Poverty Alleviation through Social Mobilization (A Case Study of the Development Programme Godamchaur VDC of Lalitpur)

Abstract

Poverty in Nepal is deep and complex. Low economic growth, teach, improvements in Human Development, inequality, and social exclusion has been major components of Nepalese poverty. Another striking fact is that income Poverty. Another striking act fact is that income poverty in Nepal has mostly affected rural areas despite some achievements in national economic growth since few decades. The growth has always bypassed the rural poor. Poverty has also been an underlying theme of Nepalese Development efforts since long before. After the Ninth Hall (1997-2002) it has become sole development objective. It is approval that successful poverty alleviation calls for empowerment of people, good governance and peoples participation especially through decision molting level. Social mobilization aims in bringing about broader involvement of people in decision-making and to empower the renal communities socially and economically. Godamchaur is also a village of Nepal, which is suffering from various forms of poverty. In this village many GOs and NGOs are conducting different types of programs with the aim of poverty alleviation. Among them four programs are working with the approach of Social Mobilization. Two of the programs are government related organization and the remaining two are related with NGOs. This study is an attempt to review different aspects of these programs regarding their aim. The study, was mainly targeted to find out the strengths weaknesses and shortcomings of the programs and Men to suggest recommendations aimed improving the implementation and impacts of the, program. The research has been mainly designed with explorative and descriptive approach. Key informants from various sources were consulted and interviewed. In depth study of available and related literature was dome mid a representative sample size of 65 was selected using simple stratified random sampling techniques from members of various Community Organizations formed by the programs. Both primary as well as secondary sources of information were used fire the analysis.

The first chapter of this dissertation deals wish conceptual background of Social Mobilization and poverty in Nepal along with the objectives, limitations and rationale of the study. The second chapter has reviewed various literatures related with this issue. The third chapter is on the methodology used for this research. The fourth chapter has given some of the key features and history of social mobilization in brief as an approach of poverty alleviation in Nepal. The fifth chapter introduces the study area. The sixth chapter encompasses the findings and analysis done in the research. The findings have been presented in understandable form as for as possible. Various constraints regarding the implementation of the social mobilization in the study area has been analyzed in the chapter. The seventh chapter concludes these research findings and provides some recommendations regarding implementation of the program along with some suggestions for further researches. Social mobilization lilts generated optimism that poor communities can be activates to manage their oven development problems to a significant level if giver: a proper mechanism of authority to them. This has again conformed that people can be imitate but not irrational. Organization of groups at the settlement level has taken the practice of social mobilization to a deeper level, which could be et supportive factor in ensuring sustainability of the program. Social mobilization in many cases has been successful in uniting people of different. Background and also in building level of confidence in women and dalits of the village. Despite the achievements, there is a need more concern on issues of education, health and building of social infrastructure. More opportunities of training, should be provided to the people. Level of coordination between different social mobilizing agencies need to be improved and a proper system of monitoring and evaluation has become important in calculating the cost-effectiveness of the programs. In order to reduce the risk of discontinuation of the program, priority should he on use of local resources not mere dependency on external grants. Concurrently, the role of social mobilizer should be cadre-based not the staff recruited from concerning agencies.