Project Background

Water and Energy are not only the most essential resources for human survival but also critical factors meeting the social, economic and environmental objectives. In Nepal's context, women are the major procures, users and mangers of water and energy resources. Hence, there is an intimate relationship between women and water and energy resources. The scarcity of water and energy resources is the major cause of women's drudgery declining their productivity and opportunities for income generating activities.

Concern about gender arises out of the recognition that men and women have different roles, responsibilities and activities in society determined on basis of their sex resulting in different water and energy needs. The immediate impact of any water and energy project falls on women first but women and their opinions have often been overlooked in the process of development of water and energy initiatives and their role has been either minimized or often neglected in the process of formulation of water and energy policies showing no concerns of their needs and interest.

In order to mainstream gender concerns in water and energy projects it is imperative that various stakeholders in this sector come in a common platform to share their experiences and information and advocate and lobby for the cause. Hence, Gender Energy and Water Network has been established in August 2002 based on the National Consultative Meeting organized in August 13-14 2002 which identified Gender, Energy and Water Network of key stakeholders (government, NGO/INGO, research organizations, individuals) and the Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal (CRT/N) has been nominated to serve as a National Focal Point in Nepal. Since then CRT/N has been managing the network with the support from its network members and ENERGIA.

 Objective

The main objective of GEW Net is to establish networking of development institutions/individuals involved in energy and water sector for

• Advocating and advising for integrating gender concerns.
• Lobbying for resource mobilization to mainstream gender equity and equality.
• Documentation and exchange of information to increase awareness on gender mainstreaming.
• Promote pro-women, pro-poor and pro-environment technologies.
• Sensitization and capacity enhancement of network members in gender-fair manner.

Vision

GEW Net's Vision is a gender sensitive and gender responsive development of energy and water sector in Nepal.

Mission

GEW Net's mission is to promote equitable access, control and decision-making in the utilization and management of energy and water sector (resources, technology and institutions) by addressing gender gap in existing practices.

Project Component/Major Activities

Information Exchange and Experience Sharing

Information exchange and experience sharing is one of the major components for the success of any networks. GEW Net therefore has given emphasis on information exchange among the network members and other potential members/individuals, as well as flow of information at national, regional and international level. Information is shared through regular network meetings and through sharing of publications.

Building Knowledge and Skills

GEW Net has given a major thrust towards building knowledge and skills of the network along with the members involved in the network. In order to build knowledge and skill GEW Net provides information and assistance to the members on the various trainings/workshops, distributes/disseminates information materials at national/international level.

Gender, Energy and Water Resource Centre

GEW Net houses resource centre incorporating various literatures, documents/books, CDs of national and international level related to gender, energy and water. The resource centre is open to individuals, students, researchers and staffs of member’s organizations.

 Membership Promotion

To strengthen the network GEW Net aims to increase members in the network. There are three types of membership

1. Institutional

2. Individual

3. Student

Membership Criteria

• The prospective member organizations could be private sector, government, non-government, individuals and students involved in education, implementation, promotion, advocacy, policy, research, technology transfer, capacity building etc. in gender, energy and/or water sector.
• The prospective members should be committed to strengthen and expand the network to grass-root level (initially to district level).

Annual Membership Fee

The annual membership fee is as follows:

Individuals: Rs. 200

 Institutions: Rs. 1000

Students: Rs. 50 (students should have completed 10+2 or equivalent education to be eligible for membership)

Achievements

Identification of Organizations Working in the Field of Gender, Energy and Water Sector

• Publication of inventory of organizations working on gender, energy and water in Nepal

Information Exchange/Experience Sharing on Gender Issues and Policy Advocacy

• Formation of Steering Committee and Resource Team with 10 members in total from NGO/INGO, GO, Research and Academic Institutions
• Formation of Advisory Committee with 2 members in total from Tribhuvan University and CRT/N
• Organization of Steering Committee/Resource Team and General Members Meeting
• Organization of Orientation Meeting to the Members of Women in Science and Technology (WIST) Professors/Students
• Publication of Brochure
• Publication of E-Newsletter
• Participation and Paper Presentation in Various National and International Forum (Seminars/Workshops/Conferences) by Steering Committee and Resource Team Members of GEW Net
• Interaction with Policy Makers and Program Implementers

