The LWF Nepal team 2024 in front of the Kathmandu office. Photo: LWF Nepal
Faith, service, and solidarity
(LWI)—Dedication and commitment to the most vulnerable: The LWF country program in Nepal is celebrating 40 years of service to people in need this month. In a message, the team thanked critical partners for their long-term support and celebrated the achievements of four decades of work in the country.
"As we celebrate the 40th anniversary, we are full of profound gratitude and heartfelt joy," said Dr Bijaya Bajracharya, LWF Country Director in Nepal. This milestone marks four decades of commitment to justice, peace, and human dignity, reaching 18 districts (out of 77) of Nepal. It is a testament to the collective effort, resilience, and dedication."
Beautiful country – low development
LWF Nepal was established in 1984 to support the development of marginalized groups in underdeveloped locations. "Depicted in tourist brochures as a secluded fairy-tale country at the foot of the towering Himalayas, (...) Nepal presents quite a different picture when it is analyzed in terms of development indicators such as per capita income, life expectancy, infant mortality and literacy," the first LWF Nepal Resident Representative, Gerrit ten Velde, writes in the 1984 LWF Nepal Annual Report.
"Water resource development in Baglung district, sericulture development in Ilam district, and the response to the Dolakha landslide were the entry point of LWF in Nepal," recalls Gopal Dahal, LWF Nepal program manager who has been with the program since the beginning. In the first year, the program worked with a total budget of USD 184,000.
LWF staff distribute blankets and tarpaulins in the Kathmandu valley, after the 2015 earthquake. Photo: LWF/ C. Kästner-Meyer
The country program expanded its work in the following years, focusing on the most disadvantaged communities. Among them were lower caste groups (Dalits), former bonded laborers and domestic workers (Haliyas, Kamaiyas, and Kamlaris), and marginalized Indigenous communities, as well as traditionally disadvantaged groups like women, youth, and people with disabilities.
Emergency response
In the past 40 years, the team has also responded to almost all emergencies, including natural disasters. They include significant earthquakes in 1988, 2015 and 2023, frequent floods and landslides, and the COVID-19 pandemic 2019. Since 1991, LWF Nepal has supported refugees from Bhutan and other countries.
Following the 2015 earthquake, the LWF Nepal partnered with Caritas Internationalis for reconstruction work, in line with the Declaration of Intent signed in Malmö. In 2021, they introduced a farming app for small-scale farmers. It has contributed to high-level advocacy in the United Nations Human Rights Council through the Universal Periodic Review.
While big disasters such as earthquakes and floods generate headlines and funding, the true strength of the country program has always been long-term development work with marginalized communities in remote locations. Dahal says: "We aim to build the socio-economic resilience of communities through livelihoods promotion, emergency response, and lobbying and advocacy for their increased access to resources and services."
It is an honor to stand with you, to learn from you, and to journey alongside you in the pursuit of a more just and equitable world.
– Dr Bijaya Bajracharya, Country Director LWF Nepal, to local communities
A woman at a water well constructed by LWF. Water provision was how LWF’s work in nepal started. Photo: LWF/IRW
"Cornerstone of our journey"
In 2023, services provided by LWF Nepal reached 41,971 individuals, 63 percent of whom were women, a testament to LWF Nepal's deep commitment to gender justice in a very traditional society. The program highlights its deep connection to the communities it works with: "Your strength, resilience, and courage inspire us daily. It is an honor to stand with you, to learn from you, and to journey alongside you in the pursuit of a more just and equitable world," Country Director Bajracharya says.
Four decades of work for people in need have only been possible with the support of many partners, Bajracharya affirms, thanking the Nepali government, local communities, volunteers and staff, and international partners and donors.
"Thank you for being the cornerstone of our journey," she says. "Your support, partnership, and faith have been instrumental in our mission to serve those in need, advocate for the oppressed, and promote community resilience. Your belief in our cause has empowered us to touch countless lives, bringing hope and transformation to marginalized and vulnerable communities of Nepal."
"Our journey is far from over, and with your support, we will continue to make a lasting impact for generations to come," Country Director Bajracharya adds. "Here's to 40 years of faith, service, and solidarity—and many more years of transformative impact."
Meeting of a women’s group in Sela Village, Doti District. Photo: LWF/ Susan Muis
The LWF Nepal program is supported by ACT Alliance, Australian Aid, Australian Lutheran World Service, Cordaid, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, German National Committee of the LWF, Kerk in Actie, The Primate's Relief and Development Fund, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
