Keywords
CAAFAG
Those letters stand for Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups. This expression applies to "any person under 18 years of age who is part of any kind of regular or irregular armed force or armed group of any nationality who is used in any capacity, including but not limited to those who bear arms/combatants as well as cooks, porters, messengers, spies and anyone accompanying such groups, other than family members. It includes girls recruited for sexual purposes and for forced marriage. It also includes any child who is considered or treated as a deserter for choosing to leave the armed force or group"(The Cape Town principles). In short, this expression applies to child-soldiers or any child involved in any way in an armed conflict.
In Nepal it would apply to any child associated with the CPN-M movement (the Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist) including the PLA (People Liberation Army). Whole time and part time militias, cultural groups, ANNISU-R (All Nepal National Independent Students' Union - Revolutionary) and any other group supporting the CPN-M activities. SAHARA Group has contributed to the reintegration of conflict-affected children through diverse projects, providing them with shelter, education or helping them to reintegrate their family and community.
- For more information about CAAFAG, see UNICEF and UN reports and webpages. See also Robert Koenig's documentary, "Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal's Maoist Army". It tells the story of Nepali boys and girls as they attempt to rebuild their lives after fighting in the Maoist revolution against the former government.
- For more information about SAHARA group's actions on this issue see section "Projects" and section "About us -Publications".
CHILD PROTECTION AND RIGHTS
Child protection and child rights started to mobilize the international community in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1989, the Convention on the rights of the child was implemented by the United Nations. It protects and guaranties children's rights.
SAHARA Group contributes to the protection of children through a wide range of programs: education, orphanage, transit centers for conflict-affected children, actions towards street-children...
GOVERNANCE
According to the World Bank, Nepal's civil service suffers from poor incentives, fragmented decision-making and inflexible working practices. The most important task is to expand civil services to the all population of the country.
- For more information see section "working areas"
HIV/AIDS
Over the last years the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nepal has been potentially increasing. An estimated number of 70 000 people are currently living with HIV/AIDS. Among the most vulnerable groups to HIV/AIDS in Nepal are female sex workers, injecting drug users, street children and migrants.
SAHARA's programs in that field include: Emergency Intervention for Rag-picking Children and Youth in Kathmandu Valley who are injecting drug users, protection of women at risk of trafficking and other awareness campaigns in orphanages or schools...
- For more information see section "working areas"
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
An estimated eight-hundred-thousand men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year. Most of the victims are women enslave in the sex trade. Indeed an estimated twelve thousand Nepali women and children are trafficked every year in India and sold into brothels.
SAHARA Group contributes to fight against human trafficking essentially through its actions towards girls and women. It provides them with safe shelters and education.
MICRO-ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
Micro-enterprise refers to small, informally organized and often unregistered business, run mostly by poor people. These businesses can often benefit from micro-credit and contribute significantly to poverty reduction. "Given its employment pattern, growth, geographical dispersion and contribution to total industrial output, the micro-enterprise sector will contribute to play a significant role in eradicating poverty and promoting higher levels of gainful employment" (Workshop on Micro-Enterprise Development, Times Foundations website, 2005). Thus, micro-enterprise development focuses on that kind of business to contribute to poverty alleviation.
SAHARA Group acts in this field mainly through women empowerment.
MINE RISK EDUCATION
"Mine-risk education, or MRE, refers to educational activities aimed at reducing the risk of injury from mines and unexploded ordnance by raising awareness and promoting behavioral change through public-information campaigns, education and training, and liaison with communities" (definition from mine action's website; http://www.mineaction.org).
SAHARA Group has notably implemented an awareness campaign bringing into focus the risks associated with landmines throughout the distribution of materials to children.
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
Nepal has an average GDP per capita of US$260 (2004). It is then the poorest country in South Asia and the twelfth poorest country in the world. 46%of the population of Nepal currently lives under the poverty line.
Thus, poverty alleviation is one of the main goals of SAHARA Group; it is pursued through a large range of programs: empowerment of women through micro-enterprise, education... In the end, every program aims at eliminating poverty.
- For more information see section "working areas"
REINTEGRATION
SAHARA Group is mainly involved in that field through its actions towards conflict-affected children. It helps them to reintegrate their families and communities.
SAHARA/SAHARA GROUP
In Nepali SAHARA means help, support. In English the letters SAHARA stand for Social Awareness Helping Activities in Rural Areas.
SAHARA Group is a non-governmental and non-for profit organization which was established in 1997 with the main objective to reduce rural poverty and improve the living conditions of rural Nepali. SAHARA Group works in different fields such as child protection and child rights or women empowerment.
- For more information see section "About us"
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
One of SAHARA group's missions, among others, consists in the promotion of women empowerment. What does that mean exactly?
Nowadays, women are still much more likely than men to be poor and illiterate. They usually have less access than men to education, medical care, property, credit, employment or political activities. Moreover, they are more likely to be victims of domestic violence and discrimination within the economic sphere. Then, women empowerment consists in redressing these power imbalances between women and men by giving women more autonomy to manage their own life, through education, employment-orientated skills, micro credits... Indeed, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) identifies different types of women empowerments. Among the most important are economic empowerment, educational empowerment and political empowerment. The empowerment of women should contribute to gender equality and promote a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, outcomes, rights and obligations in all spheres of life. "Women empowerment is vital to sustainable development and the realization of human rights for all"(UNFPA website) SAHARA group then contributes to the empowerment of women mainly through micro-enterprises or education. It also provides women and girls at risk of trafficking with safe shelters.
- For further information on women empowerment visit the UNFPA website or the UNIFEM website (United Nations Development Fund for Women).
- For more information about SAHARA Group's actions in that field see section "Projects" and "working areas"
