Silver Jubilee Celebration

Date: 26 August 2009 The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is celebrating 25 years of dedicated service in Nepal . In the run-up to its Silver Jubilee celebration, LWF Nepal organized a function on 26 August 2009 in Kathmandu . Ambassadors, Chair of LWF/the Department of World Service Standing Committee Rev. Dr Augustine Jeyakumar, Vice Chairperson of the National Planning Commission Dr Yuvraj Khatiwada, treasurer of the Social Welfare Council, representatives of ministries and other distinguished guests graced the occasion. On the occasion, five focus group members associated with the projects and programs of LWF Nepal in eastern, mid-western and far-western regions shared their experience of working with development agencies.

Freed Kamaiya and Haliya, a Dalit, a member of the Disaster Management Committee and a Bhutanese refugee briefly talked about the issues of their communities and highlighted the pressing need for concerted efforts for the uplift of the poor and oppressed communities.

“The people of Nepal have the supreme task of eradicating deep-rooted poverty,” said Rev. Dr Jeyakumar, who is on a three-day visit to Nepal . He urged the staff of LWF Nepal to make sincere attempts at “wiping off the tears of the needy and bringing smiles on the faces of the people” through words and actions. “That will be the true contribution to humanity,” he said, “The Lutheran World Federation has been silently doing an enormous task in Nepal .”

LWF Nepal's 10 major programs and projects cover around 260,000 households that include 1.4 million people in 18 districts of the country in partnership with 29 community-based organizations and non-government organizations. Apart from that, it also renders service to more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees in eastern Nepal .

As part of the Silver Jubilee celebration, more than 20,000 tree saplings have been planted voluntarily by group members who are associated with LWF Nepal by mid-2009.

“I take this opportunity to thank our various national implementing partners and alliances, international resource partners, the Government of Nepal, our focus groups and staff for their efforts, assistance, valued support and continued cooperation,” said Marceline P. Rozario, country representative of LWF Nepal.

As a leading international organization, LWF Nepal always tries to maintain its credibility to its focus groups and stakeholders by implementing development and humanitarian programs with a high degree of people's participation and accountability.

In this Silver Jubilee year, the organization and its committed staff would like to recall some of the major achievements that they have made over the years in the areas of humanitarian service rendered to disaster-affected people, liberation of bonded laborers and advocacy for their rehabilitation, women's empowerment, reduction in caste-based discrimination, assistance to Bhutanese refugees, and emergence of self-governed institutions of the poor and oppressed.

Even during the 10-year-long armed conflict in Nepal , from 1995 to 2006, the Country Program of LWF did maintain a satisfactory level of progress in project implementation.