Rebuilding Stronger: Putting Communities in Charge after Nepal’s Earthquakes

In 2012, Pact began implementing USAID’s Sajhedari Bikaas project in six southern districts of Nepal. The six-year effort is helping rural communities better direct their own, inclusive development, in part by helping them practice with small-scale infrastructure projects. After the earthquakes, which struck in April and May 2015, Pact expanded parts of Sajhedari Bikaas to five hard-hit districts and began working with communities to select small infrastructure projects — up to $10,000 — that would aid in their recovery. Rather than hiring contractors to carry them out, Pact and USAID are giving communities the chance to implement and oversee the projects themselves. In addition to drinking water systems and other critical infrastructure, they are gaining skills, confidence and resiliency, and learning how to do transparent, inclusive development. Video by Brian J. Clark for Pact.