Housewarming and Handover Ceremony Instills Hope for Elderly Woman-Led Household in Gadhawa
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8 Feb, 2026
On 23 Poush 2082 (7 January 2026) Gadhawa Rural Municipality–02, Mahadewa was filled with profound joy and communal celebration during the housewarming and handover (Griha Pravesh) ceremony for Ms. Kailashpati Chaudhary, an 83-year-old woman living with her granddaughter and grandson. The event celebrated the completion and formal handover of a new earthquake-resistant house, offering renewed hope, safety, and dignity to this vulnerable elderly-led household.
Organized under the “Strengthening Women-Led Families through Safe Housing and Advocacy (SWFHA)” project, the initiative was implemented through partnerships between Rural Women Development Centre (RWDC) Dang, NIVAS Organization, MetLife Foundation, and Gadhawa Rural Municipality.
Ms. Aasmani Chaudhary, Chairperson of RWDC, chaired the ceremony. Chief Guest Mr. Yam Narayan Sharma Pokhrel, Chairman of Gadhawa Rural Municipality, was joined by Special Guest Mr. Nirmal Kaji Shrestha, Vice President and General Manager of MetLife Nepal. Other dignitaries included Ms. Sharda Kumari Chaudhary, Vice Chairperson of Gadhawa Rural Municipality; Mr. Krishna Prasad Paudyal, Chief Administrative Officer; Ms. Sushma Shrestha, Impact and Innovation Director of NIVAS; Mr. Arun B. Basnet, Assistant Vice President and Chief Distribution Officer, MetLife Nepal; Mr. Sashidhar Parajuli, Province Head, MetLife Nepal; Mr. Bhaktu Chaudhary, Ward Chairman of Ward No. 2; and Mr. Ramesh Chaudhary, Branch Manager of Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd., Gadhawa.
In his address, Chief Guest Mr. Pokhrel noted that since 2024, Gadhawa Rural Municipality has collaborated with RWDC to build homes for extremely poor, marginalized, homeless single women and women-led families with children under 16. He highlighted ongoing shelter gaps in the municipality, pledged increased budget allocations for future housing, and urged RWDC and partners to expand efforts.
Mr. Shrestha expressed pride in MetLife Foundation’s Social Protection Fund supporting these earthquake-resistant homes, calling it a model of trust, transparency, and multi-stakeholder partnership. He congratulated the beneficiary family.
Vice Chairperson Ms. Sharda Kumari Chaudhary praised the RWDC-municipality collaboration on two-room houses with toilets for homeless women-led families and reaffirmed budget commitments for more.
Ms. Sushma Shrestha of NIVAS emphasized the project’s strong results in Dang District, crediting MetLife Foundation’s trust and partnership.
Ward Chairperson Mr. Bhaktu Chaudhary described Ms. Kailashpati’s family as one of Ward No.-2’s most distressed, thanking RWDC, NIVAS, and the municipality for resolving their housing crisis and calling for links to income programs.
RWDC Chairperson Ms. Aasmani Chaudhary outlined the organization’s vision for a self-reliant society, spanning agriculture, income generation, governance, health, education, and housing. Under the NIVAS-local government project, RWDC built homes for extremely poor single women with young children in Rajpur and Gadhawa—four in Gadhawa in 2024 and three in 2025—with plans for more. She announced RWDC’s support for 15-year-old granddaughter Illawoti Chaudhary’s education and ongoing discussions for other beneficiaries.
The program opened with a welcome by Ms. Bina Chaudhary, Centre Chief of Aatmanirbhar Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Ltd., Mahadewa. Following quality verification for earthquake-resistant standards, the load-bearing house—with strong foundation, cement masonry walls, CGI roofing, ventilation, and raised plinth—was handed over, ensuring durability against climate and disaster risks.
Ms. Kailashpati Chaudhary and her granddaughter expressed deep gratitude for the security, dignity, and peace the home provides.
The event ended joyfully with a traditional Tharu dance and a performance by Illawoti Chaudhary. Facilitated by Ms. Parbati Basnet, it drew community members, neighbors, relatives, MetLife Nepal representatives, RWDC staff, Inclusive Designers & Builders, women’s group leaders, media personnel and other guests.
This ceremony underscored partners’ and the community’s commitment to safe, dignified futures for elderly and women-led vulnerable households.
