Phase II: July 2008 to 30 June 2011
Budget: CHF 330,000 (Helvetas)
Partner: Chhimi P. Wangdi, Secretary General, Tarayana Foundation
Contact: tarayana ( ) druknet.bt, http://www.tarayanafoundation.org
Location/Geographic Coverage : Sarpang and Zhemgang
The Tarayana Foundation is a non-governmental organization established at an important stage of civil society development in the country. The first phase of support to the Foundation focused on supporting rural livelihood in pockets of hard-to-reach communities, and contributing towards the overall institutional development of the Foundation.
The goal of the project in the second phase is: “To contribute towards strengthening rural livelihood interventions in target rural communities through working with and developing the capacity of civil society organizations”. The expected outcomes are:
Increase in income for at least 60% of targeted
households in three
communities;
Enhanced capacities of civil society organizations in target rural communities to participate in local decision making through formation of at least 6 associations and groups;
Tarayana Foundation emerges as a well established grassroots NGO.
Main Achievements:
A few economically viable indigenous crafts promoted and skills revived;
Contributed towards strengthening institutional capacity of the Foundation, including short-term capacity building for field staff;
Priority areas for next three years identified and planning on-going.
Outlook:
Replicating lessons learnt and identifying and promoting at least one niche product from each of the three new target communities under Phase II;
Focus on marketing and marketing strategies in close collaboration with UNDP (short-term marketing strategy development inputs from a UNV);
Supporting forums that bring producers and buyers into direct contact;
Institutional development support for the Tarayana Foundation.
The Foundation faces the challenge of sustaining its initiatives which is closely linked to its inability to raise sufficient funds to support the different activities it has initiated in pockets of rural communities. Another challenge is its emergence as an NGO and the expected evolution in its roles from not only implementation of development activities increasingly in advocacy efforts to draw attention to specific issues or populations and communities that might be left out of national policies.