- Development groups in Nepal are sustaining community programs, including savings and sustainable farming, despite significant cuts in U.S. foreign aid.
- Local savings and credit initiatives empower women and provide remote communities with essential financial resources for small businesses and household needs.
- Organizations are helping farmers implement sustainable practices to improve nutrition and adapt to unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change.
- World Neighbors CEO Tim Prewitt will visit Nepal to discuss maintaining community-led programs and protecting livelihoods during current funding shortages.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Development organizations working in rural and remote parts of Nepal are continuing their work with local communities despite major cuts in U.S. foreign aid.
One of the main activities is helping people form small savings and credit groups. Community members put aside a small amount of money regularly, creating a common fund that can be used when families need help or want to start small businesses and other income-generating activities. The groups give people a way to manage some of their financial needs within their own communities.
The programs also support farmers in growing more food through sustainable farming practices. In some areas, the work has helped families improve access to nutritious food and learn more about healthy diets. Communities are also being encouraged to pay attention to health problems associated with poor diets, including obesity and diabetes.
Women are actively involved in many of the groups. Through savings activities and household financial decisions, they have gained more say over how money is used. Their participation has also given them a greater role in community activities.
For many farmers, however, changing weather has become an increasingly difficult problem. Unpredictable rainfall, droughts and floods are making farming more challenging and putting household incomes at risk. Development organizations and their local partners are working with farmers on practical ways to adapt their farming methods to these changes.
The work comes as the U.S. government has reduced funding for international development programs, including health and nutrition projects in Nepal. The cuts have raised concerns among organizations that have relied on U.S. support to run programs in rural communities.
Despite the funding problems, development groups are looking for ways to keep their work going. A greater focus is being placed on resources available within communities and on helping local people take greater responsibility for their own programs.
Tim Prewitt, chief executive officer of World Neighbors, is scheduled to visit Nepal from September 21 to 26. He is expected to meet with local partners during the visit and discuss how community programs can continue despite the funding challenges.
Prewitt is also expected to discuss ways of helping families protect their livelihoods as extreme weather affects farming and food supplies.
World Neighbors has long worked with communities to help people make better use of resources they already have. Savings groups are part of that effort, giving residents access to small pools of money that can support household needs, farming and small businesses.
Such groups can be especially useful in remote areas, where banks and other formal financial services may not be easily available.
The funding cuts have made the future of some development programs less certain. But the experience of communities in Nepal shows that locally managed savings, better farming practices and greater involvement of women can help families cope with financial difficulties and the effects of a changing climate.
