Raute Youths Receive First Aid Training in Surkhet

Surkhet, Karnali – Jan 7: Youths from the nomadic Raute community in Karnali Province have participated in a first aid training program in Surkhet. A total of 15 youths—eight women and seven men—attended the session organized by the Nepal Red Cross Society, Surkhet chapter.

The Raute, a small nomadic group with a population of 1,033, reside in Surkhet, Dailekh, Jajarkot, and Salyan districts. Their community has been facing population decline due to changes in lifestyle, diet, and cultural practices. Currently, many live in the forests of Lekbeshi Municipality-7 in Surkhet.

During the training, health workers taught the participants basic first aid skills through both theory and practical exercises. The initiative aims to raise awareness about injury management and emergency health support before patients are taken to hospitals, said Ram Lal Acharya, Chair of Nepal Red Cross, Surkhet chapter.

Minister for Social Development Ghanashyam Bhandari inaugurated the program, emphasizing the importance of preserving the Raute community’s unique identity. He highlighted the youths’ interest in health and treatment as a positive step and assured that modernization efforts would respect their traditional culture. Plans are underway to establish a “Raute corridor” and launch a dedicated Raute policy.

At the event, Gurans Rural Municipality Mayor Top Bahadur BC announced that Raute community members have been provided identity cards and social security allowances, and the municipality is facilitating the process for citizenship certificates.

Hira Singh Thapa, Executive Director of the Social Service Centre, an NGO, noted that the training will help the Raute adopt modern health practices, as reliance on traditional household treatments has sometimes led to complications.