Bhutan

Making a difference in Lamthang, Zhemgang

Zhemgang Dzongkhag, with a population of 18,636 and a total land area of 2,421.74 square kilometers, lies in the south-central region of the country. The district remains one of the most inaccessible and remote regions in the country. Zhemgang has the highest poverty incidence in the country and remains among the most vulnerable districts in terms of food security due to geo-physical constraints, poor physical infrastructure and weak road access. However, the district enjoys reasonably moderate levels of human development linked to the acceptable levels of education and health facilities.

Lamthang is situated under the block administration called Goshing. The area is endowed with arable land and the fertile soils. However, limited irrigation facilities and limited accessibility have constrained the growth of agricultural production. Agricultural practices in this area have traditionally been based on slash and burn cultivation, and the area is also renowned for their handcrafted cane and bamboo products. There are currently 44 households, with 246 females and 240 males in Lamthang. The field visit was conducted by one UNDP staff and two officials from Ministry of Agriculture and Forests.

The team from Thimphu was accompanied by the Assistant District Agricultural Officer (ADAO) who is based at the Zhemgang District office and one field officer from Tarayana Foundation. It has taken two full days walk to get to Lamthang village. In the nearest village before the steep climb started, we were greeted by the village leaders and another field officer from Tarayana Foundation who is stationed in Lamthang full time to help implement and monitor activities on the ground.

With support from Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, farmers were trained in cultivation and compost making using organic materials, and was supplied with 10 silo bins for storage of grains. 25 additional silo bins are on the way. Ginger and garlic cultivation has started, and farmers were also familiarized with the rainwater harvesting. Exposure visit for farmers and distribution of seeds will be carried out from September onwards during the winter crop season to further enhance their knowledge and skills, and improve production through provision of training and agricultural input. Moreover, two poultry sheds were constructed to house 200 birds, and 4 CGI sheets were supplied to each household to construct piggery sheds.

With the support of Tarayana Foundation, a saving group was formed in the village to create a common fund to be used during the time of emergency. This saving scheme has been in operation for three months, during which Nu.12,200 has been collected. Each member contributes Nu.100 per month to the common fund. The scheme’s membership has grown from the initial 10 members to 25 members to date. The management of the saving scheme will be handed over to the community, and will be converted into the micro-credit scheme after setting up the bi-laws, constitution and appointing the executive members.  

In Lamthang, construction of 12 houses are ongoing. The project has supported the distribution of 276 CGI sheets for the roofing material, and the rest of the materials as well as the labour is contributed by the community. In order to diversify the livelihoods and to earn extra income, four self-help groups have been set up to engage in income generation activities, such as production of handicrafts and weaving. The 15% of the profit generated from the sales of handicraft items is saved as seed funding for micro-credit. Training to improve the quality of products is in progress, and the plan is to upgrade their quality to cater for potential export market in the future.   

A sustainable approach was consciously adopted, for example in constructing the houses through the use of locally available raw materials and training men and women on carpentry and masonry skills. Free labour was contributed by the community themselves to ensure their ownership. Community mobilization to help build each other’s houses has created confidence among the community members as well as an enabling environment to take up more community-based initiatives through increase in social capital. Furthermore, the benefit of skills development is expected to go beyond the construction of their own houses by enabling them to earn cash income during off-farm seasons.

The community members were happy to receive the support from the donors, and were in turn motivated to work hard to improve their livelihoods. The village has not been supplied with electricity, and the community members have expressed the need for solar panel in each household, as well as the farming tools such as axe and shovel to help ease their farming activities. The block office has supplied cement to construct toilet facilities to improve their sanitation. A Tarayana field officer noted that “there has been a visible impact in the community through the project intervention as the community was empowered to take ownership for their development.”