NTE Social Project Partners

SmileHigh Foundation

SmileHigh Foundation is registered in Australia, New Zealand, and Nepal and has been providing Community Oral Healthcare in Nepal for over 13 years, with two very important objectives:

a. empowerment of Nepali dental professionals in the provision of community oral healthcare programs, and

b. achievement of sustainable oral health outcomes through programs that focus on education and preventive treatment conducted in communities for a minimum of 3 years.

SmileHigh works in school environments, to emphasize its education, preventative treatment, and community engagement objectives. SmileHigh overseas professional team members focus on mentoring and training the Nepali teams on best practice community oral health programs. Our work is increasingly involving teaching institutions and hospitals with the aim of transferring knowledge on community oral health and pediatric dentistry SmileHigh to students and trained dentists. To date, this has resulted in signed collaboration agreements with Kathmandu University Dhulikhel Hospital and Kathmandu Medical College.

Community Leadership Nepal Foundation

Community Leadership Nepal Foundation was set up by its current chairman Trevor Moyle in 2017 and is registered in both Australia and Nepal, with highly experienced boards in both countries.
The mission of CLNF is to support the development of projects which empower community members to take leadership roles in the achievement of sustainable outcomes. The CLNF mission is demonstrated with the following two foundation projects -

1. Sustainable Agriculture Learning Centre at Manechauka, Tanahun

There is a high demand and need for quality sustainable agriculture training in Nepal, with goals of improving productivity from better use of scarce farmland, use of modern agribusiness methods and reduction of the increasing use of environmentally unsatisfactory practices, such as overuse of chemicals that are often banned in countries like Australia. The project is based around a 3-year Dip Ag Sc course at Shree Tribhuvan Secondary College in Manechauka, on the border of Tanahun and Lamjung districts. The first phase of this project involves the provision of expert advice and funding support for the set up of a working school farm and associated teacher training.

The project will support the education of an annual intake of about up to 50 students drawn from a wide area of Nepal. The course streams of the Nepalese CTEVT approved Diploma of Agricultural Science qualifications (similar to a VCAL course in Australia) are Animal Science and Plant Science. Partners have been identified in Australia and Nepal to help develop the quality of the diploma courses as well as establishing the campus and online-based course modules for the wider farming community in Nepal.

2. Model Community Development Project – Ghyangphedi Community, Nuwakot

CLNF has agreed to take on an empowering development program for the community of Ghyangphedi which has experienced a range of entrenched health, education, economic poverty, and social issues. The devastating impact of the 2015 earthquakes has compounded these issues with increased problems of adequate shelter and food security with the vulnerability of the community most graphically demonstrated with increased alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence and trafficking of girls and young women. This all has led to a low level of self-esteem and an inability to break an entrenched cycle. The project is structured as a model of what could be achieved in other Nepali communities.

The CLNF's initial focus is to work with women and girls with a focus of empowerment through better quality education. Outcome objectives include the elimination of trafficking and an increase in school attendance, together with the establishment of leadership structures in the community.

CLNF Nepal Board members Dr Laxmi Tamang (with expertise in Women's and Children's Health) and Dr Suresh Tamang (with expertise on community and social development) will take joint Nepal based leadership in this project, supported by CLNF Australian Board members Madhuri Maskey, Dr Sandesh Pantha, Caroline Nadj and Trevor Moyle.

CLNF has established a working partnership with US charity Global Orphan Prevention, led by Katie Hilborn who has recently completed a fundraising to build a girls' hostel and empowerment center at Ghyangphedi. The 2 organizations have strong synergistic objectives and have a common connection with CLNF board member Dr Laxmi Tamang.