Building Knowledge and Skills

• Distribution and Dissemination of Information Material at National and International Level
• Information Dissemination on Various Training/Workshop
• Assistance to the Members for Participation on Various Training/Workshops
• Training on Importance and Mechanism for Gender Sensitization
• Establishment of Gender Resource Centre

Mobilization of Fund and Support for Network Programs

• Gender Studies of Various Organization Undertaken by GEW Net
• Conduction of Gender Baseline in the Program Districts of Improved Water Mill Area of CRT/N to Identify the Women's Role and Responsibilities in Agro Processing and Preparation of the Gender Baseline Report
• Preparation of Manual on women and Renewable Energy Technology for Intermediate Technology Development Groups (ITDG)
• Financial Support Received from ICIMOD for Documentation of Projects on Good Practice of Gender Energy/Water under GEW Net activity.

GEW Net Member List 

Contact Person

Ms. Salina Paudyal

Program Officer

shalina@crtnepal.org

Project Background

CRT/N has been implementing the National ICS Program supported by Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) of HMG/N and Energy Sector Assistance Program (ESAP) of Danida, currently in the 18 mid-hill districts of Nepal. CRT/N has been the major implementing agency of this national program since 1999 till the end of 2003. Since 2004 CRT/N not only implemented the national program but also played the facilitating role providing training and capacity building to other national and district level NGOs to enable those NGOs to implement ICS program. Accordingly since 2004, CRT/N has been playing the role of Service Provider through its Regional Service Centers to build capacity of local level partners (GOs, NGOs) in implementing ICS promotion activities of the National ICS program.

Project Objective

Development Objective

Improvement of living conditions of rural population by easing it's access to energy technologies with better performances in terms of productivity, use versatility and environmental impacts.

Immediate Objective

• To create capacity on community, district and national level regarding the promotion and dissemination of ICS built up primarily in Middle Hills.
• Broad coverage of ICS being the most common stove.

Target Group

Rural people in the mid hill districts

Major Activities

Improved Cooking Stove promotion and dissemination through skill development training, orientation/demonstration, information and awareness campaign and follow-up monitoring for quality ICS installation by the trained Promoters (self employed ICS installers).

Achievements

• Program Implementation: 18 districts (Phase out districts: Palpa, Dhankuta & Terhathum).
• 96,579 Improved Cooking Stoves Installed (till April 2005)
• Total Local Partner Organization Staff Trained: 385
• Total Local Promoter Trained: 1950 (Male: 1085/Female: 865)
• Total Certified Promoter: 504 (Male: 316/Female: 188)

Contact Person

 Mr. Rajan Thapa

Deputy Director

ics@crtnepal.org

 CRT/N Experience on ICS Promotion and Dissemination

Project Background

Absolute poverty is linked to lack of access to a number of basic needs, including clean, affordable energy. WHO has estimated that more than a quarter of humanity depends almost exclusively on burning biomass – wood, charcoal and dung – mainly utilised for cooking and heating in traditional stoves.

 The unsustainable consumption of biomass resources not only degrades the environment. The reduction of the biomass resources results in a direct problem for the poor as it limits their access to biomass for energy and thereby energy as such. This high dependence on traditional fuels and lack of access to clean, reliable and affordable energy solutions has several adverse impacts on the lives and health of people living in poverty. In addition to the long time spent in collecting firewood, the use of biomass fuels often utilised indoor in traditional stoves results in severe health problems for the inhabitants. Common problems are: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children, chronic obstructive lung diseases (such as asthma and chronic bronchitis), lung cancer and pregnancy-related problems. The world’s greatest child killer is ARI, and WHO estimates that 2.5 million women and young children in developing countries die prematurely each year from the pollution produced by indoor biomass stoves.

In case of Nepal, people rely heavily on biomass fuel as a result of the lack of development of other energy alternatives and the overall poor economic condition of the nation. Fuelwood is the main source of energy in Nepal and will continue to remain so for a long time. Forest resources are under increasing threat from the burgeoning human and livestock populations and their need to meet annual requirements for fuelwood, fodder, timber, and other minor forest products. Where forests are becoming relatively scarce, people are relying increasingly on crop residue and animal waste, resulting in the degradation in fertility of the agricultural land.

