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US Aid A chronicle of the 50-year
involvement of the United States in the development of Nepal provides interesting insights
into the growth of the nation By KESHAB POUDEL The transformation of Nepal from a traditional society into modernity has been painful at times. This may partially explain why much of the discussion is framed in academic terms shorn of a human dimension. Among the very few books mirroring this difficult phase of transition is "Half-a-century of Development: The History of U.S. Assistance to Nepal 1951-2001. Although the book is primarily aimed at highlighting 50 years of the involvement of the US Agency for International Development in Nepal (USAID), it succeeds in painting a wider portrait. The well-researched document portrays Nepal in two distinct phases of its history. When the United States started development programs in 1951, Nepal's situation was unimaginable. In terms of education, health, transport, human resources, institutions and economy, Nepal was an entirely different country from what it is today. As a pioneer of development activities in Nepal, the United States has had great attachment with the country. The scale and scope of these activities amply explain the contributions made by the United States to transform Nepal from a traditional to modern society. From the early stages, the United States supported Nepal in modernizing almost all national sectors, particularly education, health, micro finance and infrastructure. Isolated by the policies of the Rana regime, few Nepalis had opportunities to travel abroad. Although a large number of Nepalese soldiers actively participated in the First and Second World Wars siding with the United Kingdom, few foreigners knew how pathetic the situation in Nepal actually was. The difficult mountain terrain of the north and the malaria-prone forests of the south prevented Nepal from introducing itself to the outside world. At a time when the outside world had achieved remarkable successes in various facets of life, Nepal was surviving amid isolation and gross neglect. When the USAID established Nepal's first literacy and distance learning programs, the country had a literacy rate of two percent and an enrolment rate of less than one percent. Female enrolment stood at four percent of total primary students. As Nepalese leaders after 1951 provided greater priority to education, the United States extended valuable support to the sector. The transformation of the country's education sector can be gleaned from the fact that Nepal has about four million primary students today compared to 8,000 in 1951. In the field of transport, roads were virtually non-existent. With the support from the United States, sustained efforts were undertaken to build hundreds of bridges, roads, and airfields, telephone and radio networks. In the health sector, Nepalese have seen a sea change. In 1951, one out of every five children born did not live to celebrate its first birthday and life expectancy was only 28 years. Fifty years later, Nepal has made considerable progress, albeit with great difficulty, towards transforming itself into a modern nation. To be sure, Nepal has not been able to achieve steady success because of many handicaps. But the strong infrastructure and human resources that exist provide a solid base for transforming society. Sandwiched between two major Asian powers, Nepal's main vulnerability is its geographical location. Nepal's education and other policies are frequently influenced by the interests of neighboring countries, rather than by its own requirements. The contribution of the US government to this country's development has been immense by all measures. Nepal's transformation cold not have been possible without the support of USAID in building vital infrastructure in the early stages. US bilateral assistance through 2001 totaled $647.6 million. In addition, US contributions to multilateral agencies providing assistance to Nepal was $690 million and humanitarian assistance was $36 million. The book, among other things, reminds Nepalis of what their country's overall position was when it embraced modernity. It also explains how the United States has contributed to changes in various sectors like women's empowerment, democracy, agriculture, forestry, rural development, health, family planning, education and training, transportation and communications and in the private sector. Describing various phases of development from 1950 to 2001, the book has compiled a wealth of data along with the experiences of people working in different parts of the country. This book is useful as a reference book for researchers and as an invaluable historical document of the development process of the last five decades. USAID's initiative in bringing out the book is praiseworthy. Half-a-century of Development |
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