After ten years of its service in Nuwakot, Save the Children US (SCUS) is to close down its programmes at the district effective from 2003 causing trouble to about 70 employees working at SCUS who will become jobless and more than 500 local people, who were indirectly employed as a result of the ongoing projects or were at least benefiting from activities being run by the organisation.

“A great number of local people were employed in informal education and the physical infrastructure development projects of the organisation, but its closing down has compelled them to migrate to towns in search of work”, said Nur Bahadur Thapa, Chairman of Samundratar VDC.

Former employees of the organisation are now left stranded. Ram Chandra Nepal, a resident of Ratemate VDC in the district, who spent his youth in the organisation, said, “I joined, thinking I would be better off in an International Organisation. I travelled from village to village and worked for many years, but I am now left empty-handed.” Nepal, who presently runs a grocery in his home village, regrets spending the best years of his life in the organisation, which is now closing.

The Nuwakot division of SCUS has been running integrated programmes on health, education, women development, child protection, agriculture, forests and cooperatives since it was established in October 1992. Development projects on health, cleanliness, adult literacy classes and primary education are also ongoing in different VDCs of Area No. 1, 12 and 13.

"SCUS Nuwakot has already begun reducing the number of development projects in the district and has said it will close down completely at the beginning of 2003. Preparations are being made to complete the on-going projects and completely close down the district office from next year," said Krishna Bahadur Gurung, SCUS Programme Manager.

The organisation based in Samundratar Village Development Committee (VDC) in electoral constituency no-2 of the district and had been undergoing social development projects in 14 adjoining VDCs. However, the organisation itself has faced some obstacles, since its office had to be shifted to the district headquarters Bidur after Maoist activities increased and attacks on the organisation as well as on other NGOs took place.

Many local clubs and organisations running programmes in the district cancelled their agreements after the CPN-Maoist decided to wipe out all NGOs except the Red Cross and began setting fire to their offices and intimidating office-bearers.

Citing insecurity as the main reason, partner organisations investing in SCUS projects decided to call off their financing. Due to this, the ongoing projects are to be completed in partnership with the Red Cross and a contact office and will be carried out through local clubs and organisations.

"Eight to ten technical employees will be kept on until the projects are completed," added Gurung.