Nepal Grassroots Development Forum (NGDF) is a non-for-profit making/sharing organization registered under the Company Act, 2063 of Nepalese government which works to promote the traditional and indigenous occupations of Dalit, including excluded and marginalized groups which have significant contribution to Nepal’s rural economy.
However, these occupations are still largely based on traditional technologies which are not much productive and, therefore, it has not been able to generate enough contribution to national economy. Hence, NGDF is established with an aim to contribute for advancing the occupation of these communities who have been practicing traditional occupations for their livelihood and generating substantial income, through enhancing their competency in the modern market, increasing their access to information and modern technologies, to modernize and industrialize the traditional occupations.
Besides modernizing traditional occupations, NGDF is also dedicated for promoting and preserving the traditional art and skills, cultures, and occupations of Dalit and other marginalized communities, which are in the verge of extinction. It also aims at working for commercializing agriculture and farm products through making compatible agricultural tools and techniques. It creates employment opportunities by developing entrepreneurship through promotion of local skills and technology which ultimately contributes to promote socio-economic and cultural rights of Dalit and marginalized groups of Nepal.
Furthermore, when Nepal suffered tremendously in a disastrous earthquake on April 25, 2014; NGDF ran various earthquake relief programs in Kathmandu and Dolakha providing foods, basic first-aid medicines and helping them to relocate to safer places. NGDF added another mission to work on from that devastating moment.
After that hurtful earthquake, marginalized communities have been suffering more in Nepal than any other communities. NGDF felt that its mission would not be met if NGDF did not work with various organizations and bodies like the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) to raise awareness about climate change, biological diversity, sustainable utilization of resources and educating them about natural disasters and how to prepare themselves in those circumstances.