Norwegian Ambassador Kjell Tormod Pettersen and German Ambassador Matthias Meyer recently visited Semjong VDC in Dhading district in order to get first-hand information on the progress made in joint recovery and rehabilitation programmes supported by both the Norwegian and German governments.

In the course of visit, Ambassador Meyer and Bhogendra Raj Dotel, chief of Policy Planning and International Cooperation Division, Ministry of Health, jointly inaugurated Semjong’s new health post building.

The new health facility will serve 300 patients every month, restoring critical health care services to a VDC where most of the households saw their homes destroyed by last year’s devastating earthquake. One Heart World-Wide supplied medical equipment for the restored health posts, according to a statement released by the German Embassy in Kathmandu.

During the inauguration ceremony, the health posts of Duwakot I, Duwakot II, Katunje and Budhathum were also handed over to the Ministry of Health. With this, German Development Cooperation has now handed over all 16 pre-fabricated health posts designated for construction in the Dhading district.

Ambassador Pettersen laid the foundation stone of Shanti Primary School. Construction of eight schools in Dhading are co-financed by the Norwegian government and implemented by German Development Cooperation, with approximately 1,000 students over half of whom are girls expected to benefit.

The Recovery Programme Nepal has also supported a ‘Women for women’ initiative for income-generation with a local women’s cooperative.