There are alternative energy solutions for the poor, that would be appropriate, but often the poor do not have the knowledge/skills to use them effectively and/or they do not have the access to the technologies. The lack of knowledge and skills is mainly due to a lack of information and training. The lack of access originates from a lack of local market for equipment and local service, and lack of local production that can reduce cost of equipment. This is caused by a lack of interest and ability by private market actors and other stakeholders to enter the market and start up local production. This lack of interest and ability is due to a perceived low profit, high start up cost and lack of knowledge. Another factor that contributes to the lack of access is lack of appropriate financing. The study, Power to Tackle Poverty from IT-Power, 2001 has identified that half of the people that lack access to adequate energy today can get this via capacity building and funding for local renewable energy technologies, while the other half will need subsidies in addition. The World Energy Outlook 2002 (Chapter on energy and poverty) from International Energy Agency finds that in much of the rural area the investments to meet these needs with traditional energy supply is too high, and the report recommends decentralised supply based on local resources.

The negative trends can be reversed, by instead of treating Sustainable Energy Technologies (SETs) as money making products, looking at them as part of socio-technical solutions. When SETs are introduced as a tool to reduce poverty, it can be good way of improving livelihood, also for rural women.

In most cases, the NGOs work in local areas and receive support on sectoral basis. NGOs can integrate SETs in their activities with focus on poverty reduction and empowerment of the poor.To reach positive results, capacity building of NGOs is one key factor. The lack of capacity of implementing NGOs, national as well as local, is an important barrier for large-scale implementation of energy solutions for poverty reduction. The partners have found this a barrier in all countries, as only a smaller part of the NGOs involved in rural development and poverty reduction have energy in their programmes while the traditional energy sector does not have the skills and capacity to deal with the dispersed SETs that can reach the rural poor.

The project is being implemented in Nepal, India, Srilanka and Bangladesh simultaneously.

Project Objective

Development Objective

Increase the use of sustainable energy as a tool to reduce poverty.

Specific Project Objectives

Local level: The majority of the involved NGOs have increased their activities for SETs markedly in cooperation with civil society and civil society organisations.

Local & National Advocacy: Cooperation with government representatives shall be increased, both co-operation between NGOs and authorities on specific activities to increase access to SET for population groups, and regarding the use of experiences from local and regional activities for SETs as an input to national policies and programmes to support increased local activities (advocacy activities).

Regional Level: Increased contacts and exchange of experiences among NGOs and networks in the region working with SETs and reduction of poverty

Target Group

NGOs or organizations working for rural development.

Project Component/Major Activities

• Development of training material encompassing various aspects for promotion of sustainable energy technology for poverty reduction.
• Workshops/seminars for capacity building of NGO
• Advocacy work

Expected Output

In the long run it is expected that the project will increase the knowledge, capacity and activity-level of NGOs in assisting poor people to improve their supply and use of energy. It is expected that this will contribute to a reduction of energy-related poverty problems, not the least for poor women that today are the hardest hit by energy-related poverty problems.

Contact Person

Mr. Ganesh Ram Shrestha

Executive Director

ganesh@crtnepal.org

Background

Nepal is a mountainous country with rugged terrain and several perennial streams, rivulets and rivers. In the mid and high hills of the country, Traditional Water Mills (TWM), or Ghattas, is located on the banks of these water sources that –for centuries- have been part of rural communities and are used as an important energy source for grinding cereals. A comprehensive inventory of the number of traditional water mills is lacking, but estimates range from 25,000 to 30,000 operational mills in the country, one mill typically servicing 20-50 households. For traditional water mills, with their low efficiency, it is hard to cope with the increasing food-processing needs of their communities. As a consequence, diesels powered mills –and to a lesser extent micro hydro mills- are increasingly taking over processing tasks. These modern mills do not only disturb the self-reliant set up of the rural villages, but also increase the dependency on imported machinery and –in the case of Diesel mills- fuel.

Improved Water Mills (IWM) can curb this development. Based on the existing mill, and within the traditional management structure this “intermediate technology” improves performance as well as reliability of the traditional mill. In addition, due to the increased performance, the scope of services of the mill can be widened. The technology has been tested extensively over the past 10 years and proves appropriate and compatible with the rural environment. The introduction of the IWM induces positive changes in the socio-economic conditions of local millers. For the Ghatta-serviced community, benefits include the reduction of the workload of women and –through local agro-processing- employment generation and market development. Improvement of Traditional Water Mills arguably is one of the most efficient options for remote Nepal to assist its local communities in improving the quality of their livelihood.

