This is the first issue of the quarterly newsletter for the SAMBRIDDHI project, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food for Progress initiative implemented by Lutheran World Relief. The project aims to modernize aquaculture in Nepal across 14 districts in five provinces, working with 9,500 fish farmers and 500 market chain actors over a 3.5-year period from September 2025 to March 2029.
This is the first quarterly newsletter of the SAMBRIDDHI project, a USDA Food for Progress initiative implemented by Lutheran World Relief to modernize aquaculture in Nepal. The newsletter covers project activities from April to September 2026 and is intended for project partners, stakeholders and fish farmers across 14 target districts in five provinces.
The newsletter opens with a message from Chief of Party Dr. Manjurul Karim and a project overview. It describes the project's goal of bringing prosperity to Nepal by increasing aquaculture production and trade, with two strategic objectives: increased agricultural productivity of fish farmers and expanded trade of aquaculture products.
Activity progress is reported for six activity areas. Activity 1 covers SPS training with approved curricula and field surveys. Activity 2 reports on infrastructure including 10 One-Stop Service Centres, 25 demonstration ponds with aerators and loss reduction at Chitwan Fish House. Activity 3 describes a training cascade that reached 2,941 farmers.
Activity 4 covers inputs including four carp breeding nuclei, nine feed formulations delivered to mills and 1.5 million fingerlings stocked. Activity 5 reports on financial services with 283 farmers trained in financial literacy and a lending agreement with FORWARD Microfinance. Activity 6 covers nutrition education reaching 626 participants across 10 districts.
The newsletter reports on 18 grants awarded since April 2026 worth USD 110,853, communications products including 1,000 pond record books distributed, and MEL updates with 2,840 farmers registered in the 3D platform. Partner updates are provided for five implementing partners: CFWA, FORWARD, JJYC, MADE-Nepal and RRAFDC.
The document concludes with a data studio section and disclaimer noting the newsletter is published under the name SAMBRIDDHI, the Nepali word for prosperity. The newsletter is 8 pages and includes photographs credited to Aashish Rai/LWR.