the project’s relevance. First, the selection of VDCs ensured a diversity of
target populations. Second, schools are virtually the only institution not affected by so called political
violence and conflict, so it makes good sense that the project chose them as its entry point. Third,
children and youths are effective both as drivers of change and as identifiers of risks. Fourth, the
project’s design matched the goals and objectives of Plan Nepal’s CSP-III, and DRM Strategy and PU
Long-Term Plan which complements child-centred community development (CCCD) approach.
Fifth, the project fell nicely within the goals of the Three-Year Interim Plan and Local Self-
Governance Act (1999). The project helped Nepal meet the second millennium development goal,
fifth priority area of the HFA, and government of Nepal’s fourth flagship.
Project efficiency
At the operational level, the project is designed and managed well and the resources available are
used efficiently. The project was executed by a comparatively small team with minimal operation
cost. The project’s internal monitoring mechanism effectively kept an eye on objectively verifiable
indicators for each objective. The management style is highly democratic, and there is a sense of
team spirit and belonging. The project was efficient in that it was able to meet all its targets within
the stipulated timeframe despite many hindrances. Good mobilisation of and cooperation among
DRR stakeholders made it possible to establish a culture of resource-sharing.
Project effectiveness
The project was designed to accommodate a wide range of stakeholders from ministries at the
central level to the DDRC, at the district level. The project designed all the capacity-building
initiatives in a logical fashion that took into account the local seasonal calendar. It was also flexible in
its plans and programmes. Coordination with UNFCO also helped to build a good working
relationship among stakeholders. While making safe shelters and resource centres, local masons and
materials were used to win the trust of the locals and to contribute in local environment. The
project shared all its plans, programmes and mandates with project stakeholders for transparency.
Sustainability
Because of the project’s wide range of capacity-building activities, which provided both skills and
equipment, locals are now able to confidently carry out search-and-rescue missions and develop
small-scale early warning systems. Youth-led cooperatives focus their programmes on disaster-
affected communities, meeting a real need for extra support. The provision of an emergency fund,
discounted interest rates on and extended payback periods for loans for disaster-affected people
means that people will get support even though the project has finished. Youth clubs are in the
process of registering so that they will have a legal mandate and be able to lay claim to local
resources to carry out DRR initiatives. They have also started to work together to make their voice
heard. Because DPRPs are linked with government plans, they get extra support. Regular
coordination and collaboration among DRR and education agencies at all levels built project
ownership and promoted sustainability.
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7. Impact
The project developed youths as local DRR resource persons and, under their instigation, children
and adults, are debating and discussing preparedness and preventive initiatives. People used to wait
for relief and rescue after a disaster, but now, because of the project's capacity-building initiatives,
they are taking the initiative. Through drills and simulations, individuals are now very familiar with
what to do (and not do) before, during and after disasters. People have started to raise plinth levels
and to build two-storey houses so they can store grain and live upstairs during floods. People have
begun to make earthen dikes around villages to hold back flood waters, constructed elevated
earthen roads and identified safe places to live during emergencies. People are now more vocal and
confident with “we-can-do-it” attitude. Because of project's rights-based approach and focus on
empowerment, and inclusive HVCA helped those who have never been heard to speak up.
Major learning
First, trust is built when major roles are given to DRR-led institutions. Because most training was directed
at these institutions, a positive environment was created. Second, DRR knowledge is disseminated
broadly if schools are seen as a means not an end. Knowledge built among students at schools is
disseminated to a large numbers of families. Third, participation increased if student-led capacity-building
initiatives are organised on weekends. With this simple adjustment, it found that children were better
able to concentrate on both the training and their formal studies. Fourth, training is more effective if it
addresses children issues. The trainings were highly effective because the standard training curriculum
was modified to suit children’s interest in hand-on activities. Because the content of the project’s
trainings suits their needs, the knowledge and skills children acquired from the trainings are now
deeply rooted in their minds. Fifth, drills, street theatre and video documentary dispelled the false belief
that mitigation activities alone would suffice. When they discovered that preparedness activities cost
one-fourth of what mitigation activities cost, they were even more convinced. Sixth, learning is
greater when capacity-building initiatives are seen as a process, not an event. Training, facilitation, and
orientation were effective because they were organised in a logical way. As a result, rights holders
started to claim their rights from duty bearers. Seventh, the provision of life-saving equipment increases
the value of trainings. Providing essential equipment not only increased participants’ interest but also
enhanced their confidence and self-esteem. Eighth, effective and timely emergency response was possible
when capacitated DDRCs and well-considered DPRPs were in place. Because DDRC members play a key
role in DRR, they were capacitated with a series of trainings. Ninth, an inclusive approach to DRR-led
Institutions and programmes helps address the needs of the most vulnerable. The community mobilisation
and empowerment process was facilitated precisely because DDR-led institutions are gender-
balanced and socially inclusive. Tenth, addressing multiple hazards captures the interest of people.
Though the project’s focus was largely on flood and earthquake, it heightened the interest of the
project communities by disseminating information on other hazards.
Recommendations for immediate actions to secure and reinforce good initiatives
• Sunsari PU should help draft operational guidelines for DRR-led institutions, safe shelters and
resource centres which emphasises interconnectivity among institutions and rules and
regulations and keeps both structural and non-structural aspects in mind. PU should borrow
good ideas from its core programmes too.
• The modification of HVCA mappings should be taken as a continuous process rather an event.
An updated HVCA map makes people feel positive as the improvements they make are clearly
visible. Considering how effective the HVCA process is, Plan Nepal should use this approach for
conducting baseline and end-line surveys. Its use does not have to be limited to disasters.
• Nascent youth-led cooperatives need some sort of technical backstopping. The ‘micro finance
plus approach’ of BRAC Bangladesh is a good one to adopt. A one-day orientation should be
organised for resource persons of DEO and members of the Private and Boarding School
Organisation of Nepal to share the project’s good practices including mainstreaming DRR
education in the school curriculum.
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• The learning derived from the CCDRR project should be replicated in different projects and
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programmes. At the same time Plan Nepal’s crosscutting issues like birth registration, total

8. sanitation, and child protection should be replicated in the CCDRR project areas for mutual
sharing and learning.
Recommendations for actions to be considered while designing new projects in the
future
• The present structure of LDMCs, which has VDC secretaries serve as chairs, leaves a vacuum
when, as happens frequently, these secretaries are transferred. It would be better if VDC
secretaries were to serve as member secretaries instead and if a member of the community
were elected as chairperson. Members of water and forestry-related community-based
institutions should serve as ex-officio members.
• The project should promote child-friendly, elevated, and arsenic-free hand pumps with platforms
and good drainage systems as well as raised toilets and community/school-led total sanitation
campaigns. Child-friendly recreation facilities should be included on the premises of safe shelters
to help reduce fear and trauma. Basic infrastructural modifications should be made following a
multiple-hazard risk assessment. To secure the long-term interest of people in DRR initiatives,
climate-smart agricultural patterns should be introduced on agricultural land on river banks.
• Building on the success of the facilitation trainings conducted after the training of trainers, more
youths should be trained and mobilised in schools and child clubs. In the long-term, Plan Nepal
should employ these youths as trainee researcher.
• Since its partners can be effective vehicles of change, Plan Nepal should build their capacity in
DRR. Visits between groups should be encouraged in the name of mutual sharing and learning
and Plan Nepal should design and implement a 'right-to-safe-schools’ campaign, advocating in
coordination with local health posts and PTA for first aid boxes and fire extinguishers in each
school.
