Founded in 2015

Our Programmes:

Empowerment and Livelihood for Adolescents, Health, Sanitation, Agriculture and Livestock, Skills Development

BRAC started working in Nepal with immediate relief after the massive earthquakes of 2015. We are now supporting long-term recovery of affected communities in Namobuddha municipality in Kavrepalanchowk district. We completed our first project in Nepal in Namobuddha Municipality, a one-year comprehensive project to strengthen health care service by capacitating female community health volunteers, empowering adolescent girls through life-skills training, and improving sanitation to contribute towards declaring the village an open-defecation free zone. This year we have expanded into two neighbouring wards in Namobuddha and Kathmandu with additional components in agriculture and livestock, and skills development for youth in slum settlements respectively.

Although the legal age of marriage in Nepal is 20, it has one of the highest rates of Child Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) in the world. In 2014, 37% of young women aged 20-24 had been married before the age of 18, and 25% of 15-19-year-old girls were already married. BRAC Nepal is empowering young girls through adolescent clubs, so that they can play an active part in collectively campaigning against child marriage in their community.

According to a 2014 report by the International Labor Organization, the official youth unemployment is at 19% in Nepal. Many choose to migrate abroad for employment opportunities, but with little to no skill. BRAC is providing hands on skills development for 150 young people living in poverty in Kathmandu to prepare them for employment through apprenticeship, opening up pathways for domestic or foreign employment.