Limit Aid Dependency

The independence of India is credited to its eminent leader, Mahatma Gandhi who put forward the concept of ‘swaraj’ or self-governance. Gandhi encouraged Indian citizens to thwart their reliance on British imperialism for their sustenance. Instead, he urged them to spin their own clothes from raw cotton, protest the British monopoly through satyagraha, and more importantly return to traditional Indian ways of living. Eventually, Gandhi’s concept of self-rule and self-reliance along with non-violent and peaceful protests helped make India independent. 

Gandhi’s concept of self-reliance could apply to any nation. If a nation creates the environment for self-growth, sustenance and entrepreneurship of its citizens, then surely its economy will fast-track. Here, it is key that the country become self-sufficient but one could argue that in today’s age of globalisation, nations have to work amid foreign diplomacy. It entails both the export and import of goods. And poorer nations benefit greatly from foreign aid, a fact which became especially apparent when the newly elected US President halted USAID (United States Agency for International Development) and MCC (Millennium Challenge Corporation) programmes globally earlier in 2025 in which Nepal too felt the heat. 

And it has now left a vacuum in Nepali projects that depended on foreign aid, especially in the fields of education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, policy and administration. As said earlier, it is an age of globalisation where countries have to work together in trade and commerce. Further, what one nation has in abundance, another nation could lack which is why there is a trend of exports and imports throughout the world. The United States recently made headlines with its tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China and these new policies have impacted world trade. Even more importantly, the fact that the US has stopped the USAID and MCC projects has sent shivers down the chain of international funds and foreign aid in Nepal. 

Numerous projects have been halted as a sense of precariousness hangs low. On the other hand, it has called for self-reliance and independence in the nation. If Nepal were to become more self-reliant, it would reduce its necessity for foreign aid. And it is during such trying times that the mettle of a nation and its citizens is tested. With aid and funds halted, Nepal could forge a new path, one that looks inward and searches for ways to instill a sense of autonomy in trade, business, commerce and entrepreneurship. But most of this seems like wishful thinking because as a nation, Nepal is underdeveloped. 

And ever since the 1950s when it opened up to international trade, it has depended on foreign aid. However, tainted with corruption, inept governance and even a lack of transparency and accountability the nation has created an adverse image and reputation. It also doesn’t help that Nepali youths flock overseas in search of employment and education in great numbers each year. Brain drain has cost Nepal its human resources which is why the nation has to improve its internal sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, services, and so on. The halting of funds and aid by the US might have left NGOs and INGOs reeling but one can hope that it will enable Nepal to look within the nation and its human resources for further prospects.