To capture the potential of IWM, CRT/N and SNV/N in conjunction with government's approval developed the IWM Support Programme as part of SNV/Nepal’s Programme Support to Nepal’s Renewable Energy Sector Support (RESS). The programme aims to improve the living condition of rural households in hill and remote hill districts of Nepal, taking advantage of the significant development potential of IWM in Nepal regarding the efficient use of locally generated hydropower.

The overall objective of the proposed support to Nepal’s IWM sector is to further develop and disseminate Improved Water Mills as a sustainable energy source in the mid and high hill districts of Nepal. Benefits of the programme include advantages in the fields of sustainable energy use, environment, rural and human development, agriculture and rural employment.

Program Objective

• To improve the living condition of rural households, especially of the traditional water millers and women users
• To improve the sustainability of the IWM sector as a whole through institutional strengthening and local capability development

Target Group

• Consists of millers in the hill and mountain areas of Nepal owning a traditional water mill.
• Indirectly, the program addresses the agro-processing needs of rural communities, especially of the women, that depend on the services of local traditional water mills and encroaching diesel mills.

Program Component/Major Activities

• Promotion and marketing, awareness creation activities, including District Mapping Studies.
• Management, networking and coordination among sector partners.
• Support and training for capacity strengthening of sector partners
• Training for IWM millers on effective operation of IWMs and diversification applications.
• Channeling subsidies for the IWM installations, both for mechanical as well as electrical applications.
• Facilitating credit for the construction of IWM through AEPC and qualified credit retailers including Micro-financing Institutions (MFIs) to the IWM millers.
• Develop and implement the IWM Quality Management system and put into practice in IWM sector.
• Monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the IWM programme.
• Innovations through R&D activities on optimization, efficiency and diversification of IWMs.

Achievements

• Till now 2767 IWM including 294 Long Shafts have been installed (as June 2007.
• 16 service centres and 13 manufactures have been established in the program districts.
• Several training to GOA members have been conducted with regard to association management techniques and enterprenerurship ability
• 19 Repair and maintenance and gender sensitisation training for mill owners have been conducted with 356 males nad 19 females as participants.
• Establishment of test rig in institute of Engineering to enhance the efficiency of IWM runner.
• Development of Manual on Association Management with focus on Ghatta Owners Association (GOA)
• Publication of success story
• IWM programme achieved second position in Ashden Awards 2007.
  

Expected Results

• Increased income for 4000 millers.
• Improved receiving power of millers organized in groups/associations.
• Reduction of the workload of about 100,000 households –often women and girls- as a result of reduced in waiting time for milling services.
• Diversified agro-processing and other services for about 25,000 rural households.
• Provide electrical facilities to about 10,000 rural households
• Generation of employment in rural areas.
• Increased sustainability of IWM sector as a result of improved institutional and local capability.

Contact Person

Mr. Bhpendra Shakya

Program Manager

iwm@crtnepal.org

Status of Improved Water Mill Support Program

CRT/N Experience in Improvment of Water Mills in Nepal

Objectives of the project:
The objectives of the project are as follows:
• To promote solar cookers to provide better livelihood opportunity to the participating lodge owners and other beneficieries through training and demonstration along the trekking routes and linking it with financing mechanism,
• To reduce the dependency on firewood consumption as energy sources  and protect the local forest/environment,
• To reduce drudgery of users, especially women and children and protect them from health hazards by reducing firewood collecting time and indoor air pollution,
• To reduce the carbon emission rate and contribute to protect people from the fall outs of global warming, and
• To develop villages along the trekking routes as sustainable eco-tourism areas attracting more tourists.

Physical Target: 300 units

Tentative district-wise breakdown as follows:

