From District Grant to Global Grant

Nepal, a low-income developing country, faces many issues. Among them is the pollution and damage to health caused by continuing use of traditional cooking practices in Nepalese households. Many people in poorer areas still use firewood as cooking fuel which leads to health-damaging indoor and outdoor atmospheric pollution. In 2018 alone WHO reported that 24,000 Nepalis lost their lives to chronic illnesses caused by indoor smoke pollution.

Bristol Breakfast RC, in conjunction with Pokhara Fishtail RC in Nepal, believed that a key component of any solution is a transition to indoor electric cooking. Nepal is a country with abundant electricity generated through its hydroelectric capacity.

A feasibility study, part funded by a Rotary District Grant, was carried out in a slum development in Pokhara, and this showed that electric induction cooking is cheaper than firewood or LPG, which is the other commonly used alternative fuel. The project received the commitment of the local community to supporting and implementing the project successfully.

After this a pilot project covering 60 households was carried out to test the proposed solution. This was also part funded by a Rotary District Grant.

The pilot was so successful that the team involved are now planning a larger project covering 650 households with a total project budget of $66,956. In addition to the two original sponsoring clubs plus D1100, contributions have been pledged by RCs in Bristol, Pershore, Winchcombe and RCs and Districts from the USA, Hong Kong and India.

On 3^rd November the Rotary Global Grant application for this project was approved by The Rotary Foundation. The Rotary team is committed to the success of this project and believes it will act as a catalyst for the transition to electric cooking more widely in Nepal.

The project provides a clear demonstration of the power of the Rotary approach. A major factor in making it all happen was the availability of a District Grant when seed funding was required for the initial feasibility study followed by the ability to scale this up not only through RC contributions but also through further District and Global Grant funding.