• Building codes should be shared among DRR stakeholders and model school retrofitting work
should be designed for demonstration in strategic location. Plan Nepal should provide them with
training in earthquake-resistant techniques for application in new buildings.
• Safe school contingency plans should include crisis response plans to save time during
emergencies. To get more support from district-level government agencies including DDRCs
and DEOs, Plan Nepal should sign a memorandum of understanding at the ministry level.
• Plan Nepal should establish school- based meteorological stations at which students record
temperature, wind speed and direction, and rainfall and develop an idea of weather patterns and,
by inference, climate change. Plan Nepal can borrow some ideas from Canadian Cooperation
Office-funded and NDRC-led project of Kapilvastu District.
• As the DSLA of Sunsari and key member of protection, education and WASH humanitarian
clusters, Plan Nepal should share the project’s good practices and key learning at cluster
meetings in the regular basis. It should also share the project initiatives and preliminary
reflections with other networks of which it is a member, including AIN-TGDM, DPNet and
Nepal DRR Platform in order to solicit feedback that can improve future efforts.
• Though Plan International’s DRM Strategy mandated that all countries work on DRR and Plan
Nepal has included it in its CSP-III, DRR projects run on grant money and allocate core budget
only for emergency response. There is a need for more core budget-funded CCDRR projects.
Resources should be allocated equitably rather than equally across the Plan PUs so that the most
most-at-risk VDCs and populations get the most help.
• While many child-focused organizations across the world promote children’s involvement in
CCDRR projects, Plan International uniquely advocates children’s leadership. In generating
resources, it should stress this vastly different approach, one that is rooted in CCCD and which
stresses the cognitive development and wellbeing of children.
• Programmes are more effective if they are run in all nine wards of a VDC rather than in a few as
the VDC will be more inclined to provide resources. The project should be extended to other
wards within the project VDCs as well as to additional VDCs. To ensure that the child-
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centeredness of DRR project design and subsequent implementation is not overlooked, activities
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also should be designed using the child-led indicators used by Save the Children Sweden.

9. Table of content
List of abbreviation and acronyms ....................................................................................... 3
Acknowledgement................................................................................................................ 4
Executive summary .............................................................................................................. 5
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 10
1.1 The context .....................................................................................................................................10
1.2 The CCDRR Project........................................................................................................................10
2. Background to the Evaluation ........................................................................................ 11
2.1 Objectives of evaluation .............................................................................................................11
2.2 Approach to and methods of evaluation .................................................................................11
2.3 Limitations .......................................................................................................................................11
3. Evaluation Findings and Analysis ................................................................................. 12
3.1 Key achievements .........................................................................................................................12
3.2 Deviation from plan......................................................................................................................25
3.3 Relevance/appropriateness of the project design.................................................................25
3.4 Project efficiency...........................................................................................................................27
3.5 Project effectiveness .....................................................................................................................28
3.6 Sustainability .................................................................................................................................29
3.7 Impact .............................................................................................................................................30
4. Major learning ................................................................................................................ 31
5. Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 36
5.1 Immediate actions to secure and reinforce good initiatives .................................................36
5.2 Actions to be considered while designing new projects in the future..................................36
Appendix 1: Terms of Reference ........................................................................................ 39
Appendix 2: Target vs. achievement, and benefited population ....................................... 41
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10. Final Project Evaluation and Learning:
Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction Project, Nepal
1. Introduction
1.1 The context
Around the globe, predictable and extreme weather is increasingly causing upheaval in the lives of
children who are vulnerable to either sudden- or slow-onset climate-related disasters or both.
Disasters threaten the very lives of children, violate their rights, and prevent them from meeting
their needs. Children’s vulnerability to disasters is expected to increase as the frequency and
intensity of natural hazards rises due to the effects of global warming. In light of this fact, building
resilience in children and the communities in which they live and reducing their vulnerability to
disasters has, therefore, become ever more imperative.
Because Nepal falls in a monsoon climate zone, its southern Terai region, a low-lying plain,
experiences annual flooding and inundation, whereas the hills and mountains in the north (the
Mahabharat Range and the Himalayas) are subject to annual landslides. Both phenomena exact a
heavy toll in lives and property, and that impact is only slated to grow worse as global warming
causes heavier monsoon downpours to occur more often. After the Koshi River breached its
embankment in Sunsari district in 2008, displacing 7000 families and creating a great humanitarian
crisis, Plan Nepal assumed the role of one of the lead agencies in the response effort. It is committed
to implementing disaster risk reduction (DRR) which keeps in mind the perspective of children and
draw upon their unique talents as agents of change in order to provide succour to this most
vulnerable of populations.
1.2 The CCDRR Project Figure 1: CCDRR Project VDCs
Plan Nepal launched its Child-Centred Disaster
Risk Reduction (CCDRR) under grant support
from Irish Aid and Plan Ireland. Though project
focused on four flood-prone wards 1 of three village
development committees 2 (VDCs)−
Mahendranagar, Harinagara and Barahachhetra−in
Sunsari District (see Figure 1), some of its capacity-
building activities and policy advocacy took place at
the district and central level. The project directly
benefited 30,892 people in 6121 households.
The goal of the project was to protect the rights of
children, youths and local communities during
disaster-induced emergencies and to reduce the
negative impacts of disasters and climate change
through preparedness and mitigation. More
specifically, its objectives were to increase the
capacity of local governments and Sunsari District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) to prepare
for and respond to disasters using a CCDRR approach; and to increase the capacity of children,
youth and local communities to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate against emergencies.
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1
Ward No. 2 of Barachhetra-2 (Pulthegauda), Ward No.6 of (Terahaddi), Ward No. 4 of Mahendranagar (Tirtigachhi), and Ward No. 7 of
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Harinagara (Dastole and Netatole)
2
VDCs are the lowest administrative unit units in Nepal. Each VDC has nine wards.

11. 2. Background to the Evaluation
2.1 Objectives of evaluation
The overall objective of the evaluation was to assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact
and sustainability of the project, analysing its achievement of its objectives and identifying its
limitations. The evaluation documents the key learning of the project and makes recommendations
for Plan Nepal's future support for DRR interventions.
2.2 Approach to and methods of evaluation
The report is based on a field study conducted in the project communities as guided by the terms of
reference (see Annex 1). The project proposal; progress, intermediate and final reports; and other
project-related documents were reviewed before preparing checklists and guidelines for use in the
field. The fieldwork was conducted after consulting the field staff of Plan Nepal and the Human
Development and Environment Protection Forum (HUDEP), Plan Nepal’s partner, about the
project’s key areas of intervention and major achievements. Focus group discussions were carried
out with three local disaster management committees (LDMCs), three youth clubs, three child clubs,
and three youth-led cooperatives and key informants interviews were conducted with VDC-level
stakeholders, including members of community-based organisations (CBOs), school management
committees (SMCs) and parent-teacher associations (PTA) to find out the participants’ views about
the project’s key achievements and learning. Transect walks were used to observe the extent and
benefits of the project’s structural mitigation work, including safe shelters and resource centres. In
addition, meetings with school teachers and students were held to determine school-level and
extent of awareness about preparing for and responding to disaster risks. All the major DRR actors
in the district, including representatives of Sunsari District Development Committee (DDC), Sunsari
DDRC, VDCs, and Sunsari District Education Office (DEO), were consulted in order to assess the
level of coordination, networking and resource-sharing. Afterwards, a separate meeting was
organised with Plan Sunsari and the HUDEP to validate the information collected from the various
sources. Towards the end of the fieldwork, a debriefing meeting was held at Plan Sunsari Programme
Unit (PU) to share preliminary findings and solicit feedback and suggestions. Finally, all the
information collected from the various sources was analysed and interpreted to produce this report.
