Friendship and collaboration…
Kam For Sud isn’t an NGO “to help the poors”, but rather a group of Swiss and Nepalese friends working together for a better world, an association working in a joyful, yet serious and professional way to increase the “planet’s gross happiness”.
…become a work philosophy.
Having observed around us the failure of many initiatives, altough created with the best intentions but not sufficiently rooted in local realities, Kam For Sud has come to the conclusion that a cooperation project can succeed only if it is based on deep mutual respect among those involved. This means equal dignity and same value of the people, different background experiences but the same consideration for all and the same passionated involvemnt of everyone. No sense of superiority, no matter how hidden, from those bringing financial resources and technology, no sense of dependence or inferiority for those who are materially poorer— also because it is obviously not the material poverty that makes people unhappier…
A daily contact between Switzerland and Nepal
To make sure the projects progress smoothly, Rajan Shrestha, local projects coordinator, woorks full time in Nepal supported by Saroj Shrestha for the administration and accounting work and by the particular staff in the different projects. Rajan is constantly in contact with the Swiss projects coordinator, Silvia Lafranchi Pittet, who personally verifies the projects’ progresses through regular visits, and with the specific Swiss consultants, involved case by case according to the needs.
Our members and the Kam For Sud Bazaar & Boutique are the engine allowing us to work
Two pillars represent the essential engine that allows Kam For Sud to function: the precious annual contribution of the members and the Kam For Sud Bazaar and Boutique in Locarno and Lugano, directed by Luisa Soldati with Petra Tomasini, Antonella Bonzanigo and their respective volunteers-team. Jointly they generate the money that we need to cover the management and administrative costs of the NGO, thus allowing us to allocate the totality of the donations for the projects in Nepal.
Two partner committees
From 2008 Kam For Sud is registered also as Nepalese NGO. The local committee, composed by 7 professionals from differents fields (education, financial management, bilateral cooperation in the technic and social sectors) accompanies the operative staff, ensuring the projects’ proper development. In Switzerland, a similar executive committee composed by 3 professionals from the medical, economical and communication fields, meets regularly to follow up and plan the activities. All importand strategic decisions are taken by both committees in mututal agreement.
The annual assembly
The balance reports, the accounts, the projects evolution and the planned activites are presented and discussed during the annual assemblies in which the association’s members take part.
| Minutes of the last general assembly (April 2024, Italian) |
Civilists and volunteers
Occasionally, volunteers or civilists are selected to participate in particular projects, in Switzerland or in Nepal, for limited periods.