Shuklaphanta, Kanchanpur | 30 November 2025
Saathi, under the GOAL Project supported by AEIN Luxembourg, organized a stakeholder consultation program in Shuklaphanta Municipality, Kanchanpur, to support the development of a sustainability strategy for ongoing gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response interventions. The consultation aimed to bring together key local stakeholders to share insights, lessons learned, and recommendations to ensure continuity, local ownership, and long-term impact of the project at the community level.
The primary objective of the consultation was to develop a context-specific sustainability strategy for the GOAL Project. The session also reviewed the project’s approaches, achievements, and challenges, while identifying priority areas for scale-up, institutionalization, and strengthened coordination among local actors.
During the program, Ms. Parbati Bhandari from Saathi presented an overview of the project’s working approach, key interventions, challenges, and way forward. She highlighted that the GOAL Project primarily focuses on community- and school-level interventions, engagement of school youth, community leaders, media, and local actors, and close collaboration with local governments for policy support and system strengthening. She further emphasized Saathi’s integrated approach to GBV prevention and response through awareness raising, capacity building, psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and survivor-centered services.
The consultation generated several strategic recommendations to strengthen sustainability. Key suggestions included expanding mental health awareness within community interventions; conducting baseline and endline assessments to support violence-free declarations of specific settlements; expanding project scope and geographic coverage, including addressing child malnutrition; strengthening regular follow-up mechanisms for seed money support; and integrating skill development training alongside seed money support to enhance economic sustainability. Participants also emphasized the need to increase male and youth engagement in GBV prevention initiatives, conduct social audits and periodic reviews for accountability, scale up legal literacy and psychosocial counseling services, strengthen the capacity of GBV Monitoring Committees, and promote local-level sports tournaments and youth-led activities to foster positive social norms among adolescents.
Local government representatives shared strong reflections and commitments during the consultation. The Ward Secretary of Ward No. 11, Shuklaphanta Municipality, reaffirmed continued support for sustaining GBV-related interventions. Mr. Arjun Singh Sawad, Ward Chair of Ward No. 11, Krishnapur Municipality, appreciated Saathi’s holistic approach, particularly its support to youth through educational assistance, GBV survivors through income-generation activities, community mobilization, and the provision of psychosocial services.
As key outcomes, the consultation reinforced strong local government ownership and commitment, identified clear strategic directions for scaling up and institutionalizing project outcomes, and enhanced coordination among GBV monitoring mechanisms, wards, and other local structures.
Concluding the program, Saathi’s Portfolio Manager, Mr. Santosh Pokhrel, acknowledged the valuable collaboration of local governments, civil society organizations, and youth, and assured that Saathi is committed to addressing the recommendations shared during the consultation. He reiterated Saathi’s continued dedication to ensuring the GOAL Project remains impactful and sustainable in the long run.