2.3 Limitations
The project faced several challenges and hindrances. First, conduction of some training was delayed
because no local resource persons with the necessary skills could be located. Second, because there
is no elected local government, the project initially found it extremely difficult to establish functional
coordination and linkages with the concerned VDCs and Sunsari DDC and to build rapport with the
leaders of various political parties. Third, the fact that the project included more than 46 distinct
activities made for several problems: carrying out periodic review and reflection was a burden, there
were too few district-level staff to provide adequate technical backstopping and monitoring and the
staff there was under constant pressure to implement activities. The fact that festivals reduced the
actual tenure of the project to nine months further complicated the difficulty in implementing such a
wide array of activities. Fourth, it took time to arrange for land on which to construct shelters and
resource centres as reaching a consensus involved several rounds of discussions. Fifth, in the initial
days of the project, mobilising people for DRR was not greeted with enthusiasm as the majority of
people favoured relief and response, not DRR.
“......We didn’t plan for disaster preparedness activities. To be frank, it was a new idea
for us. We just concentrated on emergency response. Plan is the one that brought the idea
of DRR to us when we attended a workshop they organised in Itahari, Sunsari. There we
realised that even though disaster response is necessary, disaster preparedness is more
crucial for saving lives.....”
(From focus group discussion with children, aged 14 to 17, in Sunsari District of Nepal)
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12. 3. Evaluation Findings and Analysis
3.1 Key achievements
Objective 1: To increase the capacity of local governments and DDRCs to prepare for and
respond to disasters using a CCDRR approach
a. Increased knowledge and skills through capacity-building initiatives
DDRC members are now more accountable to right holders in DRR because they participated in,
technical trainings in
SPHERE, the Table 1: Number of participants in different trainings
Interagency Training Events Duration Male Female Total D J M PW O
Network for SPHERE 1 3 day 28 9 37 1 12 2 1 22
Education in INEE 3 3 day 79 22 101 10 24 0 3 66
Emergencies (INEE) CPiE 3 2 day 31 6 37 4 8 1 0 24
and child protection Source: Project records, 2011
*D = Dalit, J = Janajati, M = Minorities, PwD = People with Disability, O = Others (Madheshi, Brahmin and Chhetri)
in emergencies
(CPiE), acquiring essential knowledge and skills. They, as well as members of VDCs, and DDRCs
were also taught about hazard, vulnerability, capacity analysis (HVCA) and climate change adaptation
(CCA) issues. DDRC and LDMC members and DEO representatives were learned what the
minimum standard for education in emergencies is through the INEE. Members of the HUDEP,
VDCs, DDCs, and DDRCs began to understand and internalise child protection issues following the
CPiE training (see Table 1 for details about the participants). Training of last year to Plan and its
partner’s staff like CCDRR, contingency planning, emergency management, and SPHERE standards
supported by National Disaster Risk Reduction Centre (NDRC) Nepal added the values.
The SPHERE training taught participants minimal standards at the local level, particularly in terms of
water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and safe shelter construction. Today, SPHERE standards are
duly considered during the construction of safe shelters, resource centres, and child-friendly toilets
and the installation of child-friendly hand pumps which supply drinking water. Such infrastructure
ensures that the displaced, including children will have adequate living conditions after a disaster.
Questioning revealed that people were aware of educational issues during emergencies: they were
knowledgeable about and skilled in dealing with physical damage (including the collapse and
destruction of school buildings, damage to furniture, and obstructions of routes to schools) as well
as psycho-social repercussions (such a loss of books and stationery, fear, trauma, and anxiety).
Sunsari DEO has started to prepare and plan to reduce the likely impacts of emergencies on
education, and its resource centres have collected data useful for this endeavour, including the
number and location of disaster-prone schools, the time students take to get to school, and likely
hazards between home and school. Key issues of INEE have been incorporated in school-based
contingency plans. As an outcome of CPiE training and the CCDRR effort as a whole, Plan, the
HUDEP, and DDRCs have addressed child protection issues in policy and practice, thereby
promoting the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
b. Facilitated the mainstreaming of DRR education in school curriculum
Because schools are a critical setting for transmitting knowledge about DRR, it is essential that DRR
become a part of school curriculum. As a result of INEE training, a symposium, and a series of
interactions and discussions among SMCs, PTAs, DEOs, including the HUDEP, education-related
stakeholders are convinced of the need to incorporate DRR into curriculum and are starting to
work on making a change. Under the leadership of the DEO, interactions among government
officials, experts in various school subjects, and disaster professionals were held to promote a new
solution-centric curriculum that will help to reduce disaster risk. Much effort is still needed.
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13. c. Increased visibility through disaster preparedness and response plans
Project has
Table 2: DRR stakeholders oriented at different workshops
invested time and
Workshop Events Duration M F T D J M PwD O
energy in making VDC-level DPRP 3 3 day 79 22 101 10 24 0 3 67
its good practices Pre-monsoon 1 2 day 53 3 56 0 13 0 0 43
and learning preparedness
visible in the East. Source: Project records, 2011
More particularly, *M=Male, F=Female, D= Dalit, J= Janajati, M= Minorities, PwD= People with Disability, O= Others (Madheshi, Brahmin
and Chhetri)
it took an active
role during a pre-monsoon preparedness workshop 3 conducted for the DDRC members of 16
districts in the eastern region (see Table 2) which enabled most districts to update their disaster
preparedness and response plan (DPRPs), to address prominent hazards and to align them with
other humanitarian work so that they could be translated into action. The workshop participants
reviewed the performance of each cluster and laid out further plans of action in a coordinated
fashion. Such consultation among DDRC members helped integrating DRR into development policy
and planning and thereby to contribute to the achievement of the first priority of action of the
Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) 4. Further publicity was achieved as UNOFCO shared the
project’s major achievements at the district, regional and national levels by sharing information,
documents and uploading community-and-VDC-level DRMPs (C/VDRMPs) on its website. The fact
that, the under-secretary of the MoLD, UNDP representatives, and DDRC members made
monitoring visits to the project area not only generated crucial feedback from different sources but
also raised the profile of the project among multiple stakeholders. The key issues these visitors
raised at “lessons- learned” workshops were disseminated among DRR stakeholders for further
planning.
d. Increased visibility in the region
In recognition of Plan Nepal’s efforts in response and preparedness in Sunsari District following the
Koshi flood of 2008, the Association of International NGOs in Nepal (AIN) made it the district lead
support agency (DLSA) for Sunsari and Makwanpur in 2010. As the DLSA, Plan contributed to the
damage-and-needs assessment conducted in the East after the earthquake of September 2011 as part
of a team formed under the regional directorate of education and lead by the government. It also
successfully facilitated the formulation of DPRPs in coordination with political parties, DDRC
members, the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) and I/NGOs. These DPRPs have been endorsed by
DDRCs and disseminated by UNOFCO, government agencies and other DRR-related stakeholders
in the interest of providing the interested with information and advocating for their execution.
e. Translated VDRMPs and CDRMPs into practice
The project facilitated the formulation of seven preparedness and response plans: one for Sunsari
District, three for VDCs 5 level, and three school-based contingency plans after carrying out HVCA.
