Article by Ruth Kimasan and Salome Njenga

Sustainability in the developmental world has become so vital. Donors have moved from measuring the feasibility of projects to being concerned about the projects’ and even the implementing organizations’ sustainability. Donor funds have become scarce, and funds are only directed to organizations that can effectively and efficiently execute their projects sustainably.

There are several reasons why donor-funded projects, NGOs, and INGOs should be sustainable:

1. Financial viability: Donors generally have limited resources, and they need to prioritize how they allocate their funds. By designing projects that are financially sustainable, donors can ensure that their resources are used effectively and efficiently and that the project will continue to have an impact even after the donor funding ends.
2. Long-term impact: Projects that are not sustainable may have a limited impact on the community, as they may not be able to continue providing services or support after donor funding ends. This can undermine the long-term development goals of the project and make it difficult for the community to continue making progress.
3. Community ownership: Projects that are sustainable are more likely to be owned and supported by the community, as the community is invested in the long-term success of the project. This can lead to stronger community involvement and a greater sense of ownership, which can help ensure the project’s success.
4. Efficiency: Projects that are not sustainable may struggle to continue running after donor funding ends, which can lead to a number of problems, including the loss of important services, the disruption of community programs, and the loss of jobs. By designing projects that are sustainable, donors can help to avoid these problems and ensure that their resources are used effectively.

Overall, sustainability is important in the developmental world because it helps to ensure that the project will have a lasting impact on the community and that the donor’s resources are used effectively and efficiently.

At SDS Consulting, we aspire to be a global leader in the implementation of sustainability in the development world. We have embraced continuous learning and innovative ways to solve problems through sustainability. We pride ourselves on devising state-of-the-art solutions to engagement by challenging the status quo. Such solutions include application of the sustainability tool to projects and organisations, which guarantees sustainable results and impacts