Sanjeep hails from the Kavre district in Nepal and has been associated with tdh supported project ARD for several years. He had been associated with the project since a younger age and the project workers recognizing his potential have always encouraged him to participate in project activities and gradually take on the role of a leader. Sanjeep is now the leader of the Youth Network and has been elected from amongst 80 youth across the area to the post. He works with the local government as well and has a deep understanding of ecological issues and challenges his area faces.
His village and the surrounding areas suffer from severe droughts and Sanjeep as the head of the Youth Federation decided to do something to address that. They also knew that the current solution to the drought problem was to dig and create bore wells which would deplete the groundwater and therefore have a negative impact on the environment. Their town was also growing at a steady pace and therefore the demand for water would keep increasing. Sanjeep therefore decided to create a system where they could harvest the rainwater in the surrounding hills and use that in times of drought. He started speaking to the local government and the Ward Chairman to allocate the necessary budgets. They also proposed a plan of creating plantations and vegetation around the rain water harvesting pools and ponds so that it serves the twin purpose of water conservation and creating greenery.
They also created awareness within the community on water conservation and also on beautifying the community by planting trees etc. He also helped the youth understand how this project would benefit them directly. Many of the youth are entrepreneurs who are into animal husbandry and horticulture and this would help as well.
The water conservation project was approved and launched in 2017 and was completed in 2018 and is now benefiting over 30,000 people and Sanjeep couldn’t be happier. The young man dreams of a life where the government would always implement eco friendly policies and people would believe in sustainable living.