"CARE is at the forefront of community forestry in Nepal. We have accomplished so much in just three years working with the different community forest groups. We are succeeding in improving their skills and their lives by teaching them sustainable forestry techniques. This teaching is reinforced through the literacy classes Weyerhaeuser supports. Says Robin Needham, CARE Nepal country director, "People in the classes learn more than to read and write. They also learn that protecting and managing the forest is the best investment they can make in their futures. We teach them how."
CARE works closely with community forest groups to give them more control over the management of natural resources. In this way they are better able to conserve the environment and increase their productivity at the same time. CARE teaches community groups how to maximize their abilities to use the resources provided by the forest. The project also works to strengthen the groups' planning and financial capacities. CARE also encourages democratic processes among these groups. Each community forest group has a board of directors, including a chairperson, secretary of the board and a treasurer. Every household belonging to the group is able to vote for the members of the board, with one vote per household. Generally, it is the women who run the household. Therefore, making more women literate contributes greatly to the development of the community.
