KOICA volunteer supports Namobuddha Municipality with construction of Tourist Information Center

KATHMANDU: KOICA Volunteer Youngman Lim, with the support of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), successfully completed The Project to Build a Namobuddha Tourist Information Center.

The project involved constructing a 32㎡ lightweight steel-framed building near the Namobuddha Stupa. The center is fully equipped with air conditioning, furniture, an inverter system, a computer, a printer, and a restroom, featuring customized interior designs.

The center will serve as a hub for tourism promotion and provide informational materials such as brochures and playcards.

A dedicated operator will manage the facility. KOICA contributed approximately $19,916 to the project, while the municipality provided the land and technical support.

Additionally, the center will support local farmers by offering space to sell organic produce. The project is designed to benefit both local and international tourists.

KOICA has partnered with Namobuddha Municipality since 2018. In 2024, KOICA dispatched Youngman Lim for a 15-month tenure as a tourism KOV (KOICA Overseas Volunteer) to support local tourism development.

The project handover ceremony was held on March 11, 2025, at the Namobuddha Stupa premises.

Mooheon Kong, Country Director of KOICA Nepal, expressed his deepest appreciation to Lim for his dedication and impactful contributions, which will be remembered for years to come.

He also thanked the municipality and its staff for their invaluable collaboration with the volunteers and hoped that the municipality would continue expanding the project in the coming years by incorporating additional equipment and initiatives.

KOICA’s volunteer program is one of the key initiatives contributing to the socio-economic development of partner countries at the grassroots level.

KOICA dispatches Korean national volunteers to partner government organizations based on their expertise, knowledge, and experience. Each volunteer serves in Nepal for one year, working in various fields such as education, health, agriculture, tourism, and ICT.

Currently, as many as seven KOICA volunteers are actively serving in various government sectors under an agreement between the governments of Korea and Nepal.

To date, 410 KOICA volunteers have worked in Nepal across different sectors.