About Nepal

Nepal is famous for having 8 of the 10 highest peaks, including Everest, 7 world heritage sites in Kathmandu and elsewhere - and its people have a legendary reputation for hospitality. Nepal is also the land of the Gurkhas and the Sherpas - hardy peoples who have gained a worldwide reputation. A very devout society, with over 350,000 shrines, temples, chortens, stupas and other sacred places, the small land-locked Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal is little known in the West.

The majority of Nepalis face huge challenges. Today, Nepal is the third poorest country in the world. Whilst people living in Kathmandu and the Kathmandu Valley are relatively well-off, much of the rural population struggles to put food on the table. Almost half of the population live on under half a dollar a day. Infant and maternal mortality rates are high and life expectancy is 60 years on average. Only one-third can read or write. There are massive disparities in education and health care provision across the caste system. In most river beds, the poorest crush stones into gravel and sand for sale to building sites. It takes 6 adults to crush stones for 15 days to raise 1000 Nepalese Rupees (around £7.50) between them.

Nepali society exhibits various feudal tendencies. The King has hitherto been thought of by the less educated to be a reincarnation of a God. Most of the land is owned by a narrow elite and the state and government are dominated by the top two castes (Bramin and Chettri). The political system has until recently been unresponsive to popular demands, corruption has been endemic and it's who, rather than what you know that counts. The extreme poverty in the rural regions fuelled a Maoist insurgency which since 1996 has claimed in the order of 13,000 lives.

With Jan Aandolan II (People's Movement II) in April 2006, the democratic Seven Party Alliance joined forces with the Maoists in peaceful protests which eventually forced the King to hand back power to the democratic authorities. The Trust's activities continued long after large INGOs such as DFiD were pulling out - and we only had to stop our work about two weeks before the revolution.

Now peace has held for a year and elections are due by June 2007 to select a new political settlement, it is vital to work all the more to rebuild this deeply damaged society.