Mustang    110
Manang        90
Lamjung, Myagdi and Kaski   60

2. Technical Features of the Technology
• The Parabolic Solar Cooker with parabolic dish of 1.4 meter diameter is of SK 14 model developed in Germany.
• The sunrays are directed to the reflecting surface, which concentrate at a focal point on which the cooking pot is placed.
• Its reflector sheet made from aluminium alloy is imported from EG Solar, Germany while the required accessories such as frame, stand, pot base, pot, tracking indicator, roller wheels etc. are produced locally
• The tracking position towards sun is monitored with the help of tracking indicator attached adjoined to the dish and needs tracking every 10-15 minutes for higher efficiency.
• The total weight of a parabolic cooker is 20 kg. The aluminium reflectors only weigh about 3 kg.
• At the bottom of the metal stand four roller wheels are fitted at four corners that make it easy to move around the floor.
• High temperature is achieved in this cooker and generates about 700 watts net power in good sunshine. Very high temperature above 300°C can be attained in this cooker.
• Ten litres of water in a sunny day (atmospheric temperature 24°C) takes about 40-45 minutes to reach the boiling temperature of 100°C.
• The cooking pot is black painted outside to have more heat absorbing capacity.
• Almost all types of cooking such as boiling of water/potato/egg, cooking of rice/pulses/vegetables/meat, frying of omelette/meat, roasting of meat, baking of bread/cake etc. can be done in this cooker. Also the pressure cooker can be used for increased efficiency.
• It requires only sunshine to operate; does not require any recurring cost except a nominal maintenance of repainting the frame and stand and keeping the reflector sheet clean.
• The cooker can be used all day long from sunrise to sunset.  The cooking intensity is high during daytime from 11 am to 1 pm because of the high sunshine during that time. The cooker can efficiently be used for more than 9 months a year.
• Due to its deeply curved parabolic shape, the focal point of the reflectors lies inside the dish and does not have the risk of burning to the user.
• Because of its high reflection, the user has to be careful of the eyes and need to wear spectacle for safety. The user needs to use gloves and has to be careful to avoid its hand at the focal point to protect from burning.

3. Main Strategies for Project Implementation
• Design improvement to make more portable and fixed to the ground.
• Mass awareness making campaigns
• Local participation in decision making process
• Strengthening linkages among the stakeholders
• Local capability development
• Motivate users to contribute more on the hardware parts
• Motivate the users to procure the cookers within first half of the project period

4. Organization of the Project
CRT/N will be responsible to organize the project at the central level while it facilitates LPOs to organize it locally. The Technical Support Unit of CRT/N with its Coordinator will look after the central activities while it will have its Project Support Units at the district to facilitate the district activities in conjuntion with LPOs. LPOs will organize the project at the distirct level with support from CRT/N's Project Support Units. The project will be overall suppervised by CRT/N Director, Kathmandu.

5. Expected Benefits of the Project
• 300 lodge owners and other solar cooker users will directly be benefiting from the project in terms of fuel saving (firewood and kerosene) and protection from health hazards (reduction of indoor air pollution)
• LPOs participating in the project will be capable to promote the technologies on their own
• The project will help in reducing the pressure to local forest and also emmission of carbon to atmoshere
• Tourists will be facinitated and attracted with the use of solar cokers and help the areas to develop as eco-tourism villages
• The project will provide ample employment opportunities at the local level

6. Major Activities to be Undertaken
• Building up the contact with related stakeholders at the central level
• Organization of central level stakeholder meeting
• Recruitment and project familiarization/capability development training to project staffs
• Establishment of CRT/N Units in the project districts
• Preparation of promotional materials and manuals
• Identification and selection of district level Local Partners Organizations (LPOs)
• Linkage Establishment with district level LPOs and other potential stakeholders
• District level Project Initiation Workshops
• Establishment of Local Level Project Coordination Committees (LLPCC)
• Baseline collection and need identification
• Organization of mobile type orientation/demonstration for creating mass awareness among the potential users
• Procurement of reflector sheet from Germany and assist in production of quality frames/stands
• Orientation and skill development trainings to LPOs
• Demand collection
• Procure and supply/transport of solar cookers to project sites
• Linkage with government unit for subsidy
• Assemble and delivery of solar cookers to the users
• Operational trainings to solar cooker users
• Monitoring and follow up of the activities undertaken
• Participatory impact monitoring
• Snap shot assessment
• Reporting

7. Major Stakeholders
• Wisions: one of the the main funders, also responsible for providing technical and monirtoring support
• Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) of HMG/Nepal: for policy, subsidy and monitoring support
• Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal (CRT/N): for implementation of the project
• EG Solar, Germany: for supply of reflector sheet
• RETSC: for supply of the cooker
• Manufacturers: for fabrication of required accessories
• Sustainable Tourism Network: for facilitating the network memebrs
• Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), Kathmandu: for facilitating the tourism development
• Travel and Trekking Related Agencies: for facilitating the tourists
• ACAP: for facilitating the tourism development
• District Development Committee (DDC): for facilitiation district level coordination and mobilizing available local funds
• Village Development Committee (VDC): for facilitating village level coordination and mobilizing available local funds
• Local Partner Organizations (LPOs): for implementing the project locally
• Local Level Project Coordination Committee (LLPCC): for coordinating the project locally with participation of local partners and other stakeholders
• End Users: Lodge owners and other potential users