Each plan, regardless of its scope, incorporates DRR issues and the concerns of disaster-affected
people and was made with the active participation of political parties, schools, LDMCs, VDC-level
stakeholders, the NRCS, and journalists.
Plans are instrumental
“.........The plans have been widely shared among VDC- and
district-level stakeholders to promote resource mobilisation and
their execution and there are indications that resources from next
year’s budget will be allocated to them. The DDC is convinced
that it should invest some proportion of the budget from the
upcoming DDC Council.........”
(From district focus group discussion with government official, in
Sunsari District of Nepal)
13
3
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), AIN, UNFCO, and Plan Nepal supported the workshop.
Page
4 Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and local priority with strong institutional basis for implementation.
5VDRMPs and prepared following the operational guideline of the MoLD and national strategy of MoHA.

14. It is a DDRC that is responsible for the execution of a DPRP. Each plan includes an assessment of
the disaster situation, an analysis of the resources and capacity available, a description of the roles
and responsibilities of DRR-related institutions, and a statement of the commitments of DRR-
related stakeholders to execute the plan. Plans are always dynamic, so the Sunsari DPRP was
amended based on the project’s learning. The school-based contingency plans adhered to the
principle of 'DRR through schools' not 'DRR in schools' so that they could accommodate a wide
variety of issues, all of which, unlike in the past, put children at their centre. In the new scheme of
things, however, children, youths and families are engaged and empowered through the participatory
planning process and, thus convinced of the need for DRR, more effectively reach out to local
authorities to influence policy responses and secure long-term financing for the execution of the
plans.
The Sunsari DPRP helped the DDRC prepare for and respond to emergencies effectively and timely
through the mobilisation of all 10 clusters. Plans are also instrumental in drawing the attention of
duty bearers and thus getting them to provide resources. Indeed, simply making a plan had benefits:
it encouraged communities to come up with creative solutions for their own problems, to
understand their roles and duties, and to solicit resources from VDC and district agencies. Some
parts of some plans were executed by the drafters, whether the DDRC, VDCs or schools, during
the floods of 2011, but most will execute their plans only next year using VDC and DDC budgets.
However, they were still hailed as an achievement: at celebrations of the International Disaster
Reduction Day they were presented to their respective VDC secretaries. Children and youths also
organised rallies with DRR-related placards and presented each VDC secretary a request to allocate
budget for DRR. Not only did such awareness campaigns, rallies, and mass demonstrations raised
confidence about the value of DRR and the self-esteem of participant. Because the planning process
was highly participatory, all concerned VDC secretaries are very positive about addressing parts of
the plans in discussion with the VDC Council in the new fiscal year (April-May 2012).
The MoLD, in coordination with some INGOs, is piloting a guideline on community- and VDC-level
DPRP. Plan Nepal tested it in its CCDRR project area. Though there was some controversy over
the guideline, which was developed by the MoHA and the MoLD, the issues in dispute were
resolved. The concept of a DRM Council is spelled out and, as per the new provisions, the MoLD
focuses on preparedness, the MoHA on response and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works
on recovery and reconstruction work.
f. Made school contingency plans complementing school improvement plans
Thanks to the project, each school in the project area developed a contingency plan after conducting
an HVCA which assessed potential losses in terms of school infrastructure and learning material,
time lost to closure, and recreational activities due to disaster and the impact of a disaster on a
school’s examinations and educational calendar.
“....We drew a map of what a safe community looks like, undertook a transect walk,
prepared a risk and resource map, and drew up a timeline and seasonal calendar after
interviewing adults. We then prepared a disaster matrix ranking diagram and prioritised
our responses to the most likely of disaster. We are happy that our issues and concerns
are incorporated in the plan…..”
(From focus group discussion with student, aged 11 to 21, of Harinagara Higher Secondary
School, in Sunsari District of Nepal)
School contingency plans include an assessment of the risks posed by different hazards to available
infrastructures and the improvements needed to reduce risks. The project successfully integrated
and scaled up DRR into school infrastructure, teacher training and curricula. Schools have started to
implement their contingency plans, renovating and improving toilets, organising sanitation campaigns
14
around the school to reduce the risk of snake bites, levelling school grounds to reduce the
likelihood of accidents, and fencing school grounds to reduce the incursions of domestic and wild
Page
animals. SMC and PTA members listened to children and provided them space to voice their

15. opinions while formulating DRR and contingency plans. While all the contingency plans are closely
aligned with the school improvement plans developed with the support of the DEO, not all teachers
are fully familiar with their provisions. To promote awareness, the activities of the plans can be
displayed on school walls, jogging the memories of teachers and students and prompting them to
implement them.
The project took a lead role in organising training on and sensitisation to the HFA. It also organised
joint celebrations of IDRD at the national level, an effort which saw the government commit to the
HFA and to disaster reduction strategies, allocate resources for DRR, and prepare a national
development plan. Plan Nepal extended its support toward executing the national development plan
to achieve the main objectives of the HFA.
To sum up the project’s achievements with respect to Objective 1, the project successfully increased
knowledge and skills through capacity-building initiatives, facilitated the inclusion of DRR education in
the school curriculum, enhanced the visibility of the project through the formulation of DPRPs,
increased the visibility of Plan Nepal in the East, translated VDRMPs into practice, made school
contingency plans congruent with school improvement plans, and disseminated the project’s major
learning among DRR stakeholders. In short, Objective 1 was achieved.
Objective 2: To increase the capacity of children, youths and local communities to prepare
for, respond to, and mitigate against emergencies
a. Formed inclusive DRR institutions and encouraged participation and cooperation
The project formed, capacitated and strengthened 12 DRR institutions: three LDMCs, three youth
clubs, three child clubs and three youth-led cooperatives to make them CCDRR pioneers and agents
of change (see Table 3). All 12
Table 3: DRR institutions in the project area
institutions were developed
DRR Institutions Male Female Total D J M PW O
using a participatory, inclusive
approach which invites LDMCs (3) 38 13 51 7 12 0 1 32
genders, all ages, and all social Youth groups (3) 24 11 35 2 10 0 0 23
groups to belong. For this Child clubs (3) 22 15 37 2 9 0 0 26
reason, they amplify children’s Total 84 39 123 11 31 0 1 81
voice in DRR policy advocacy,
Source: Project’s records, 2011
demonstrating that they have *D = Dalit, J = Janajati, M = Minorities, PwD = People with Disability, O = Others (Madheshi,
unique perspectives on risk Brahmin and Chhetri)
developed, in part, by learning by observing. The formation of LDMCs and youth groups in
communities and child clubs in schools gave support to and created momentum for the project’s
work. These institutions served as platforms for capacity-building, experience-sharing, advocacy and
resource mobilisation. Forming groups of children allowed the youth to take a leading role, bringing
to DRR creativity, sense of ownership and enthusiasm not generally seen among adults. The
approach also helped locals better understand the importance of social solidarity and promoted a
culture of helping which has seen communities support the vulnerable. For example, the LDMC in
Harinagara started to settle local-level conflicts, mediate in cases of domestic violence, and handle
border issues and Barachhetra has allocated more local resources for river bank protection and
bioengineering works along the sections of the Gauri and Karam rivers which run through it.
Children have been sub-divided into thematic or task-wise groups, including first aid, search and
rescue, and early warning.
“......Children have started be considered an essential part of communities. Once they were
taught disaster preparedness, they were able to bring about a revolutionary change in
the society as they are the future keepers of villages and schools. Besides, the children of
today will become the parents of tomorrow, which will ensure that they pass DRR
15
knowledge on to their children, making disaster preparedness a societal practice, which
will keep on passing from generation to generation.......”
