Developing skills and employment for Rural Youth

To enable a training and employment program be set up with an existing local enterprise to assist youth in obtaining useful technical skills and employment in blacksmithing and metal fabrication.

To assist with growing local enterprise and to contribute to the local economy by providing sought-after good quality metal hand tools.

We would like to secure funds to allow the production of high quality hand-tools from a local foundry in Paro, which has the support of His Royal Highness, The King, in assisting rural youth who drift to the built-up urban areas from rural areas across the country, attracted by the prospects of getting better jobs in places like Thimphu. However, this drift is offset by losing age-old skills and practices handed down to each subsequent generation, such as blacksmithing, which once were the main stay of rural communities in the past.

The idea is to then establish a separate contract from the Dept of Forests and Park Services with this foundry, as the company expands and the required fire fighting tools come into production. Currently this small metal fabrication enterprise is only set up for forging good quality swords and the local rural mainstay, the Patang (a pouched knife used by almost everyone in the forested and agricultural areas across Bhutan, including Forest officers and rangers).

We not only procure our required tools for fire-fighting locally, but provide financial assistance to help to grow the economy, so local youth can also participate in the growing economy of a young developing nation.

The company management can supply better quality tools than we can currently obtain from India, as the ones imported are made from low-grade steel and do not have a long life.

Not only do we develop a long-term relationship with a local supplier
and establish a regular source of supply of urgently sought tools
of high and lasting quality, we are able to assist with establishing long-term
contracts, which in turn, allow local youth to be gainfully
employed and skilled, in what otherwise, is a disappearing but useful
trade.

We wish to confront a worldwide problem where rural youth drift to the cities in search of opportunity and employment not available to them in regional areas, a particularly challenging problem in developing nations. Generally, young people arrive in the cities and the sought-after opportunities are non-existent.

By offering support to a local enterprise to skilfully employ young people, we are assisting young people to support their communities and be part of the developing local economy, while at the same time, increasing their self-worth and helping to build a sustainable economic future for their nation.

Enhance forest fire management capacity of Forest Fire Management Section (FFMS)

Enhance the professionalism of forest fire fighters by providing them with high quality locally made hand tools.

Enable a training and employment program to be set up with a local enterprise to assist youth in obtaining useful technical skills and employment in blacksmithing and metal fabrication.

Assist with growing local enterprise to contribute to the local economy.

Effective and timely response to forest fire suppression - Enhance forest fire management capacity of Forest Fire Management Section

Increase effectiveness and capacity of fire fighters in fire suppression - Enhance the professionalism of forest fire fighters by providing them with high quality locally made hand tools

Add to country's workforce and contribute to partcipation in growing the local economy - Assist youth in obtaining useful technical skills and employment and contribute to growing local enterprise to contribute to the local economy.

Unique to  Bhutan's future development of manufacturing, enterprise and technical education and its application to necessary sustainable natural resource management and the protection of the nation's forest resources.

Providing disadvantaged youth with employment opportunities in an industry that serves the country's needs. In turn, skilled young people in useful and necessary trades support their local community by providing resources and adding to economic activity.

The productive output will provide necessary fire fighting handtools to volunteers and professional fire-fighters to protect the community and its timber resources from the impacts of forest fire. By minimising the impacts of forest fire the community can maintain the nation's biodiversity, sustain the forest ecosystem and therefore uphold the basic tenants that support the country's legislation and the individual's responsibility to manage the sustainability of Bhutan for future generations. This is underlined by the capacity of a skilled youth workforce to contribute to the development of Bhutan's economy and support the local community.

The commercial enterprise is already a going concern but is limited to basic iron foundry and metal fabrication applications. The company requires funding to support the expansion of the metal fabrication and tooling of the required product that has been proven useful as a quality firefighting hand tool ie. McLeod Tool (aka Rake hoe - proven in North American and Australian fire fighting) but not currently available locally to the same specifications and standard.

In the rural setting, the use of fire for pastoral/agricultural activities is tied to livelihood, where communities have little choice to totally eliminate these practices for alternative options.The project seeks to mitigate the extremes experienced by such factors and will help the community to respond and adapt to such occurrences.

Limited numbers of firefighting hand tools may also hinder practical response and early containment of forest fire. The enterprise may cease operation due to financial failure.

Supply of high quality hand tools to fire fighters to supress forest fire and minimise the impacts of forest fire on the country's sustainable natural resources, community assets and biodiversity.

To provide opportunities for rural youth in employment, skilled trades and a place in the economic future of Bhutan.

Helping to grow the local economy by providing an opportunity for enterprises to contribute to and share in Bhutan's future needs and requirements.

Project Manager, Mr Karma Jumi, Royal Ironcraft Centre, Paro

In-country Manager Australian Volunteers for International Development Bhutan Program (funded by the Australian Government

Department of Forests and Park Services, Royal Government of Bhutan

Enterprises currently supplying poor quality hand toold to the Government of Bhutan - based in India