SHEP seeks to support organisations which share its commitment to capacity building for personal and social transformation.

Sahakarmi Samaj

In September 2006, SHEP entered into a partnership with the Nepalese non-governmental organisation, Sahakarmi Samaj ('Interdependent Community').  Like SHEP, Sahakarmi specialises in the training and deployment in the community of skilled facilitators. 

Located between Tibet to the north and India to the south, Nepal has recently emerged from ten years of intense civil conflict that has seen the death of thousands of people in fighting between Maoist insurgents and government forces.  In this troubled context, Sahakarmi's facilitators work to build trust and solidarity among members of  village communities and provide support to community groups as they learn how to manage their affairs through democratic deliberation and planned collective action.  Over recent years, Sahakarmi's work in Banke District has led to the establishment of more than 300 community-based organisations which continue to address the needs of their respective communities.  These groups are linked by a number of local and regional networking organisations which assist them in their dealings with government and other agencies and advocate necessary policy changes.   

In May 2007, SHEP was awarded funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs to support Sahakarmi to extend its programme to two further districts - Kanchanpur (Nepal's most south-westerly district) and Bardiya (home of some of the world's last remaining Bengal tigers).  In delivering support to Sahakarmi, SHEP works in close partnership with the Dutch development organisation, ICCO-Kerkinactie, which is a co-funder of the new programme. 

Other International Partnerships

Over the coming years, SHEP intends to expand its international partnership programme.  We welcome contact from organisations which share our commitment to building capacity for constructive personal and social change.