Objectives of the Project 
The development objectives of the project are to enhance the livelihood of rural people through provision of electricity at the household level and sustain the promotional activities with involvement of local service providers. The immediate objectives of the project are: 
• To test MDFH at the field site and finalize its design 
• To establish demonstration sites and get feedbacks from the users 
• To do initial marketing through awareness creation about the positive aspects of the system among potential users, promoters and local level stakeholders created.
Technical Features of the Technology
MDFH is the upgraded version of Bicycle Dynamo based Family Hydro (BDFH). The output of BDFH being only 6 Watts, not enough for lighting a house, CRT/N in consultation with local private company has initiated to develop MDFH producing 50-60 Watts. Presently the technology is in developing and test stage. MDFH consists of impeller with shaft, dynamo, inlet, outlet, housing box and a stand. Water at high pressure or flowing with a high velocity is forced from inlet towards impellor, the impellor rotates and the dynamo which is coupled with the impellor through the shaft produces electricity. A 12 V motor cycle dynamo is used for generating electricity driven by a small pelton wheel runner. The technical requirements for MDFH technology are water discharge of 20-25 liter per minute with the vertical head of 20-30 meters. MDFH can produce power upto 50-60 Watts for household lighting. The power is sufficient for lighting 6-12 compact fluorescent lamps of 5-10 Watts. The expected cost of the MDFH system is about 5-6 $ per Watt. 
Main Strategies for Project Implementation 
Following strategies will be adopted during the implementation of the project. 
• Field level activities will be focused in district sites where so far no electrical line is linked. 
• Attention will be given right from the beginning to involve potential partners and end users in the project. 
• Local capability development will be done for continued technical support by the local service centres and proper use of the installed technology by the users. 
• Clear message will be given among the potential users that the users will have to pay full cost for obtaining the technology.
• The dissemination strategy in future will be through enterprise-driven approach where RETSC will be linked with local level service centres and their viability will be based on their sales support to end users. 
Organization of the Project 
CRT/N will be responsible to organize the project at the central level. The technical support unit of CRT/N and RETSC with its Coordinator will look after the central activities while it will have its project support units at the district to facilitate the district activities in conjunction with district Service Centres. The project will be overall supervised by CRT/N Director, Kathmandu. 
Expected Outputs and Outcomes The expected outputs of the project are: 
• The final product design is available
• RETSC is involved in production of the product 
• 2 service centres have actively taken part in the project for facilitating the project at the district level
• 10 centrally located sites, considered for technology demonstration on 2 project districts, have started to act as orientation, training and learning grounds 
• 10 users have started to use the system in a sustainable manner 
• The rural people around the demonstration sites know about the technology and have started to enquire on it With the use of MDFH, the rural users at the demonstration sites, especially the women while doing the household cores and the youth and children while studying, will be directly benefited. Their eye strain and respiratory problems reduced; their working hours increased, sanitation improved and as a whole their drudgery reduced. The users will have access to outside world through radio and television. The end results are that their life style is eased significantly. They will no more depend on kerosene based wick lamps and suffer. 
Major Activities to be Undertaken
• Product development jointly by CRT/N and RETSC 
• Preparation for pilot field testing 
• Pilot field testing on the technology for generating field based data 
• Redesigning if required based on field results and retesting 
• Finalization of the product design by redesigning 
• Identification and capacity building of the local service centres in the project districts 
• Preparation and production of promotional materials and manuals
• Organize training on the technology for staffs of CRT/N, RETSC and local service centres 
• Baseline collection and need identification 
• Procurement of the units by the service centres from RETSC
• Identify the potential demonstration sites
• Establish demonstration units at 10 sites, 5 in each project district 
• Undertake follow-up supervision and monitoring activities for effective operation of the technology installed 
• Help the Service Centres to organize orientation/ training on technology operation and repair/ maintenance for the users 
• Organize orientation activities 
• Organize participatory monitoring to asses the results of the project implementation and plan for further course of actions 
• Reporting 
Major Stakeholders
 Lemelson Foundation: Responsible for Technical and Financial Support Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal (CRT/N): for implementation of the project RETSC: for development of the product Service Centres (REDA in Dhading & SID in Nuwakot): for implementing the project locally, for technology procurement and installation purposes Manufacturers: for fabrication of required accessories End Users: Potential users, including women members of the households