KATHMANDU, Nov 9: Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has officially launched the Silver Volunteer Program, an initiative aimed at engaging retired professionals in civic service by utilizing their lifelong knowledge, skills, and experience for the city’s balanced and sustainable development.
The program is looked to be important in mobilizing capable senior citizens both physically and mentally and set an exemplary model for respectful civic engagement. A subject-based group structure will be formed among the selected volunteers. Each group will hold monthly meetings to review completed work and upcoming plans, while best practices and key learnings will be exchanged every three months. The practical experience of the volunteers is expected to make project implementation smoother and more efficient.
The public announcement for the program so far attracted 119 applications, of which 65 individuals—52 men and 13 women—were selected based on eligibility. The selected volunteers come from diverse professional backgrounds, including public health, medicine, psychology, veterinary health, education, agriculture, tourism, information technology, security, commerce, geographic information systems and electrical engineering.
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KMC Silver Volunteer Mobilization Procedure 2020 specifies that the program is open to Nepali citizens, approved Non-Resident Nepalis and authorized foreign nationals under existing laws, aged between 45 and 75 years, with at least 20 years of professional experience in government, private, or non-government institutions. Volunteers must be physically and mentally fit and willing to dedicate a minimum of five hours per week for one year. Applicants must also have no criminal convictions and must not be disqualified under existing laws.
The Silver Volunteer Program will engage participants in key areas such as public education and health institutions, public space and traffic management, environmental management, and public service facilitation. It also aims to support social service organizations and small or home-based industries in improving the quality of their services. Its broader goal is to transfer the knowledge, skills, and experience of retired professionals to younger generations, ensuring intergenerational learning and civic advancement.
To ensure effective operation, a committee chaired by the Vice-Chair of the Urban Planning Commission will oversee planning, identification, management, monitoring, and coordination of the program. The committee includes an executive member appointed by the Mayor, two experts (including one woman), a commission member designated by the Vice-Chair, and representatives from the Social Development Department. The Silver Volunteer initiative, combining civic engagement with lifelong contribution, is being hailed as a model program for fostering active, inclusive, and value-driven urban citizenship.
During an orientation and introductory session was held at the KMC Assembly Hall on Sunday, the selected applicants expressed delight at being able to contribute meaningfully in their post-retirement years. They described the program as a dignified opportunity to apply their professional expertise in serving the community once again.
Chairperson of the Silver Volunteer Management Committee and Vice-Chair of the Urban Planning Commission, Dr. Sumnar Singh Rajbhandari, said that the participation of skilled and experienced individuals would yield tangible outcomes in achieving balanced development within the metropolis.
