Highlights over the past 12 months
Collaborators’ meeting (13-05-2010)
Helvetas-Bhutan and its collaborators held its biannual collaborators’ meeting on 13th May 2010. Unlike in the past, this collaborators’ meeting focused on important events that occurred in certain projects, enhancing collaboration between projects on specific subjects and forward planning, and cross cutting topics. Apart from our long term partners and project managers, the GNH Commission participated for the first time in this forum.
RDTC infrastructure handing over (11-05-2010)
Coinciding with the annual steering committee meeting of the RDT project phase III, the Rural Development Training center infrastructure were officially handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests. The handing over took place between the Director/Officiating Secretary, Department of Agriculture and the Resident Coordinator of Helvetas-Bhutan.
Ground-breaking ceremony for SDC’s support to the Bumthang court
construction (06-05-2-10)
As part of SDC’s support to the Judiciary (2009-2013), a district court will be constructed in Bumthang. The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction was done on 6th May 2010 in the presence of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bhutan. The court construction is expected to improve the physical access to court justice, and to underline the institutional separation of the judiciary from the executive.
Signing Ceremony – Leveraging Cultural Diversity (08-04-2010)
On 8th April, 2010, the GNH Commission and Helvetas signed the agreement on the project “Preserving and Leveraging Bhutan’s Unique Cultural Diversity”. The project is jointly financed by the European Union under the theme “Investing in People – Access to local culture, protection and promotion of cultural diversity” and Helvetas.
Nado Dukpa and Manju Mukhia complete 20 and 10 years respectively with Helvetas-Bhutan.
The completion of every five years with Helvetas is celebrated among the Helvetas-Bhutan staff. This marks five years of fruitful teamwork, friendship and achievements.
Helvetas-Bhutan hosts the donor meeting (01-04-2010)
Helvetas-Bhutan hosts the donor meeting on 1st April. The highlight of the meeting was a presentation from the Bhutan Center for Media and Democracy (BCMD).
New members in the Helvetas-Bhutan family
Helvetas-Bhutan is happy to welcome three new members: Markus Wild, documentation specialist; Tenzin Kuenzang, intern; and Kunzang Dorji, Project Manager.
Support for Local Governance - training of locally elected leaders
As part of the Support for Local Governance (SLG) project, the project manager from GNHC (Sonam Yarphel) and Helvetas-Bhutan (Tashi and Jangchu) participated in the training of locally elected leaders in the two Gewogs of Tendu and Bara in Samtse. The training was part of a series in a larger capacity development programme which consists of three levels of training.
Helvetas-Bhutan Programme Review, (from 09-26.03.10)
Staring from the 9th of March 2010, Professor Wolf Linder and two national consultants, Dr. Pema Chophel and Mr. Kunzang Dorji, have started the review of the Helvetas Bhutan programme and the political framework conditions in Bhutan. The findings and recommendations from the review is expected to provide inputs to the management and Board of Directors of Helvetas in Switzerland to decide on future engagements in Bhutan.
Workshop on Market Chain Approach in Zhemgang, Bhutan (from 24-25.09.09)
On 24. and 25. September 2009 the Rural Livelihood Project (RLP) with support by the Rural Development Training (RDT) organized an introduction-workshop to concepts related to market chain facilitation.
A group comprising the Project Manager of the Participatory Forest Management Project (PFMP), the PFMP Advisors and two representatives of the Dzonkhag Forestry Sector attended the International Community Forestry Workshop held in Pokhara in Nepal in September. The presented a paper and two posters on community forestry (CF) and on the PFMP (available for download).
Visit by SDC Delegation (from 02-12.09.09)
Dr. Edita Vokral, Head of Regional Cooperation, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Federal Government of Switzerland and Ms. Lisa Magnollay, Desk Officer Bhutan, SDC Bern visited Bhutan from 2nd – 12th September 2009
Rural Livelihood Project (fishery enterprise development workshop 05-11.08.2009)
The Rural Livelihood Project organized a workshop on fishery enterprise development for extentionists from different districts. The participants shared experiences and challenges in executing fishery programs. The workshop included training aspects on good aquaculture practices.
Swiss National Day (gathering of friends 01.08.09)
Since 1891, 1st August is celebrated as the Swiss National Day. In Bhutan, a gathering of friends over dinner, bonfire, and a CD broadcast of a speech by the President of the Swiss Confederation was organized.
Impact Assessment (assessment of education projects Feb-May 09)
An impact assessment was carried out to capture and analyze the impact of the education projects supported by SDC and Helvetas in Bhutan covering a period of about 20 years.
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