from Progress Report – 2008

Human Security Fund Project: Basic education/Literacy, Income Security and Employment for vulnerable People including Children and Women in Bhutan

Section II: Purpose

This section is a summary of the project as approved in the project document.

a. Main Objectives and Outputs expected as per the approved project document;

Objectives Outputs

Objective I: Improved access and 15 child-friendly schools resulting in higher enrolment and completion of rural children, girls and boys, in primary education. (WFP / UNICEF)

1) Improvement of facilities for three selected boarding schools in vulnerable/food insecure areas.  (WFP)

2) Quality enhancement training for district education officers and relevant teachers of remote and rural districts and schools (WFP)

3) Capacity building of district education officers, assistant education officers, evaluation and monitoring officers and teachers of 15 selected community primary schools to implement and manage child friendly schools. (UNICEF)

4) Monitoring and participatory assessment for continuous quality enhancement (WFP and UNICEF for both Output 1 and 2)

Objective II: Provision of clean drinking water in 20 community schools, latrine in 8 schools and kitchens with fuel stoves to improve school sanitation, and environment in 14 selected rural schools (WFP / UNICEF)

1) Improvement of the school environment related to feeding (WFP)

2) Provide capacity-building assistance to Ministry of Education. (WFP)

3) Provision of latrine in 8 selected community primary schools as the community’s environment and sanitation models (UNICEF)

4) 20 selected schools in remote communities are provided with clean drinking water. (UNICEF)

5) Awareness on the importance of inclusive education, and health/sanitation (hygiene, waste management, use of latrines, etc.) raised in the unreached communities. (UNICEF)

Objective III: Increased knowledge, skills and income of rural poor households through the provision of non-formal education, village skills training and the establishment of a network of Integrated Community Development Centres (UNICEF / UNFPA / UNDP)

1. Increased outreach and quality of non-formal education (NFE) in targeted rural communities (UNICEF)

2. Provision of reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and gender classes as part of NFE

3. Community income /employment generation programme using “One village-one product” model through formation of locally available resource persons, who will serve as village skills’ instructors and organize village skills/product/market development courses covering 50 villages.

4. Provision of access to information, knowledge and relevant market information, public documents/forms and learning materials through enhanced communication facilities and local human capacities.

Objective IV: Micro finance services for the rural poor households, particularly women, improved reaching the unreached. (UNDP/ UNV)

1. Participatory assessment on the needs and utility of micro finance services among rural poor households, particularly women

2. Increased quality and outreach of microfinance services (credit and saving) through enhanced capacity of BDFC outreach staff.

3. Enhanced financial management capacity of rural farmer groups, cooperatives and SMEs.

Objective V: Increased jobs, selfemployment and small business to reduce unemployment, particularly among youth and women. (UNDP/ UNV)

1. In-depth analysis of existing job counselling and job search programs in rural and urban areas of Bhutan in both formal and informal settings

2. Development of job matching and counselling programmes linking the supply side and demand side

3. Development and implementation of “Apprenticeship and Business advisory Programme” through involvement of local entrepreneurs of both small-mid scale enterprises and larger scale enterprises.

4. Development and implementation of “IG (Income Generation) Start-up Support Programme”, with supporting package including technical training, equipment & raw materials, and start up seed grant, for estimated 50 unemployed/new business starters and/or small enterprises which will provide employment opportunities to the unemployed.

Objective VI: Capacity of civil society organisations enhanced in supporting vulnerable populations and promoting gender equality (UNFPA/UNDP)

1. Capacity of national NGO, “Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women (RENEW)” strengthened in promoting gender equality, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS as well as in addressing gender-based and domestic violence.

2. Capacity of handicraft training institutions (e,g, Handicraft vocational school, Vocational centre for disabled, Textile Museum and Textile Emporium) and local artisan groups strengthened with enhanced product quality and marketability.

3. Support to national NGOs (Youth Development Fund) helping out-of-school children or youth due to poverty or other socioeconomic difficulties to return to formal education system or to attend vocational training.