01/06/2026
A recent piece in Setopati puts it simply — sustainability can't be just added on at the end of a project. It has to be part of the design from the very beginning.
The 2025 USAID was a wake up call and a sharp reminder for Nepal on how quickly progress unravels when programs are built on external funding alone.
This article presents the Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Program (DPRP) in Koshi Province as a model worth paying attention to; a model that has ensured government ownership, shared responsibility, and genuine partnership in a true sense. Instead of building parallel structures the program builds into the existing mechanism especailly for funding and a thoughtful exit strategy.
While the global conversations on effectiveness continue, we must go beyond the rhetoric and start looking into the successful models that have demonstrated local ownership, sustainability, and leadership and elevate them as examples for the future of development.
Read full article here: https://en.setopati.com/view/166514
Development is never neutral. It is politics in motion — shaped by time, context, and human aspirations. Progress is not just about advancement; it is about the choices we make in pursuing it. Done right, development transforms societies. Done wrong, it breeds stagnation and systemic dependency.
