The document summarizes Gokarna Devkota's experience working in Mustang District. It outlines the challenges of establishing an office and meeting with local stakeholders in the remote region. Some key accomplishments include holding information sessions, supporting 5 businesses and an award-winning cooperative. Opportunities exist in value chains for buckwheat, agro-tourism and pashmina. Lessons were learned working with different actors, and further expectations include more support and monitoring of community activities within the district.
2. Outlines of this Presentation:
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About Mustang District
Challenges in Work
Accomplished Activities
Opportunities for Work
Lessons Learned from Work
Further Expectations
Some Pictures
3. About the Mustang District
- Lies in Dahulagiri zone covering an area 3,573 km²
- Jomsom (among 16 VDCs) is the Headquarter
- Main occupations: Tourism, Agriculture and
Livestock.
Main caste: Thakali, BhoteGurung, Bista, Dalit (some)
Total population: 13452 (Male: 7093, Female: 6359)
(Buddhist: 8095, Hindu: 5040), HH size: 4.01,
Population increase rate: -1.08,
HH head- Male: 2557, Female: 797
4. Challenges in work
Finding Accommodation: Tourist hotels easily available but
expensive, Separate rooms not available
Communication with GoV Institutions: Officials are
cooperative, easy to collect information, required regular
communication with them, As a remote district- all officials are
not regularly available in their desk
Working with DPC/DLSO: Mr. Guru Prasad KhakuralCooperative, Easy to get information about the field, Quite
difficult on managing transportations
Establishing office: Took more time to fix the building, Budgets for
furnishing are yet to release,
5. Challenges in work
Meeting LRP's: One among two LRP has not been met yet,
Proposals from the Entrepreneurs are not smoothly made
because of Non-technical – LRP- which leads to absence of
business plan
Meeting and working with DAES: We share the office, work
together, share each other
Meeting with DCCI: DCCI are cooperative but allocate limited time
as they are busy in their own business
Meeting first clients: People were reluctant to initiate their plan
initially, they are exited once they got more information
6. Challenges in work
Other:
• Mukhiya system does not allow excluded group (women, so called
Dalit) to participate in meetings,
• Several opportunities (Agrifood, livestock, MPAs)are there but
people focus on goat raising
• Limited technical knowledge on prioritized area like infrastructuretunnel, argo-tourism, home stay etc.
• Micro entrepreneurs perceived HIMALI is only for those who have
investment capacity
• People are interested to prepare business plan but reluctant to
collect supporting documents
• Local transportation available but lack sufficient transportation fund
7. Accomplished Activities
Office Establishment- Space fixed, Furniture ordered,
Computer received, Internet and telephone yet to
install
Meeting DLSO, DADO, DCCI, DCI, ACAP and other
stockholders held for the need assessment and working
possibility,
Regular meeting with DPC, DAES and LRPs for the
coordination in business plan, proposal writing.
5 businesses are under implementation, 4 have been
forwarded to regional office for the correction, some
other are under process to propose
8. Accomplished Activities
Information sessions in Jomsom, Marpha, Tukuche,
Kobang, Lete, Kunju, Kagbeni, Muktinath, Chhusang
have been held including awareness program about
business plan, value chain, marketing etc.
Interested groups, DAGs, Women groups were dealt
accordingly
Marketing activities of HIMALI (Brochure distribution,
counceling people) were done in Agro food and
livestock trade fair in Lete-4, Ghansa (1-4 Ashwin,
2017) through a separate stall by HIMALI
9. Accomplished Activities
HIMALI supported MuktiNath Multi Purposive
Cooperative became first in juice production (Tora
Juice) and own the prize in Agro food and livestock
trade fair
Ongoing HIMALI supported activities (Rainbow troutfishery- raceway construction- Ghansa, cow farming
, Dairy building construction– Syang, Tora Juicde
production- Jharkot, Apple nursery- Tukuche were
monitored
10. Opportunities for work
• Establish value chain of Buckwheat-Phapar with in
the district
• Promote agro tourism
• Collaborate with Pashmina industries and
promote Chyangra farming
11. Lessons Learned
Learned working environment among multiple actors
like ACI, AEC, DLSO
working environment with different level of
stakeholders
12. Further Expectations
Regular monitoring and evaluation
Capacity building trainings to staffs for the technical
knowledge
Sufficient and timely financial support while working in
the field
Community people expect project agreement activities
with in the district rather than visiting Kathmandu
Provision the dead line of specific activities to the
entrepreneurs and release the installment accordingly
16. Some clips
Preparing HIMALI stall during the
Agrifood and Livestock Trade Fair
Ghasa, Mustang
First prize winner women cooperative group
(HIMALI Supported)
Agrifood and Livestock Trade Fair
Ghasa, Mustang