Nepal - Baburam (Babu) Tharu - 2013 Graduate

Baburam (Babu) Tharu

Adharbhut Gramin Bikas Sewa (AGBS)

Graduate Impact Study site visit, February 2015

by Steven Cutting

“I think happiness comes from...like the villagers love me, because I help them and every villager respects me.”

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Babu

Baburam is a teacher by profession. After completing his own education, which he started late due to his family’s poverty, he was asked by his villagers to come and teach their children. So he accepted a posting at the local higher secondary school where he is responsible for science, health and physical education classes. He felt, however, that he could do more for the development of his village and his country, and so in 1997, he and a few devoted friends founded the organization Adharbhut Gramin Bikas Sewa (AGBS) which can be loosely translated to Basic Development Services. Facing skepticism from the village elders that these youth could actually do anything, they decided to start “slowly, slowly” and initiated a village sanitation program. With no toilets in people’s homes, the streets were quite filthy, so they built three public latrines. However, this was a failure as no one would take responsibility for keeping them clean. So they tried a new approach of placing a toilet at each household which has been very effective.

https://gyazo.com/77e08c27731b89dff53611651dc170f6

Morning exercise at Rumgai Village school

Working in collaboration with the United Mission to Nepal the organization has also started a health center and maternal health clinic, which has been effective at reducing malnutrition among children in the district, which previous had one of the highest rates in the plains area of Nepal. This has been accomplished by treating complications after delivery, providing regular checkups for children and pregnant women, teaching how to mix nutritious porridge, and introducing kitchen gardening. They have also started a birthing center with two mid-wives, one provided by the government and one provided by the community, where 200 women have delivered in the last three years. Previously women gave birth at home or had to travel 15 kilometers to the nearest hospital and many babies died.

https://gyazo.com/d3bfef166e0f599cc92c1eda65e6059d

Baburam in his home beside traditional earthen rice storage container

Working through Village Development Committees (VDCs), they have also started the Adharbhut Savings and Credit cooperative, farmers’ cooperatives, and community forest initiatives. Baburam trains agricultural technicians in each village farming practices such as vegetable gardening, livestock rearing, how to make Bokashi, etc, “and that person goes to the local level and teaches the group members.” After returning from ARI, Baburam started a personal venture of two large fish ponds stocked with six varieties of fish which he feeds a mixture of rice bran and oil cake. Banana trees surround the waters to provide additional nutrients and plans are in the works to add a duck pond and a pigpen. Baburam’s involvement in so many communities has made his name well-known throughout the district. With a smile of contentment, he shares, “I think happiness comes from...like the villagers love me, because I help them and every villager respects me.”

Rumgai village harvesting rye grass / carrying bamboo

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