Social Audit of Gramin Mahila Utthan Kendra (RWDC) accomplished
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Ghorahi-15 (December 4, 2020): Gramin Mahila Utthan Kendra also known as Rural Women Development Center (RWDC) based in Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis -15 organized a social audit program on December 4, 2020 at Citi Plaza hotel in Ghorahi.
The main objective of the program was to make RWDC yearly activities transparent and accountable to the public. The Social Audit program was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Jitendra Man Nepali, who is also the chairman of the Dang District Coordination Committee.
The program was presided over by RWDC chairperson Mrs. Aasmani Chaudhary, while other special guests and guests were Mayor of Lamahi municipality, Kul Bahadur KC, the whip of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis, Bharat Aryal, Ward no 4 chairman Bhim Bahadur Sarki, ward no 17 chairman Khusi Ram Chaudhary, representative of Dang industries and commerce Narayan Bushal, coordinator of civil society Chandra Raj Pant, Social activist Bhuwan Chaudhary, woman activist Sushila Acharya, Lawyer and activist Goma Mahara, social activist Huma DC, Tharu journalist Santosh Dahit respectively. Also, present on the occasion were all RWDC board members and staff including Shaogat Bir Chaudhary, Meera Chaudhary, and Madhava Pokhrel.
As many as 60 women and men participants were present on the occasion to see the presentations about RWDC activities done in the last fiscal year. The slide presentations about RWDC social audit and activities were done by Rajani Shrestha and Durga Lal KC, while Basundhara Gautam conducted the Social Audit sessions from 12 P,M to 3.30 PM, and Madhava Pokhrel gave her welcome speech to the audience of the program. Durga Lal KC and Basundhara Gautam were the external evaluator of Gramin Mahila Utthan Kendra (RWDC) activities focusing on CS: MAP activities with 13 indicators and SLVC-II activities focusing on chain value of goats and promoting cooperatives to enhance income generation activities of rural women and cooperatives run by them.
The program was divided into two sessions. The first session was fully dedicated to the presentation of Social Audit slides while the second session was open to the participants to collect their feedback and suggestions for improvement. Speaking during the program, the chief guest Jitendra Nepali said the social audit tool should be used to check if the political parties have fulfilled the commitment they had done during the last general elections. Similarly, while responding to a few queries of the participants, Aasmani Chaudhary said establishing an organization and sustaining it was just like nurturing children after giving birth to them.
“Although we have crossed 26 years of our humanitarian journey to prevent gender-based violence, promote women’s literacy and income generation, yet we have a long journey to make still.” Speaking during the same program Devi Maya Thapa representing her women cooperative established in Rihar of Dang district said, “I am 75 years old woman now. I remember how some years back RWDC Chairperson Aasmani Chaudhary and Bhim Kant came to us and told us to save Rs 20 per month and rear Goats. At that time saving Rs 20 in a month was too difficult for our sisters. But today we are proud that with the support of RWDC we have grown into a big cooperative. We have our office building. We own two pick-up vans and a maize seed sowing machine, two tractors too. We have six staff to look after the cooperative where more than 1100 sisters are our valued shareholders.” Social audit is one of the tools used to make all activities and expenses related to activities clear, transparent, accountable to the public.