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16. (From focus group discussion with student, aged 12 to 16, of Basanta Ritu Secondary
School in Mahendranagar School, Sunsari District of Nepal)
Age is not a stand-alone category; it interacts with many other factors that affect vulnerability to
DRR, including gender 6, knowledge, culture, and morality. These factors, too, were addressed by the
project’s inclusive approach. Socially inclusive institutions fostered the culture of voluntarily helping
others during emergencies, fostered harmonious relationships between hill migrants and Madhesis,
and empowered communities and networks to become more resilient. Women and girls are now
more vocal, confident, and able to interact with outsiders. On their own, they have come up with
ideas about how to get extra resources from VDCs and other government offices. Transformative
action carried out by children on their own or by adults and children working together is a natural
next step once children have engaged in advocacy. The project’s inclusive participatory approach
helped formalise local networks, enabled children to be better monitored and protected in a
disaster, and made it easier to mobilise children and their families to respond to disasters.
In addition to the entire community, inclusive participation in DRR embraced local governments.
LDMCs are considered the nodal DRR institution. The fact that each is chaired by the concerned
VDC Secretary 7 has established a culture of resource-sharing and will secure the continuity of the
DRR initiatives even after the project ends. The transfer of the VDC Secretaries of Barachhetra and
Mahedranagar VDCs hampered social mobilisation and mitigation works for some time, until his
authority was transferred to the vice-chairperson, who had been nominated by the community itself.
Inclusive participation saw children begin to effect change. The project’s various different capacity-
building initiatives induced children and guardians to take an active role in addressing their
vulnerabilities. Children became more willing to speaking up about issues that affect their wellbeing
and guardians started to see children not merely as victims of disasters but as active players in
preventing, preparing for, mitigating and responding to disasters. It was clear that children who are
aware, involved and empowered are potentially effective agents of change within communities;
equipped with the right information, tools, and support system, they can foster DRR and resilience
in the face of climate change.
“……..The project established and strengthened institutions to carry out DRR. If visits
among them were organised, opportunities to learn from each other would increase.........”
(From focus group discussion with teachers, .Harinagara Higher Secondary School, Sunsari
District of Nepal)
b. Empowered children, youths and adults through the HVCA approach
The HVCA approach was very successful: it empowered people by seeing disaster awareness and
promoting action for DRR through the right lens—the people’s lens—and thereby gave them the
voice they needed to speak up in community, district and national forums for influencing
policymakers. HVCA helped people identify various forms of vulnerabilities, and make plans for
immediate action in a logical, straightforward manner involving both primary and secondary
stakeholders, including DEOs. Training in (see Table 4) and conduction of HVCA and CCA
promoted
understanding of Table 4: HVCA and CCA trainings
the disaster Training Events Duration Male Female Total Ethnicity
context and the D J M PwD O
HVCA 3 2 days 66 55 121 15 14 7 3 85
need to act
CCA 2 3 days 31 2 33 3 9 1 0 20
promptly and to Source: Project’s records, 2011
mobilise external *D = Dalit, J= Janajati, M= Minorities, PwD = People with Disabilities, O = Others (Madhesi, Brahmin and Chhetri)
16
6 Girls are often denied the basic privileges and opportunities that would foster their resilience to disaster risks. In Madhesi and Muslim
cultures, discrimination starts at birth, with a newborn son more valued than a newborn daughter. The disappointment a family feels in
having a girl is manifested in a systematic denial or grudging fulfilment of girls’ rights to survival, development and protection.
Page
7
Other members of VDMCs included vulnerable communities, national-level political parties, Dalits, persons with disabilities, women,
local experts in DRR, and one representative from a youth or child club.

17. resources. The outcome of each HVCA was analysed and displayed on notice boards erected at
schools and in public places. HVCA mapping identified community hazards and vulnerable area,
most-at-risk populations (PwDs, pregnant women, lactating mothers, the elderly population), and
community capacity (different types of capital and assets) and listed the contact numbers of DRR
service providers/organisations. Information derived from HVCAs was used to formulate
community- and school-based DRMPs. The level of confidence children and youths showed during
the evaluation consultation showed that their fatalistic ‘nothing-can-be-done’ point of view had been
replaced by a ‘yes-we-can’ outlook.
HVCA helped explore the root causes and effects of vulnerabilities
HVCA helped us explore the root causes and effects of
vulnerabilities as well as to come up with solutions using a
participatory approach which results in a plan of action with
defined roles and responsibilities. For the first time, we (teachers
and youth) were involved in HVCA training and follow-up activities.
We realised that, without HVCA, actions are not effective.
(From focus group discussion with student, aged 10 to 13, of
Kausika Lower Secondary School in Barachhetra, Sunsari District
of Nepal)
CCA training for teachers and youths yielded pool of local resource persons who actively
disseminated key messages about CCA and DRR not just within but outside of schools. Teachers
who participated in CCA trainings were motivated to spread awareness about the concept of
climate change and its likely impacts among schoolchildren and in their neighbourhoods. The
resultant changes seen in children demonstrated the value of making children the primary audience
for awareness-raising and education. Youth groups trained in CCA advocacy skills went a step
further: they increased the demand from rights holders for funds to support small-scale CCA
initiatives at the community and school levels.
c. Increased awareness using BBC materials
The project developed a variety of
Table 5: BCC materials
behavioural change communication
Types Theme Quantity Target
(BCC) material to build awareness
Poster Earthquakes and floods 1000 1000
about DRR (see Table 5 for types and Pamphlets DRR 1000 1000
quantity). BCC materials, mostly Video DRM Cycle 1 1
posters and leaflets, focused largely on Source: Project’s records, 2011
flood and earthquake preparedness
and response; children and youths were the major audience.
“........BCC materials target students attending school, out-of-school children, and community
members, educating them about the risk of disaster and the ways they can prepare
themselves. As far we know, each material was gender-and culture-sensitive and field-
tested to ensure that no points would be misunderstood. Any misleading text or
illustrations were corrected. All the BCC materials were used at the local level.........”
(From focus group discussion with teachers, Kausika Lower Secondary School of Barachhetra,
in Sunsari District of Nepal)
Because the materials were designed in consultation with LDMCs, youths, children, and project staff,
they were readily understandable. In fact, even the illiterate appreciated their message about the
need for preparedness. People said that the project’s BCC materials had definitely helped them to
develop knowledge of and experience in hazards and disasters and their relationship as well as
actions required at the local level. BCC materials were used in meetings, discussions, consultations,
17
drills, simulations and trainings to increase the practice of sharing knowledge about and skills in
CCDRR.
Page

18. d. Disseminated DRR information through the mass media
The project used local FM radios like Radio Paribartan Itahari and Popular FM Inaruwa to
disseminate CCDRR-based preparedness and response message and information. A total of 18
episodes, including discussions with children on DRR and child rights, a live discussion with policy
actors and stakeholders, and a presentation of the project’s major achievements were broadcast.
The radio programme was especially effective as it was broadcast in the local language of Maithili, not
just in Nepali, and because it reached a population far larger than that in project VDCs, including
residents in other VDCs of Sunsari District as well in Saptari, Morang, Dhankutta and Udaypur
districts in Nepal and even in the Saharsha, Supurl, Purniya districts of Bihar, India, where Maithili is
spoken.
