Barbara Peace Model Villages

After our distribution of goods to the community in Baitadi we decided we had to do something more. It was imperative that the community be provided with basic secure homes to protect them from the freezing winters and the flooding monsoon rains.
Over the next months, with the help of a minimum local staff we built 36 stone houses with wooden doors and window frames and strong tin roofs were constructed in Thamu Chamaudia of Thamuchamadiya VDC, Baitadi District. 13 toilets were also built.
Every newly built house also has its own kitchen garden which grows organic vegetables for the community and BBF brought seven new kinds of fruit saplings (kiwis, avocados, etc.) which were planted the same day. Since then training in organic gardening has been carried out, a micro saving scheme started and thought has gone into how to make the community self sustaining.
Thus, Barbara’s Model Village was born was born in Thamu Chamaudia. We persuaded the Nepalese Government to give lal purjas to the house owners so they also owned the land on which the houses were built. Shortly later, a primary school of 3 classrooms was also built in the village. 93 students directly benefitted from the newly built school infrastructure, while the entire village structures directly benefitted a total of 293 individuals.
Following the successful creation of model village in Thamu Chamaudia, two more model villages – each consisting of 17 family groups– were built in Kukudaipani VDC, and Dol VDC, both in Baitadi district. A total of 10 toilets were also built in Kukudaipani VDC.
Additionally, 9 houses along with toilet for each house were built in Sittad VDC in Baitadi district.
In all, Barbara Peace Model Village directly fulfilled some most basic needs of 973 individuals of four VDCs of Baitadi district

Villagers’ response to model village
Surush Bhool
A 23 year old Dalit youth reminisced how he had never had the kind of childhood which most Nepali children enjoy. “We have been living hand to mouth since I can remember, with my father seeking seasonal work in India to try to feed my family, consisting of 8 brothers and sisters. I remember often being hungry for days and unable to attend formal school because of my caste and the discrimination in the Far West.
His father, the only breadwinner in the family became disabled, so when he was 13 his uncle decided to take him to India to work. He worked there for ten years until one day his father telephoned him and told him about BPF’s activities in the village including teaching organic farming and building houses .and acquiring land for homeless, landless dalits. “My father told me that I should return immediately because the life of the homeless dalits in the village was completely changed, thanks to the efforts of the Barbara Peace Foundation.”
“Now I have a new and beautiful house and have started an orgainic garden. With the money I saved in India I have opened a small shop which serves my fellow villagers and I feel like I have a new and beautiful life! Thank you Barbara!”
Sundar Bhool
“In my 53 years of life I never owned any land nor had a fixed place to live. I had to shift my family and kids from place to place at least ten times. Now, thanks to BPF I have a home and a little land for a kitchen garden. I slept well for the first time in my life, last night, knowing that at last I had a home!” said Sundar Bhool
Dhani Rani Sunar
She said she had spent most of her life living a transient existence in various forests and various caves. “Even my son was born in a cave” she said. Now suddenly I can live in a real house, and feel as though I have a new life!
Rami Aod
A woman with nine children -three of whom died “for lack of care” said she never dreamed she would own a house and land. “Thank you God and Barbara Peace Foundation” she said.

Model Villages in a glimpse
• 36 houses in Thamuchamadiya VDC, Baitadi District
• 17 houses in Kukudaipani VDC, Baitadi District
• 17 houses in Dol VDC, Baitadi District
• 9 houses in Sittad VDC, Baitadi District
• 1 Primary School of 3 classrooms in Thamuchamadiya VDC, Baitadi District
• 13 toilets in Thamuchamadiya VDC, Baitadi District
• 10 toilets in Kukudaipani VDC, Baitadi District
• 09 toilets in Sittad VDC, Baitadi District