Australian Ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk, and Member of the Province One Assembly Buddhi Kumar Rajbhandari jointly inaugurated a newly constructed health post at Waku in Mapya Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality, Solukhumbu on March 8.
The Waku Health Post was jointly supported by a partnership of Australian and Nepali NGOs, including the Australian Himalayan Foundation (AHF), Action for Nepal and One Heart Worldwide, the Rural Municipality and the local community, said a press release of the Embassy of Australia in Kathmandu.
The Mapya Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality, Australian Himalayan Foundation, Action for Nepal, One Heart Foundation and local residents of Waku, Solukhumbu jointly contributed funds of approximately AUD 170,000 and 22,000 square feet of land to construct a new health post building with a birthing centre at Waku.
The new health centre is expected to benefit over 5100 people living in Waku including surrounding schools.
Through Australia’s COVID-19 Emergency Response for Nepal, the Australian Government has provided AUS $500,000 to support Rural Education and Environment Development Center (REED) Nepal to implement a project.
In partnership with the Rural Education and Environmental Development Centre (REED Nepal), AHF’s flagship program the Teacher Training and Quality Inclusive Education project (TTQIE) will help children living in some of the poorest and most remote areas of the Himalaya to access inclusive, high quality primary education.
This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
The TTQE program commenced in 2005. The latest 5-year project phase (1 July 2021 to 30 June 2026) follows an earlier successful version of the program which ran from 2018-2021, it reads.
Addressing the event, Ambassador Volk said, “Australia’s love of Nepal and our commitment to walk as friends with Nepalis is well known. This spirit of practical friendship is embodied in AHF’s support to Waku and I’m very proud to represent the Australian connections to this project.”
Also at the nearby Sagarmatha Secondary School, Ambassador Volk met with teachers delivering Australian Government funded distance education and teacher training programs through REED Nepal and AHF.
Celebrating International Women’s Day in Solukhumbu, Ambassador Volk commended the vital contribution of female community health volunteers, nurses, doctors and mother’s groups to health care services in rural locations, stated the release.
“COVID-19 added new challenges to providing quality education for girls and boys, and girls have been disproportionately affected. So, Australia has prioritised a ‘Going to School Support’ program, providing distance education during the pandemic through FM radio and home visits by teachers,” said the Ambassador Volk and added, “As Nepal builds back better from the pandemic, Australia is standing beside students and teachers in Solukhumbu, including the young women leaders I’ve been delighted to talk to today,” it added.
