On the morning of May 9th, the China Foundation for Rural Development (CFRD), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal Office, held a handover ceremony for the " Pandemic Prevention and Green Recovery " project under the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund at Shree Saraswati School in the Sarlahi District of Madhesh Province. The ceremony was attended by over 400 people, including Mr. Chen Song, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal; Mr. Saroj Kumar Yadav, Minister of Infrastructure of Madhesh Province; Mr. Xie Yu, Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Nepal; Mr. Julien Chevillard, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Nepal; Ms. Kalpana Kumari Katwal, Mayor of Barahathawa; Mr. Zhu Qingjun, President of the Nepal Chinese Enterprises Association; Mr. Wu Peng, Director of the International Development Department of the CFRD; Ms. Zou Zhiqiang, Director of the Nepal Office; as well as teachers and students from Shree Saraswati School, and media representatives.

    The scene of deliberation ceremony

In his address, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Chen Song, stated that as one of the first projects in the Global Development Initiative project pool, the " Pandemic Prevention and Green Recovery " project provides equipment and materials to create a safe and healthy environment for students and communities. This project will benefit 25 community schools, 15,000 schoolchildren, and 7,500 families in the Sarlahi and Rautahat districts of Madhesh Province. The Global Development Initiative aims to build a global development community, prioritizing development, and people-centered approaches to promote the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In the next phase, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, with the support of friendly Chinese organizations, will launch a series of projects to provide clean drinking water to schools and to improve rural lighting conditions in Nepal, further enhancing the living environment in rural areas and benefiting more students and residents.

Mr. Chen Song, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, giving a speech

Mr. Saroj Kumar Yadav, Minister of Infrastructure of Madhesh Province, highly praised the assistance the Chinese government and the CFRD provided for Nepal's pandemic recovery. Madhesh Province was one of the areas in Nepal most severely affected by the pandemic. The CFRD had previously built hundreds of handwashing stations and five regional quarantine centres and distributed the Panda Pack Project and Smiling Children Program's Food Packs in various areas. This time, the "Pandemic Prevention and Green Recovery " project, one of the first projects under the Global Development Initiative, was implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal Office. The project has once again reached the Sarlahi and Rautahat districts of Madhesh Province, distributing backpacks containing hygiene, educational, and daily supplies to 15,000 students in 25 schools, effectively promoting local educational development. On behalf of the community, he expressed sincere gratitude for the attention and support from the Chinese people to the residents of remote areas in Nepal.

Mr. Saroj Kumar Yadav, Minister of Infrastructure of Madhesh Province, giving a speech

Wu Peng, Director of the International Development Department of the CFRD, said in his speech: "The implementation of international aid projects funded by the Chinese government by Chinese social organizations and UN agencies not only fully utilizes the expertise of UN agencies but also adapts to local conditions to promote China's poverty reduction and development experiences, thereby forming a synergistic effort. These better leverages the Chinese government's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund in helping developing countries achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as soon as possible." 

Director Wu Peng mentioned that the CFRD has implemented sustainable development projects in over 60 regions across 7 provinces in Nepal. These projects include post-disaster reconstruction, the Domestic Panda Pack Project, the Smiling Children Program, youth vocational training program, and water supply projects. The total donations of funds and materials have exceeded 10 million USD, benefiting more than 600,000 people.

Wu Peng, Director of the International Development Department of the CFRD, giving a speech

Julien Chevillard, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nepal, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government, the local government, and the CFRD for their efforts and cooperation in helping local students improve their learning environment. He hopes to continue working with the Chinese government and the CFRD to implement more projects that benefit people's livelihoods and better support the development of remote areas in Nepal.

Julien Chevillard, Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nepal, giving a speech

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song, Economic and Commercial Counselor Xie Yu, UNDP representatives, Director of the International Development Department of the CFRD Director Wu Peng, and Director of the Nepal Office Zou Zhiqiang, together distributed backpacks containing hygiene, educational, and daily supplies to beneficiary students.

Ambassador Chen Song distributing backpacks

Economic and Commercial Counselor Xie Yu distributing backpacks

CFRD Nepal Office Director Zou Zhiqiang distributing backpacks

Additionally, the guests collectively planted a China-Nepal Friendship Tree, and local students performed traditional ethnic dances for the guests. Finally, Ms. Kalpana Kumari Katwal, Mayor of Barahathawa, summarized the ceremony. She expressed her gratitude for the assistance from the Chinese government's Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, the CFRD, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Chinese Embassy in Nepal for their contributions to the educational development of students in the remote areas of Madhesh Province. She also presented a plaque of appreciation to the CFRD.

Ms. Kalpana Kumari Katwal, Mayor of Barahathawa, giving a speech

Ms. Kalpana Kumari Katwal presenting a plaque of appreciation to CFRD

Guests jointly planting the China-Nepal Friendship Tree

Nepalese traditional ethnic dance performance

Project Background

On June 24, 2022, President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Global Development High-Level Dialogue, announcing the integration and upgrading of the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund into the "Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund." On September 20, 2022, Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative in New York and announced the first batch of project lists, including the " Pandemic Prevention and Green Recovery " project.

On November 29, 2022, Tang Wenhong, Deputy Director of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, and Beate Trankmann, UNDP Resident Representative in China, signed the agreement for the " Pandemic Prevention and Green Recovery " project. This project aims to promote the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, help the Nepalese people achieve joint development, and create a safe and healthy learning environment for students while enabling communities to respond to extreme weather events, disasters, and external shocks. In December 2022, the UNDP Nepal Office collaborated with the CFRD Nepal Office to implement this project. The China Foundation for Rural Development distributed backpacks containing hygiene, educational, and daily supplies to 15,000 students across 25 schools in the Sarlahi and Rautahat districts of Madhesh Province, promoting local educational development.

Previously, in July 2022, the China Foundation for Rural Development successfully implemented the Nepal Smiling Children (Food Distribution) Program in Nepal using the "Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund."