HURF Nepal with support of ZFD-GIZ has been developing Human Rights Defenders in 3 districts in Mechi zone. The Project Coordinator Bhakta Thami said, '1 Human Rights defenders from each VDC will be developed with HR Defender training reporting Skills from all VDCs and Municipalities in Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung District, altogether 200 Youth HR Defenders will be trained and 3 district level networks will be formed for the monitoring and documentation of the Human Rights situation.'

District Level Coordination Meeting:
Coordination meeting with VDC secretaries and concern stakeholders in the project district organized to inform about the project. The meetings welcomed the project and provided feedback for the project. The VDC secretaries and Stakeholders expressed their commitment to select and recommend a potential HR Defender from their respective VDCs.

Press Meet organized:
Three press meet were organized to inform about the project in Ilam, Panchthar and Taplejung districts. Journalists and media person from more than dozen national and local media participated the meet. Fellowship program in the field of Human rights situation was announced during the press meet. The journalists welcomed the fellowship project expressing that the project motivated the media persons and journalist to work jointly with human rights activists. The president of FNJ Ilam Branch, Rohit Chandra Bhattarai said, "Fellowship is an opportunity for us, so I on behalf of the journalists from Ilam welcome the opportunity and would like to acknowledge for the project and HURF along with its funding partner that we feel that our job and proffesion has been respected. I also encourage all my colleagues to go through the process to achieve the fellowship. It's an award for the journalists"