“.........We designed all the programmes with the support of an experienced radio
announcer. The experience increased our confidence and self-esteem. Though listener clubs
were not formed to garner feedback and judge the effectiveness of the programmes,
child and youth clubs collected valuable information on listeners’ responses. The timing of
the show--7:30-8:00 pm--was set following consultations with children, youths and FM
Radio. We got a very good response in the project areas and as well as in communities in
India.....”
(From focus group discussion with youths, aged 13 to 21, Barachhetra, Sunsari District of
Nepal)
Information, knowledge and skills are more important
than material support
In the beginning, we were quite unhappy with project
authorities. They kept inviting us to trainings and
orientations, but our interest lay in getting project resources
to build gabion spurs to protect the riverbank from floods.
However, with the project’s persistence in building our
knowledge through trainings and exposure, we learned a
lot about actions we can take locally to reduce the disaster
risks. Because of the project’s continuous facilitation, very
good practices like sharing knowledge after attending
training, ensuring equity in resource sharing, and translating
community-agreed rules and regulations into action have
been ingrained in us. In the long run, information,
knowledge and skills are more important than material
support. We have planned to visit our VDC to request some
resources. We don’t think we need to worry about funds for
the VDC either as its plan will automatically be linked with
the DDC plan. We now know that making such a request is
our right.
(From focus group discussion with youth aged 13-21, in
Harinagara, Sunsari District of Nepal)
FM radios are successful in making children’s voice heard, thereby increasing the visibility of their
needs, increasing their analytical abilities, and prompting recognition of their potential to serve as
agent of change. The radio programme provided spaces for children to live, learn and play.
Children are agents of change
We can prove. Children are better than the adult to respond disaster.
We are agents of change. We are part of society, so we should be
involved in whatever is affecting us and our communities. We must
participate in assessing, apprising, designing and executing plans for
risks reduction. It is because we are innocent and we have no interest
in party politics that we are ignored. Individuals and agencies
18
working in DRR should know how to deal with and respond to us so
that they can use our knowledge and understanding in the best way
Page
possible.

19. (From focus group discussion with children, aged 10 to 14. in
Barachetra, Sunsari District of Nepal)
Since children respond positively to video stimuli, the CCDRR-related video developed by Plan
Nepal and DIPECHO was shown at schools in order to reach a large audience. The video addresses
issues like education preparedness for emergencies and preparedness before, during and after
disasters. All the children interviewed during the evaluation said that they had enjoyed the video and
that, along with street theatre, was one of the best tools for teaching as it provides the opportunity
to learn by seeing. The documentary also generated awareness among the illiterate, helping them to
understand how people in similar situations manage disaster risks by mobilising local resources and,
through their example, convincing the viewers to do so too. Before and after every showing, sharing
and interaction was encouraged in order to promote review and reflection. The documentary
inspired children to improve the safety and sanitation of their school environment, in particular by
trimming old and tall trees that could pose a threat during a windstorm, and villagers to conserve
riverbanks by controlling grazing and implementing agro-forestry-based income-generating activities.
Street dramas were helpful to explore local resources
We were impressed by the street drama. Its subject touched our
heart. Our eyes were filled with tears when we saw how the
irresponsibility of one character increased his/her own vulnerability
and that of his/her family. For me, street drama is much more
interesting than movies as it provides more information and is
easier to understand. Plays depict the real situation in our
communities. I, like many of my peers, wish that street drama could
be a means of teaching school curriculum as messages are so easy
to remember that we could get good marks on our exams. We still
remember the key message about flood preparedness that the
plays we watched communicated.
(From focus group discussion with children, aged 10 to 14, in
Barachhetra, Sunsari District of Nepal)
e. Increased the confidence and leadership skills of youth and children
The project created an environment conducive to increasing the leadership and confidence of youths
and children in the project communities. The administration of base-line and end-line surveys to 364
people in selected wards gauged the differences in knowledge, attitude and practice and community
risk assessment between when the project started and when it finished. The results of the surveys
demonstrate that children and youths are now more familiar with different types of hazards and risks
and their underlying causes. Using peer educators or getting children to interviews adults in the
process of assessing risks reduced the workload of adults and allowed for the communication of
messages in new ways often more powerful than traditional ones.
We realized that students also contribute in reducing
disaster risks
We never realized that the project would consider
children as a potential beneficiary to contribute in the
risks reduction work. However, it was otherwise. They
are able to get skills, knowledge and information
through trainings, orientations and short sessions. The
art, easy and speech competitions were particularly
important for us for knowledge building.
(From focus group discussion with children, aged 10
19
to 16, in Mahendranagar, Sunsari District of Nepal)
Page

20. f. Increased knowledge and understanding through capacity-building initiatives
Children and youths attended CCDRR, light search and rescue (LS&R) and first aid training (see
Table 6). Following the CCDRR training, students have started to advocate for safer toilets and
drinking water facilities in their schools. The existing toilets are not child-friendly---the latches are
too high for children to reach--and there are too few, so students are forced to defecate in the
open. When floods submerge open defecation areas and household latrines, there are no alternative
toilet facilities.
We learned how to be safer both in school and at home
For us, the most impressive training was first aid as the skills
and knowledge we learned are of direct use at home and at
school. The child clubs set up in our school have carried out
visible changes, including renovating toilets, and improving
sanitation around the school. Students compete to be the child
club member who contributes more to DRR. For the first time, we
can identify which areas of our village are most at risk. We
learned a lot from the trainings and orientations on how to be
safer both in school and at home.
(From focus group discussion with youth, aged 16 to 22, in
Harinagara, in Sunsari District of Nepal)
The LS&R and first aid training increased the skill and knowledge of youths and community
members, boosting
their confidence and Table 6: Various life skills training programmes
their enthusiasm for Training Events Duration Male Female Total T B C J M
engaging in DRM LSAR 1 3 day 22 11 33 1 4 2 0 26
initiative. The fact that First 3 2 day 63 30 93 6 13 2 0 72
material support was Aid
Source: Project’s records, 2011
provided will make
their efforts sustainable. More specifically, under the direct supervision of LDMCs, search-and-
rescue materials--seven life jackets, one big first aid kit, eight helmets, seven whistles, ropes, shovels,
and buckets--were provided to each youth club. There is, however, still a need for additional tools
and equipment for immediate response, such as carabineers, inner tubes, hand-operated sirens, and
stretchers. Each set of materials is kept securely in a resource centre which was established and is
managed by youths and the LDMC. The project supplied each with two tables, 15 chairs and one
cupboard to facilitate meetings and interactions. Locals are aware of the nature and number of
materials they have and how to use them. In fact, they put some to good use in rescue efforts
carried out in 2011.
We are equipped with skills and equipment
In our opinion, the S&R training and equipment is the most
essential part of the project as it will help us save the elderly
and the disabled as well as our personal belongings. We
discovered that previously we had not known enough to reduce
the risk. Though some initially opposed the training, we are now
happy that we are equipped with both skills and materials.
(From focus group discussion with student, aged 10 to 14, in
Barachhetra, Sunsari District of Nepal)
The first aid training and provision of first aid equipment helped teach project staff and students how
20
to cope during emergencies. Each participant was provided a first aid kit with some supplies 8 to
promote DRR from his or her home.
