The Tanahun Hydropower Project has been stepping up efforts to improve the livelihoods of families affected by the project by equipping them with market-oriented skills and promoting income-generating activities.
Through a range of livelihood support initiatives, the project aims to enable affected households to diversify their sources of income, strengthen their economic resilience and achieve financial self-reliance.
The project has so far conducted 38 skill development and livelihood enhancement programmes, benefiting 776 individuals from project-affected areas, including 401 women and 375 men.
According to Project Chief Shyamji Bhandari, the programmes have been designed in line with the needs of affected households and the economic potential of the surrounding areas. The training has covered a wide range of income-generating occupations, including electrical installation, plumbing, tailoring, beekeeping, commercial goat and pig farming, vegetable cultivation, subsistence agriculture and light vehicle driving.
As part of these initiatives, the project recently organised a three-day skill development and financial literacy programme to promote commercial goat farming as a sustainable source of income. Conducted from November 2 to 4 under the project's Livelihood Restoration Plan, the training brought together 22 participants from Vyas and Bhimad municipalities and Myagde and Rishing rural municipalities.
The programme was organised in coordination with the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Services Office, Tanahun. Of the participants, 15 were women and seven were men.
During the training, resource persons and livestock experts provided practical insights into commercial goat farming techniques, animal health management, proper feeding and care, strategies for improving farm productivity, business expansion and financial management. Participants were also acquainted with the importance of sound financial planning and effective management practices for making livestock farming a commercially viable enterprise. The project expects the initiative to encourage households traditionally engaged in subsistence-level goat rearing to transition towards commercial production by adopting improved farming techniques and systematic management practices. Such a shift, it believes, will help affected families establish more reliable and sustainable income streams.
The project has been continuing various livelihood restoration initiatives with a focus on enhancing the occupational skills of affected households, broadening economic opportunities, strengthening financial literacy and fostering entrepreneurship.
