Bajura, 21 November 2025 — Saathi, in coordination with the District Coordination Committee (DCC) Bajura, convened the Shelter Management Committee (SMC) Meeting under the GBVPR-II Programme supported by UNFPA. The meeting aimed to review Safe House services, address operational challenges, and enhance collaboration for sustainable shelter management.
The session was chaired by Acting District Coordination Officer Roshan Khatri Parajuli, with DCC Chair Tulsiram Rokaya attending as the special guest. Officials from the DCC, OCMC, NGO Federation, UNFPA District Office, District Bar Association, CMC, Saathi, media, and the Women and Children Development Section were present.
During the meeting, Safe House In-charge Ms. Bimala Rawal reported that 24 survivors accessed Safe House services in the fourth quarter. Key challenges discussed included funding shortages, safety concerns, and the urgent need for boundary fencing. The committee acknowledged Gaumul Rural Municipality for assigning a staff member to support Safe House operations.
It was noted that the cost estimates for boundary wall and drainage construction had been completed and construction was already underway. Members underscored the importance of district-level skill development training in coordination with the Skill Development Centre and the Domestic & Small Cottage Industry Office, alongside small-scale income-generation initiatives within the Safe House.
The need for regular municipal financial contributions was strongly emphasized to ensure the sustainability of services. Participants also reflected on learnings from a recent exposure visit to Achham, highlighting that frequent local-level SMC meetings improve accountability and municipal ownership.
Aligned with the national 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, Saathi provided technical and financial support for local-level activities. Badimalika Municipality also shared its initiative of providing NPR 10,000 to trained survivors for entrepreneurship promotion — a model encouraged for replication across other local governments.
Key Action Points:
- Complete the boundary wall and drainage construction as per approved estimates.
- Ensure regular follow-up with municipalities for timely financial contributions.
- Conduct routine local-level SMC meetings to strengthen accountability and ownership.
- Align local 16 Days of Activism events with national campaigns, with Saathi’s support.
- Advocate for expanded adoption of Badimalika Municipality’s survivor entrepreneurship support program.
This meeting marks an important step toward improving protection services and strengthening multi-stakeholder coordination for GBV survivors in Bajura.