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8
Kit bag-1, gauge pads-5, soap-1, small scissors-1, Dettol 50ml-1, Handiplasts-12, and Betadine-1

21. “…..People used to spend NRs. 150 to travel to Dharan, the nearest city, even for minor
cases because health posts do not have the necessary essential drugs. Now trainees,
because they have a kit at home, have the confidence to help neighbours in need. In the
past, the lack of information meant that much improper assistance was provided in the
name of first aid, but now student and teacher first responders can skilfully treat bleeding,
fractures, and shock as well as provide artificial respiration, make stretchers, and carry
patients safely…….”
(From focus group discussion with LDMC members, Barachhetra, in Sunsari District of Nepal)
g. Translated the skills acquired during drills and simulation into practice
The project held six drills in earthquake, fire and flood procedures; six street drama performances;
and three documentary shows to make sure that the knowledge and skills people acquired during
trainings could be translated into action as well as to increase people’s confidence in their capacity
to manage disasters. Earthquake drills saw students and teachers identifying areas with high, medium
and low risk; estimating the number of persons that could occupy each safe space within a school
compound; and drawing arrows to indicate the escape route and assembly area. They also discussed
how to exit a classroom after the shaking had subsided.
“........The project's decision to make schools safe first makes good sense as if a house
collapses then one family will be affected but if a school collapses then many families are
affected once.....”
(From focus group discussion with student, aged 11 to 16, Basanta Ritu Secondary School of
Mahendranagar School, in Sunsari District of Nepal)
The simulation increased our confidence
Now that people have tested the early warning in real life, they
understand its benefit and that of a proper response to warnings.
Learning is a continuous process and we learn more by doing. The
simulation was very effective as it increased our knowledge of
disaster management and provided us with the chance to test our
plans. We are now quite capable of warning about flooding using
drums and announcements on local radio.
(From focus group discussion with youth, aged 15-23, in
Harinagara, Sunsari District of Nepal)
These drills and simulation filled the gaps in people’s DRR knowledge and translated skills and
knowledge into practice at the individual, family and community levels and, in doing so, enhanced the
self-confidence and self-reliance of the participating communities. They have increased the resilience
of communities to disaster risks and boosted their conceptual and practical knowledge.
“……We conducted a classroom observation activity, drew a floor plan of the classroom
(showing student’ desks, the teacher’s table, cabinets, etc.), explored the safe spots in the
classroom (under tables and desks and in doorframes), and identified danger zones
(windows and other glass objects, furniture that may topple or slide, and all hanging and
heavy objects like fans) to reduce the risk of injury or death. These activities are new for
us but very important for saving lives. The plight of children in the aftermath of the
September 2011 earthquake in Eastern Nepal showed that children’s voices need to be
heard……..”
(From focus group discussion with student, aged 11 to 16, of Basanta Ritu Secondary School
in Mahendranagar School, in Sunsari District of Nepal)
In the project region, however, the community said that both students and parents reacted to that
earthquake calmly, without panicking, in marked contrast to their reaction to the August 1988,
21
which resulted in chaos and terror. The school-level awareness campaigns and safety drills and the
integration of DRR in life skills education programmes have clearly taught students, school officials
Page
and communities how to reduce risks. In particular, they said that during the earthquake they had

22. executed the same ‘duck, cover and hold’ technique that they had learned and practiced a month
earlier.
Drills were organised in schools and communities with the full involvement of children and youths
after they had participated in a simple orientation on the activities to carry out before, during and
after drills and planned their roles. They learned how to react in various disaster situations and
which evacuation routes to use. Drills were initiated with the ringing of a special bell and responses
were carried out according to preparedness plans.
The project trained a street theatre team from Itahari, Sunsari to incorporate pressing DRR issues
explored during HVCA exercises. People liked the dramas very much and were inspired by them to
develop rules and regulations to protect riverbanks and control grazing, plan for community
sanitation to reduce the risk of epidemics, work on safe drainage to reduce water-logging, and
launch other similar initiatives. Informants said that it was easy to evacuate and rescue people during
the flooding of 2011 (though it was very small-scale) because of what they had learned from the
dramas. Dramas were particularly popular and successful in getting people to think differently
because they were performed in Maithali, the local dialect; because their content was based on local
realities; and because the actors were trained and qualified local people. Life skills education also
helped develop a culture of peace and respect for human rights among students.
h. Developed youths as DRR ambassadors
Past experience demonstrates that (i) learning in peer groups can be more effective than formal, or
classroom, learning because there are no social boundaries to cross or formal protocol to adhere
to, (ii) once children are knowledgeable about DRR, they readily disseminate that knowledge to their
parents, thereby reinforcing their own understanding and increasing their parents’, (iii) extra-
curricular activities and BCC materials further cement DRR knowledge, especially if they are
entertaining, and (iv) the child-to-parent approach is effective in change the accepted practice of not
exchanging DRR knowledge between parents and children. With these experiences in mind, youths
were included in trainings for trainers and later mobilised as facilitators of trainings in climate change
and its causes and effects and ways to adapt to them, thus putting to use the knowledge, skills and
information they had acquired. Such school-level initiatives are instrumental in seeing that
information about underlying risk factors and preparedness initiatives are shared at the local level.
When trained youths were used as facilitators, their confidence grew and they were keen to
continue sharing similar messages in the future.
“……We are very happy that we were given the responsibility to disseminate the
information, skills and knowledge what we learnt at the training for trainers. Our
confidence level is high now and we have learned so much that we are no more expert in
the local context and issues than outsiders are. Some children in the local haat bazaar now
call us by the honorific ‘Sir’. We are very proud that we did something for our
peers…….”
(From focus group discussion with youths, aged 15 to 23, Harinagara, in Sunsari District of
Nepal)
i. Increased knowledge about and understanding of child protection
Natural disasters exposes children to risks like sexual abuse and exploitation, trafficking into
prostitution or hazardous labour, injury due to accidents, abduction for ransom, and increase in
domestic violence due to family tensions that threaten their right to protection. In the experience of
the children of Harinagara VDC, psycho-social distress, including trauma, anxiety, and fear; the
interruption of schooling due to displacement and school closures; and insecurity are common.
Child protection trainings also saw parents resolve to address these issues and SMCs and PTAs
commit to taking a more active role.
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j. Constructed safe shelters and resource centres
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Drawing upon the results of the HVCA, the project provided support for constructing two safe
shelters in the upstream VDCs of Barachhetra and Mahendranagar and one resource centre in

23. Harinagara VDC. The shelters were built with steel trusses and CGI sheeting whereas the resource
centre is made from wooden trusses with CGI sheeting (see Table 7). The safe shelters meet
SPHERE standards: they are linked to a safe evacuation route and have direct access to two toilets
and a hand pump supplying adequate drinking water at the same elevation they are at. While the
shelters are outfitted with ramps for the physically disabled, there are no handrails in the toilet for
their convenience and the fact that the verandas have no railings means that children and elderly
might fall. Rainwater can be harvested in a large tank for non-drinking purposes. People have to
travel around one to one-and-a-half hours to reach the safe shelters, each of which can
accommodate 60-72 people (i.e. 10-12 families).
An emergency evacuation plan is essential
We heard that there is a lot to do to make our school safe. We should
have disaster task groups for search and rescue, first aid, early
warning and evacuation. In addition, an emergency evacuation plan is
essential. We are surprised that such initiatives have not been
adequately implemented at our school. The fact that we are
surrounded by rivers means that we are surrounded by risks. A big
river flows right side of the school grounds. Given that this is the case,
how can we be safe from flood disaster? In our opinion, the project,
school, VDC and government should allocate some resources to build
the capacity of students as well as to improve the physical condition
and thereby the safety of the school.
