WaterAid helps Nepalese quench thirst for change

The thirst of Nepal's people for equal opportunities and rights drove the past decade of tumult and terror in the Himalayan country, say the Maoists who waged a bloody insurgency in their name.

This year's election of a Maoist leader as prime minister, together with the abolition of Nepal's royal family, has completed the country's political transformation from a feudal monarchy to a republic. But the Maoists' rise to the head of a coalition government has turned attention to demands for delivery of the socio-economic transformation they promised during the guerrilla campaign. WaterAid is encouraging residents to channel their energies into organised activism by helping them form lobby groups and gather the evidence and confidence they need to stand up for their rights.

In each of the 17 countries where WaterAid works in Asia and Africa, one of its goals is to help poor people advocate for themselves and improve the accountability of often unresponsive service providers. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/653c2736-bb5c-11dd-bc6c-0000779fd18c.html