Centre for Media Freedom

Kathmandu, 9 September – Australia’s Ambassador to Nepal, HE Glenn White, on Friday presented cheques worth AUS$ 595,000 (approx. NPR 46.8 million) to 20 nongovernment organisations in Nepal, including Centre for Media Freedom (CMF), under the embassy’s Direct Aid Program (DAP) 2016-17.

CMF is to conduct training to journalists to promote post-conflict reconciliation in seven different districts with support from this fund.

Distributing cheques to the recipient organisations, Ambassador White said the Australian Government provides the money to assist communities and other worthy projects which have a clear humanitarian or development theme. The twenty projects this year were selected from a list of over 140 proposals received by the embassy from NGOs and charity groups.

The recipients for this year are:

1. Centre for Media Freedom to conduct training to journalists to promote post-conflict reconciliation;
2. Reiyukai Eiko Masunaga Eye Hospital, Kavre, to purchase medical equipment to improve its service delivery for people from rural communities;
3. Nepal Leprosy Trust, Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital and Services Centre, Dhanusha to help prevent and reduce burden of disability and stigma of leprosy;
4. Public Health Concern Trust Nepal, Kathmandu, to strengthen knowledge on obstetric fistula among health service providers in three districts;
5. Nepal Association of the Blind, Kathmandu to develop Nepali Optical Character Recognition Software to assist blind people in reading Nepali texts;
6. Maiti Nepal to conduct awareness and income generation training to women to prevent trafficking and other forms of violence in two districts;
7. Autism Care Nepal Society to establish and strengthen speech therapy and occupational therapy centres for children with autism;
8. Gyan Bikas Community Library, Kavre to purchase books for the library;
9. Ujyalo Foundation, Kathmandu to fight gender based violence through technology and transformative behaviour programs in two districts;
10. National Federation of the Deaf Nepal to develop easily accessible Nepali Sign Language materials and promote access of deaf people to education, communication and social events;

11. Nepal Cancer Relief Society to conduct health promotion activities;
12. Nyaya Health Nepal to procure medical equipment for hospitals;
13. Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal to conduct psychosocial awareness camps in two districts;
14. Cricket Association of the Blind to organise Inclusive Disability Sports Festival for Awareness;
15. Nepal Heart Foundation to conduct heart screening of school children;
16. Sancharika Samuha Nepal to conduct initiatives for empowerment of women for democracy;
17. Rural Health and Education Service Trust to conduct nutritional awareness building campaigns;
18. Federation of Business and Professional Women Nepal to conduct trainings for building capacity of women owned small and medium enterprises for economic growth and recovery;
19. Nepal Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation to conduct cancer screening women; and
20. Naxal Boxing Club to purchase sporting equipment.

The DAP is a flexible small grants program funded from Australia’s aid budget. In Nepal, the Embassy invites proposals for funding in May-June each year.

CMF had won the fund in the previous year as well.