(From focus group discussion with children, aged 11 to 16, in
Basanta Ritu Secondary School Mahendranagar, in Sunsari District
of Nepal)
The people of the VDCs where the two safe shelters and the resource centre were constructed
were motivated to establish and disseminate a code of conduct for their operation and maintenance.
LDMCs are responsible for them. Since one is in the premise of a school and the other of a VDC
office, their security is assured. The buildings are multi-purpose rarely left standing idle: when they
are not needed as safe havens during an emergency, they are used to conduct health check-ups, host
community feasts and festivals, conduct training and orientation sessions, and run extra classes for
students. In the past, due to a lack of foresight among policy planners and decision-makers, schools
were often
used as Table 7: Shelters and resource centres
shelters for Shelter/Resource centre Area Capacity Contribution (In NRs.)
(m2) (families) Project Community Total
the
community
Shelter (Barachhetra) 75 10 1,213,144 160,500 (12%) 1,373,644
, thereby Shelter (Mahendranagar) 75 10 1,213,144 160,500 (12%) 1,373,644
violating Resource centre (Harinagara) 20 NA 99,954 24,981 (20%) 124,935
children's Source: Project’s records, 2011
right to
uninterrupted education. To address these problems, shelters which served as relief centres for
displaced families were built.
The construction of the safe shelters and resource centre was not free from problems and their
completion was, as a result, delayed. First, it took a great deal of time to find plots of land free of
dispute and for the VDCs to supply the timber that constituted their contribution. The fact that
VDC secretaries were transferred in the midst of the process meant that the project had to be re-
explained to newcomers from scratch, further slowing progress. Local politics also saw the VDC
offices closed for several days and administrative processes coming to a standstill. The building of
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the resource centre at Haringara VDC faced an additional problem: grievances over resource
allocation. This was resolved after explaining that a resource centre serves a different purpose than
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24. a shelter. Now, however, because of the project’s continuous efforts, all three buildings are almost
complete.
k. Allowed children to express thoughts and emotion about DRR in extra-curricular
activities
The project conducted DRR-related extracurricular activities, including art, song, debate and quiz
competitions among children and youths (see Table 8). Such activities were instrumental in
increasing children’s understanding of disasters and providing them an opportunity to share their
knowledge with their peers, families and communities. Debate helped children to develop their
increasing oratory skills and promoted cognitive and emotional development. Murals in local
languages were painted on the walls of schools and of communities to make people aware of the
CCDRR approach and process. After the project held extracurricular activities, SMCs and PTAs
were more convinced about the role that children can play in DRR. DRR information could be
disseminated more frequently
through other means, such as Table 8: Extracurricular activities
assemblies, prayers, parades, sports- Activities Events Beneficiaries Total
related activities, and scouting. Boys/Men Girls/Women
Art 3 212 107 319
Because all the competitions were Folk song 3 172 134 306
organised at big gatherings of parents, Quiz 3 240 133 373
teachers and community members, Debate 3 180 128 308
Source: Project’s records, 2011
the messages were readily
disseminated. Inspired by the extracurricular activities, the child clubs of the project schools have
continued to hold drills and talk programmes on the last Friday of every month.
We are acting to reduce the risk at school
In the beginning, to be frank, we were a bit apprehensive when the
project introduced discussions about disaster issues. We didn’t know
much so I wasn’t very confident. But when we actually formed the
child club and got the opportunity to be trained and to participate in
extracurricular activities, we learned a lot of interesting information
about disasters. We also prepared a school contingency plan. We
have changed some of our practices. For example, the bushes around
the school were cleared and the compound is cleaner. More work has
to be done, but we will do it.
(From focus group discussion with student, 10 to 14, in Kausika
Lower Secondary School, Barachhetra, in Sunsari District of Nepal)
l. Increased resilience by establishing youth-led cooperatives
Disasters can devastate livelihoods and reduce people’s ability to cope with further stresses. Impacts
such as the loss of assets can increase the vulnerability of poor people and lead to a downward spiral
of deepening
poverty and Table 9: Details about youth cooperatives in project VDCs
increasing Cooperatives Rate of Total
risk. To interest saving
reduce this Bipad Saving and Credit Cooperative Ltd, Harinagara 20% 273,000.00
Samabesi Saving and Credit Cooperative Ltd, Mahendranagar 20% 40,000.00
possibility by
Toribari Saving and Credit Cooperative Ltd, Barachhetra 18% 25000.00
making Source: Project’s records, 2011
livelihoods
more resilient and to make youths better prepared for the disasters of tomorrow, the project
facilitated the formation of youth-led cooperatives. The project gave each cooperative NRs.15,000 as
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seed money to use during emergency.
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25. In addition, each cooperative collects and saves funds to enhance their emergency fund. This savings
scheme will grow the amount of money they have and fulfil the needs of the community in the long
term. These cooperatives are DRR-friendly: their by-laws spell out that a certain amount of money
must be kept aside for emergency purposes and mobilised only in such cases. The majority of loans
these cooperatives give are for local market-based micro enterprises. Only a small proportion of
the loans are invested in agronomy and animal husbandry. Though the rate of interest is quite high
(to be consistent with that of other cooperatives within the VDC), it is lower for the disaster
affected (14% versus 18-20%) and the disaster-affected people are given a longer and more flexible
payback period (see Table 9). This innovative initiative promises much hope to all, but especially the
disaster-affected people. Because the rate of migration for foreign employment and further
education is high, there is some risk in the passing on of leadership. Fortunately, this possibility can
be easily averted by developing and training a second-tier of leadership.
Rays of hope in difficult times
The establishment of emergency fund funds promoted
solidarity and the desire to help each other. The fund not
only increased the sense of togetherness but also created
opportunities for villages to get assistance from the
government. This fund provides rays of hope in difficult times.
We are thinking of increasing the size of funds so that there
will be no need to rely on support from outsiders. Thus far,
we have had no difficulty in raising the agreed upon
amounts for our fund, mainly because our rules and
regulations are flexible. We operate our fund based on a
community decision-making. People are ready to pay
because the risk of flooding is very real.
(From focus group discussion with student, 10 to 16, in
Basanta Ritu Secondary School Mahendranagar, in Sunsari
District of Nepal)
To sum up the achievements under Objective 2, the project has formed inclusive DRR institutions,
identified local risks through HVCA, and built awareness by enlisting the mass media and
disseminating BBC materials. It also increased the confidence, leadership skills, knowledge and
understanding of youth and children through capacity-building initiatives and enabled them to
translate newly acquired DRR skills into practice through drills and simulations and to express their
ideas about DRR through extracurricular activities. Serving as DRR ambassadors, youths boosted
awareness about child protection and founded cooperatives to increase resilience. Two safe
shelters and a resource centre provide an important sense of wellbeing. Clearly, Objective 2 has
been achieved.
3.2 Deviation from plan
The project was initially supposed to run for 15 months, from 1 March, 2010, to 31, May 2010, but
the starting date was postponed till July 2010, reducing some budget and the total time to 11months.
Then, preparations were delayed as key human resources were put in place. Thus, full
implementation began only in October 2011 though preliminary activities were carried out from July.
Despite these changes, except for the final touches on the safe shelters and resource centre, the set
targets (see Annex 2 for details) were met within the project tenure and before the 2011 monsoon,
during which time the villagers’ newly-acquired skills and knowledge were put to the test.
3.3 Relevance/appropriateness of the project design
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There is no question of the project’s relevance: it met a need and made a contribution.
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