From Relief To Sustainable Livelihood

The pathway of development in Nepal seems to be facing never-ending hurdles, be it the impact of climate change, natural disasters, political instability or the never-ending tryst with inexperienced politicians trying to rule the country through a trial-and-error mechanism. What Nepalis need is self-sustaining livelihood opportunities that can help communities establish social enterprises by utilising local resources. There are ample examples where communities have come together to help each other. There are several examples of community-based cooperatives formed by people for agricultural production, as well as to manage small and micro hydropower projects that meet the water and energy needs of their areas, supplemented by solar power.

There are also local, especially women-only, Savings and Credit Cooperatives that function as financial institutions in areas where commercial banks do not reach and do not trust small and micro entrepreneurs with the financial services they require. While the cooperative movement itself, especially Savings and Credit Cooperatives, has been tarnished by mismanagement and corruption, there are several cooperatives across the country that have gone against the values and principles of cooperation and are now blacklisted, with a large section of the population most probably being victims of fraud. However, there are ample examples of small cooperatives in places like Jumla, Humla, Dadeldhura, Baitadi and elsewhere that have existed for over four decades, serving farmers and small and micro entrepreneurs.

Economic sustainability 

Now, with the digital age flourishing and a youth-led government in power, Nepal can move ahead in developing its communities and march towards social, economic and financial sustainability if proper strategies are put in place. There has been a major setback to Nepal’s progress with floods, including the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli caused glacial lake ice burst. Each of Nepal’s seven provinces is rich in flora, fauna and water resources. There are also human resources that can be tapped into instead of allowing young people to migrate to other countries in search of work to sustain the needs of their families. If this human resource is engaged in meaningful work in their own communities and areas, combined with the spiritual value system Nepalis possess, they can lead happy and fulfilling lives in their own areas.