This was my maiden experience with much excitement to organize the exhibition of the international posters on rainwater harvesting to observe the World Water Day on 22 March 2014.

All together 15 selected posters from different countries and 15 posters from Nepal were displayed at the exhibition organized by the Nepali Youth at Guthi (NYG) with the support of Bio-Gas Support Partnership (BSP) Nepal, International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA), Nepal Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (NeRHA) and SMARTpani at CLIMATE+CLIMATE, Nepal Art Council, Baber Mahal.

Inspired by the recent survey findings of the consumer survey in Babar Mahal and DalluAwas our team in NYG came up with the poster exhibition. We divided the exhibition into the six sections. As you enter the venue, you will learn about the water ecosystem, the issues of the water scarcity in Kathmandu, the solution of rainwater and how it could be harvested for the economic and environmental benefits.

We had really a hard time putting this exhibition all by ourselves. Planning the event, printing the posters from IRHA, printing it, organizing and inviting the audience were really an exciting experience. Further, raising the funds to meet the logistics was a real challenge in a short period of time.

However, it was very rewarding to receivethe visitors and their appreciationto the exhibition. BalramShrestha, Chairperson at BSP-Nepal commented, “Posters depict all the pragmatic information, which can be applied.”

Another visitor, Shyam Kumar Shahsaid, “If only one can change their attitude, nothing is impossible. There isdifferent simple ways one can adopt to overcome water crisis.”

As the time passed by the weather seemed to unfavor the show. The rain escalated but we continuedthe exhibition, thanks to the tent and the enthusiast volunteers who got them keenly engaged protecting the posters being soaked in the rain.

The most rewarding moment of the day was when Manish Dahal, a schoolboy of 12 years whom I guided him around the exhibition, expressedin the feedback book, ‘To save water is to save the world’. I felt very touched and rewardedby his wise words. We should think like the child and conserve every drop of the rainfall by harvesting it. I would like to conclude with Eva Kay Norrington’s poster caption “Even thesmallest gesture go a long way”. His poster got the second prize in the Raindrops Geneva Award 2013 organized by IRHA. 

By Manisha Shrestha