English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...

The Remake of a StateBox 4.4 Rajaya CFUG: An example of pro-poor decision-makingRajaya CFUG in Okhaldunga district was established in 2001 with a membership of 145households, sharing 32.88 ha of forest land. The executive committee of 13 membersincludes two from disadvantaged household and four women. Through a well-beingexercise, the CFUG identified seven disadvantaged households. Each prepared a householdlivelihood plan based on resource availability and their individual capacities, and is nowcarrying out their plan with CFUG support. Of particular note is the fact that the CFUG hasallocated a part of the community forest land (0.7 ha) to the disadvantaged householdsand is allowing them to manage and utilise it for their own benefit. The secretary of theCFUG, Kamal Thapa Magar, is quoted as saying, “We are very interested in supporting thepoor in collaboration with different people and organisations”.Rajaya CFUG has also been instrumental in community development. It has provided NRs10,000 to upgrade a local school from lower secondary to secondary level. Likewise, theCFUG has invested NRs 12,000 on a drinking water scheme.Hobley et al. (2007) found that the project through its poverty reductionand livelihood improvement approaches has been successful incommencing a process of structural transformation in the CFUGs and notjust delivering welfare provision. It has approached the extreme poorwhere most projects do not even recognise these people as a separategroup and so they remain unseen to development support.3.2 Forest-based enterprisesWell-managed community forests can often provide a far greater supplyof forest products than required by CFUG members for subsistence.Commercial utilisation is thus possible - both in terms of product supply,and existing legislation (although complicated rules and regulations putlimitations in practice). There are many potential opportunities for thedevelopment of forest-based enterprises such as small saw-mills, veneer/plywood units, local paper-making enterprises (from lokta, Daphne spand argeli, Edgeworthia gardneri), distillation of essential oils (eg. fromwintergreen, Gaultheria fragrantissima), and wild fruit juice making fromwood apple bel, Aegle marmelos etc. During the conflict, it was difficult todevelop such opportunities due to Maoist scepticism towards commercialenterprises, although the deliberate focus on involving the disadvantagedmeant that some were allowed to operate. This was done throughinsisting that disadvantaged households had shares in the enterprise– both in their own right, and as members of the CFUG - as well as firstoption on employment opportunities. Achieving a viable balance betweena commercial approach and a pro-poor stance is, however, not easy.75